The release of Bethesda Softworks’ DOOM Eternal this year marks another milestone in what has become almost three decades of video game history for the franchise. For 27 years, the franchise has been a pioneer in FPS multiplayer games, and their fan base has witnessed an ongoing evolution of characters, graphics, and narratives. But this begs the question, why has a game that began as shareware endured with such longevity, outliving other games from the ’90s? So, analyze this evolution of the DOOM franchise, from the original DOOM (1993) to the recent 2020 release. Look specifically at the graphics, gameplay mechanics, lore, and storytelling. Question what exactly makes the franchise so popular, and what has maintained this popularity through the decades. Although the franchise includes films, comics, novels, and more, this article would seek to analyze the video games specifically.
Definitely a topic worth tackling, especially with the parameters you set (i.e. games only; focus on its presentation, mechanics, and how those influenced the medium; etc.). One way you could add more flair to the topic is by blending your analysis with the human elements that impacted the games' origins and development cycles. Masters of Doom's a great book you could check out to get an idea of the tone and narrative flow you could inject into your topic. – Michel Sabbagh4 years ago