Doom, the epochal FPS game from id Software, has its original version, outlined by co-developer Tom Hall in the original “Doom Bible” design document, rebuilt, relaunched, and made fully playable thanks to a new Doom mod that restores the 1992 version of what could have been.
Multiple characters, realistic settings, a story – it doesn’t sound like Doom. But once upon a time, before John Romero, John Carmack, Adrian Carmack, and Tom Hall decided to take their groundbreaking FPS in a different direction, this was Doom. Set on the fictional planet of Tei Tenga, it would follow one of four selectable heroes – John, Dimitri, Thi, and Lorelei – as they attempt to repel a demon invasion after a scientific experiment goes awry. And now it’s back, and fully playable.
Each of the characters have different attributes (Dimitri, for example, is the designated “tank”, and so has a higher base health) and the weapon arsenal varies from the 1993 Doom we know and love, with a single-shot rifle, SMG, and familiar-yet-alien “BFG 2704”. The episode titles are different, there are new enemies in the form of possessed, lab-coat-wearing scientists, and each episode contains pop-up text to deliver a simple narrative, something the actual Doom leaves you to piece together (or ignore entirely) yourself.
Dubbed Doom: Fall of Tei Tenga, the restored version of Doom 1992 is available to play now. It’s slower, heavier, and maybe a little tougher than the final id Software shooter, playing and responding more like Wolfenstein 3D. If you want a glimpse at what might have been, an alternate universe where the Doom Bible design doc was never thrown out, get Fall of Tei Tenga on Mod DB now.
If reading about all these classic shooters has you in a nostalgic mood, try some of the other best old games. You might also want to try some of the other great zombie games, if you’re into splattering goons in Doom, or maybe some more space games on PC.