There was a time when mentioning the words “Doom” and “RPG” in the same sentence was only done in reference to turning a zombie into a pile of ludicrous gibs by way of a launched explosive. However, those days are long gone, as JAMDAT releases their mobile take on the Doom franchise, Doom RPG. While not exactly a full-fledged entry to the RPG realm, Doom RPG takes elements from the genre and applies them to the Doom franchise. What’s even more shocking is that they do it well, making Doom RPG a compelling entry to the genre, the Doom series, and the mobile gaming market in general.

Doom RPG, much like the original Doom (or any subsequent entry, for that matter) doesn’t have much in the way of story, simply following your Space Marine as he tries to make way through a space station under attack by hordes of Hell-borne demons and zombified compatriots. This time around, you have plenty of scientists and NPC’s to help you on your way, doling out helpful hints to assist your journey.

The game changes things up quite a bit from the original by moving into Role-Playing Game ground, which was an extremely wise choice for the mobile platform. The game wouldn’t have been half as approachable, much less playable, had they tried to do a straight port of the classic PC game. The game uses turn-based RPG-style gameplay, still through a first-person perspective, albeit more like old-school RPG’s like Eye of the Beholder or Wizardry than twitchy FPS games. You do a bit more puzzle solving than you did in the original Doom, performing tasks like hunting down key codes and using non-combat items like a fire extinguisher to put out fires for example, even though you still must do things like hunt down colored keys in order to open locked doors and so on.

As you perform tasks like killing enemies and solving puzzles, your character will gain experience points. Like in any other RPG games, experience points allow you to level up, giving you means to inflict more damage, carry more armor and have more hit points.

Also, the popular favorites from the Doom canon of weaponry are available in the game, with perennial darlings like the double-barreled shotgun and the BFG making appearances. Further, each weapon has a varying degree of success when it comes to dispatching certain foes. Even non-combat items can be appropriate for taking down some baddies. For example, the axe (generally used to open busted doors) can be used to quickly dispose of zombies, and the fire extinguisher does the trick when taking out fire demons.

Graphically, Doom RPG looks very good, effectively capturing the aesthetic of the original game. The monsters look exactly like they did a good 13 years ago (which is a good thing) and the game is rife with nice little details, like your character’s grimacing face in the HUD. Also, the music from first stage in the original Doom is present in the title screen, which is a nice touch for nostalgia buffs, like myself.

Doom RPG is a great game, and a worthy purchase for anyone with a capable mobile phone. Old-school Doom fans will love the aesthetic faithfulness to the original, while everyone else will enjoy the game’s ease of play and accessibility. If you are a gamer looking to get into cell-phone gaming, then Doom RPG is a worthy purchase. 

Gameplay: 9.0
Doom RPG is a refreshing approach to the franchise, offering great turn based gameplay with some great RPG elements and puzzle solving.

Graphics: 9.0                                                                                                                                         
Graphically, Doom RPG does a fine job of remaining faithful to the look of the original as each weapon and enemy is pulled straight from first two Doom games.

Sound: 8.0
The Doom theme that plays in the title screen is a great touch, but the bloops and bleeps that exist throughout the actual game leave a little bit to be desired.

Difficulty:  Medium

Concept: 9.0 
It’s a cardinal rule not to mess with the classics, but JAMDAT does a great job at making an original game with appeal to both nostalgia buffs and those who never experienced the original Doom first hand.

Overall: 9.0                                                                                                                                       
Doom RPG is a compelling and engaging game that stands on its own on the mobile platform. Nothing has been done quite like it before this on the platform, but this game is so well done that imitators are almost guaranteed.