GZDoom is a powerful and versatile game engine derived from id Software's DOOM, a legendary first-person shooter (FPS) that revolutionized the gaming industry. This engine provides a modern platform for DOOM fans and game developers to create and play DOOM mods or total conversions, bringing in the capacity for enhanced visual details, advanced scripting, dynamic lighting, and many other improvements while still retaining the core DOOM gameplay mechanics. It has OpenGL support, which allows for a range of effects such as dynamic lighting and fog, reflective surfaces, and high-resolution textures, thereby offering significant graphical upgrades compared to the original DOOM engine.
Furthermore, GZDoom supports many games beyond DOOM, including Heretic, Hexen, and Strife, as well as fan-made projects. It also has a vast range of features, including 3D floors, slopes, and extensive modding capabilities, all of which allow for significant enhancements to the gameplay experience and creative freedom for modders. This flexibility and power make GZDoom a preferred choice for many DOOM modders, allowing them to breathe new life into this classic game by creating complex and immersive mods that both pay tribute to and expand upon the original DOOM experience.
Id Software’s DOOM has inspired countless mods and standalone titles since its source code was released six years after the game’s debut. DOOM mapper Bridgeburner is leveraging this freedom to create a GZDoom engine-based total conversion game, The Age of Hell, which replaces all vanilla assets to provide a fresh yet familiar experience. Retaining the fast-paced action intrinsic to DOOM, The Age of Hell employs sprite-based enemies and weapons to maintain the classic 90s aesthetic, with voxels used for pickups. The game is set to be a massive total conversion with a heavy metal soundtrack and six extensive episodes featuring distinct environments including icy locales, marble crypts, nightmare realms, tech-centric zones, and gothic palaces.
Each episode of The Age of Hell will present large, intricately designed environments with dynamic lighting and unique monsters, two bosses, and gameplay tailored to its demonic bestiary. New and familiar faces will populate the game, such as the nightmare fuel-infused Cacovore, the upgraded Cyber Lord, and the aggressive new demon, the Hasmodel. To battle these foes, the protagonist will be equipped with an arsenal of weapons redesigned with a holy theme and alternate fire modes to keep them relevant throughout the game. This includes an even more destructive BFG and a visually striking Super Shotgun. The game, rumored for a release by the end of 2023, will see the protagonist using these weapons and redesigned armors to take on Hell.
Lycanthorn II, a first-person shooter game inspired by the iconic Castlevania series, uses the GZDoom Engine to create an immersive gaming experience filled with color, adventure, and unique challenges. Players will follow the protagonist, Rain, through the lands of Morvania, using axes and blood magic to combat the pervasive evil. The game is characterized by vibrant, flowing colors and exploration-focused gameplay, inviting players to traverse caves, castles, and even the insides of a giant fish. Gameplay is driven by collecting keys, conquering accessible areas, and defeating bosses before moving to the next challenge, supplemented by the ability to recruit three unique party members, each offering different playstyles and exploration methods.
Despite its short gameplay duration, Lycanthorn II leaves a strong impression with its amalgamation of first-person shooter and platforming elements, offering a fresh gaming experience with distinct influences yet maintaining its unique identity. Players can explore, battle diverse enemies, and recruit party members with different abilities, all within a captivating world vivid with color and detail. While there are minor inconveniences, like seemingly forced platforming and a day/night cycle that unleashes numerous enemies, these don't diminish the overall appeal of the game. Ultimately, Lycanthorn II succeeds in being a brief, yet passionately-crafted game that inspires a sense of loss and longing for more once the credits roll.
Relentless Frontier is a GZDoom project, crafted by Fission Ogre under the Hellforge Studios banner. This game is centered on using high-powered sci-fi weapons to decimate adorable creatures, spread across three episodes, and is in Early Access. The game storyline, set in 2482 AD, revolves around Noah Gansky, a scientist wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life. However, en route to his prison, his vehicle crash-lands on a desolate planet, forcing him to combat colossal insects in a bid for survival. Each episode introduces new enemy factions, which interact intriguingly with those from previous episodes.
The game features four unique weapons, including a melee weapon called the Omniaxe and a belt-fed 1D-gauge shotgun named the Peacekeeper, which is expected to easily and amusingly decimate enemies throughout the game. The enemies in Episode 1 are the Armilimax, a fascinating race of insectoids consisting of slug-like toes and gelatinous entities known as Elders. These Elders telepathically control the slugs, making them harmless once the Elders are destroyed. The game promises many such interesting quirks about the enemies, ratcheting up the excitement for future episodes.
SharpShooter3D, a total conversion mod for GZDoom created by HeadHuntersGames, was among the almost 800 games removed from Steam when publisher Dagestan Technology was taken down for breaching the publisher code of conduct. Set in the fictional country of South Slovenko, the game features a heavy focus on melee combat and a narrative centered around civil unrest. Players navigate through diverse environments like clubs, bars, housing estates, rooftops, and even a sci-fi hellscape in a journey to take down the government. Missions in SharpShooter3D vary in length and quality but maintain a similar design, adding occasional unique twists to keep the gameplay engaging.
SharpShooter3D distinguishes itself from most DOOM II total conversions with its emphasis on melee combat, featuring common weapons like beer bottles, box-cutters, hammers, and power drills. The game has a one-weapon carry limit which forces players to experiment with different weapons in a single playthrough. However, the melee-centric gameplay can be quite primitive and clunky at times, offering a rather unsavory visual experience despite its visceral impact. SharpShooter3D's depiction of an Eastern European slum is laudable, with grimy apartment blocks and littered streets setting a grim, immersive atmosphere. Despite minor drawbacks such as awkward vehicle sections and less intelligent enemy AI, the game’s unique, unpredictable elements make it worth exploring, particularly for those seeking an unconventional DOOM mod experience.
