Kingdom of the Dead – Spotlight
The Doom series is one of the few to have endured and grown in popularity over the years. As a result of selling over 10 million copies, spawning numerous sequels, as well as numerous comic books, board games, and film adaptations, Doom has always been a huge hit with fans worldwide. The simplicity of the games, which originally told their storey through the manual rather than the games themselves, was a big part of the franchise’s initial appeal. When it comes to gameplay, Kingdom of the Dead does things a little differently than most other games.
There were eight weapons available in the original Doom, all of which were equally important to the player. In order to survive each level, you had to quickly switch between different weapons to meet the demands of the situation. It’s not just about fighting, though; you’re also constantly fighting for your life as you make your way through the game’s maze-like levels in search of all the weapons and secret areas. Gaming systems have evolved over time, and so have the games that run on them. A positive development, but it also means that a lot of what made the Doom games unique and accessible has been sacrificed in favour of more complex gameplay. This is where Kingdom of the Dead comes into play, based on the Doom games. Reflexes rather than technical prowess are the driving force in this first-person shooter. A video game that does not shy away from bringing gamers back to the basics is what this one is all about.
It’s obvious that Doom’s original art style influenced Kingdom of the Dead heavily. As in simpler games of the past, there is a storey, but it serves more as a backdrop than as the driving force of the game. For a secret government programme known as GATEKEEPER, Agent Chamberlain is the player’s character. The player’s primary objective as Chamberlain is to defeat Death and his legions.
Despite its lack of narrative focus, this game does an excellent job of combining gameplay, supernatural elements, and art style to create a truly unsettling experience. A black and white, hand-drawn, ink and paper art style with splashes of colour to emphasise key aspects of the game, such as blood, is featured in Kingdom of the Dead. Instead of feeling cheap or lazy like a lot of other Doom-style clones, it instead looks dramatic, stylish and utterly terrifying while still retaining that old-school Cathode-ray Tube (CRT) monitor magic.
Kingdom of the Dead’s gameplay is fairly straightforward. In total, there are nine different locations to explore, each with a variety of difficulty levels and goals to accomplish. It’s great that there are so many different difficulty settings available, because it means the game isn’t just for people with the reflexes of The Flash. As one advances through the levels, so does the level of difficulty. Moreover, the gradual implementation of this change means that players will have already adapted to it before the change is noticed. For an old-school experience that feels very much in line with modern mechanics and flow, the controls are responsive and smooth.
When compared to other first-person shooters, Kingdom of the Dead never succumbs to this problem. In order to keep the adrenaline pumping, the game has a number of save points scattered throughout the levels and no real consequences for death.
There aren’t many ways to make a Doom clone from the 1990s feel fresh and modern, but Kingdom of the Dead does just that. Over twenty-two different enemies and old school bosses must be defeated with eight different weapons. For the most part, Kingdom of the Dead is a well-worn experience. Despite its nostalgic origins, the game’s dark Lovecraftian horror themes are atmospheric and bold, and together with the survival elements, they help to make it all feel new and fresh.
Comfort foods and blankets aren’t the only things people turn to when they’re feeling down. In the minds of many people, those are the games that bring back memories of their childhood and the time they first fell in love with gaming. If you think about it in terms of how the original Doom games have remained prominent and comfortable, Kingdom of the Dead is exactly what you’re looking for. As a child, I vividly remember sitting on my mother’s lap while she played Doom, and being able to feel the pure joy she felt as a result. Almost 30 years later, when I started playing Kingdom of the Dead, all those memories and feelings came flooding back. When I first saw Kingdom of the Dead, I immediately felt a connection to the woman I once sat on, even though it is its own game.
Many people have tried to figure out what it is that makes video games so popular over the years. Are the visuals, music, or mechanics responsible for the game’s success? No one knows for sure, but we do know that games continue to have an impact on our lives, even if they don’t win awards. Rather, they’re the kinds of games that touch our souls and inspire us to do things we didn’t know we wanted to do. An affectionate and thoughtful follow-up to a beloved series that gave birth to an entire subgenre, Kingdom of the Dead may be able to reawaken the feelings of love and joy for a new generation through this new series.
