The latest version of Brutal Doom, the long-running modding project that started with the simple belief that the original Doom is for babies, brings the mod to ‘feature complete’ status. That means its creator, a modder who goes by Sgt_Mark_IV, will be focusing on bug fixes from here on out, and that the mod is effectively finished.
Brutal Doom has been in development since 2010, and over the years it has added a dizzying number of new, generally hyper-violent features to id’s classic demon-blaster. There’s tons more blood now, a host of new weapons, and even executions – a nod to the glory kills of the rebooted Doom from 2016.
It’s always been an impressive and ambitious mod, trying to wrap as many modern gaming innovations into a package based on an engine that is now 25 years old and perhaps feeling its age even more than the rest of us. The spite-based enemies have physics now, and you can grab zombies and hurl them through glass windows – stuff that was impossible to do in 1993.
With Version 21, Brutal Doom is now in ‘Release Candidate’ phase, and Sgt_Mark_IV says he’ll be concentrating on bug fixing from here on out. This latest build optimizes the mod quite a bit, making maps that were previously unplayable – late levels of Scythe 2 and Hell Revealed – run smoothly.
As proof, he posted this video on the ModDB page, which shows a run through Scythe 2 Map 28. It’s an absolutely absurd level that hurls hordes of tough enemies at the player. Just as you finish off a Cyberdemon, you’ll turn to face an angry herd of cacodemons and pain elementals. The good news is that you’ve got a BFG and access to near-limitless ammunition.
You can download Brutal Doom v21 at ModDB. You can find a handy set of instructions on how to install it under the ‘tutorials’ tab on the page. Of course, you’ll need one of the original Doom titles (Doom, Doom 2, or Ultimate Doom) to play.