Doom lives forever. From the superlative reboot published by Bethesda, to Doom Eternal, the greatest FPS game ever made remains a PC classic to this very day. Nevertheless, there’s one entry in the series that has always divided even the most devout Doom fans. Doom 3, from 2004, exchanges the fast-paced, kill-chain style of its predecessors for something slower and more horror driven. It’s still a great game, but imagine a complete Doom 3 remake, that tries to fix some of the flaws and maximise all the greatest moments. This is Retchid, a new Steam shooter that feels like a completely new Doom game, and a full reimagining of the original Doom 3.
Developed by From Beneath Software, Retchid feels plucked from the same era as Doom 3, FEAR, and Quake 4. Playing as an engineer for the sinister corporation TEC (that’s TEC, not UAC, wink wink) you’re caught up during a demonic invasion of one of the moons of Saturn (again, that’s Saturn, not Mars). Tons of weapons, shambling zombies, and brilliantly designed monsters combine in a plodding but constantly bloody boomer-shooter-esque FPS. This is Doom 3, but better.
Even visually, Retchid evokes the shooters of the ‘00s. From Beneath has done a terrific job of capturing the nuances of id Tech 4 and LithTech – those chunky, metal panels, detailed textures, and soft, dynamic lighting. With 20 levels split over three episodes (a sci-fi FPS split into episodes – again, where have I heard that before?) Retchid also lets you upgrade your suit, Dead Space-style. Oh, and it has a great shotgun.
If you want to try Retchid, it’s available now in Steam Early Access. Currently rated ‘very positive’ based on recent reviews, if you’ve conquered Doom Eternal, and want to try an alternate vision of Doom 3, Retchid is a must.
Alternatively, scratch that itch for classic boomer shooters with the best old games that you can still get on PC. You might also want to try the best indie games, if you hunger for something a little outside the mainstream.