Developer: Adrenalin Entertainment Publisher: Playmates Released: 1995 Genre: Action
The end of the 16-bit era saw some truly amazing side scrolling action titles. Contra: Hard Corps, Alien Soldier, Rendering Ranger R2, these were the types of titles no one thought fathomable on such aging hardware. And then there were games like Doom Troopers: Mutant Chronicles. It is not that Doom Troopers is completely bad. But the lack of polish is completely noticeable and ruins what could have been an otherwise solid action romp.
Mankind has colonized the Solar system in the distant future through terraforming. Further expansion is derailed when they encounter a hostile force called the Dark Legion on the planet Nero. Two commandos are sent to stop the Dark Legion and defeat their leader Dark Soul. Although it isn’t immediately apparent Mutant Chronicles is a licensed title. Mutant Chronicles is a table top RPG along the lines of Shadowrun; Doom Troopers is the action focused spinoff. Although some knowledge of the license will provide some backstory it is not necessary. The game does not make much use of its license outside of window dressing.
You have a choice between two characters, Mitch Hunter or Max Steiner. The differences between the two are slight: Max takes less damage than Mitch although you won’t notice. He also has a flamethrower and dual pistols. Mitch is has stronger weapons, as evidenced by how quickly he kills enemies. Speaking of weapons, things work a little differently here. Ammo is limited, although generally it isn’t a problem. If you do run out your guns will automatically regen up to ten bullets. It is enough to get out of a jam but not to survive a boss battle. There are melee attacks available but these are mostly to conserve ammo and not something you want to rely on.
The most immediate feature that stands out in Doom Troopers is its gore. The game is a bloody mess to an almost comical degree. Enemies will fall to pieces when shot, their heads explode, or their bodies will gush blood. Hanging bodies will drop from the jaw down in grisly fashion. Disjointed torsos will still let off a few shots which is frustrating more than it is cool. Honestly it is gratuitous for no reason other than to appear mature. Sadly the gore is about the only thing Doom Troopers has going for it.
Gameplay wise Doom Troopers is a mess. This clearly comes from the Earthworm Jim School of design, ironically also published by Playmates. The visual design is unclear leaving direction a problem. The delineation between platforms and the environment is often unclear. The grappling mechanics are wonky as well. Platforms that are visually out of reach can and need to be grabbed for progression. Navigation is a complete mess as a result and discourages exploration. The level design has its moments; stage one forces you to use dead bodies as platforms and the following level is a harrowing chase as you try to stay one step ahead of attacking warships in the background. The second boss has an easy pattern to recognize but is still challenging as he is vulnerable during a brief period. But these few moments of inspiration do not override the mountains of frustrating leading up to them.
The controls are less than ideal. The decision to relegate aiming to a button is mindbogglingly stupid. Having to hold a button to aim in any direction other than straight is incredibly stupid and slows the game down. Repositioning yourself to avoid using the button leads to taking hits almost every time. The spotty hit detection makes it even worse. Firing works just like Earthworm Jim; I didn’t like it there and don’t like it here. Bullets and melee attacks frequently miss while enemies have no such problems. Even the platforming suffers from some of the same issues. I made the comparison to Earthworm Jim for a reason as Doom Troopers resembles it in the worst ways. The level design is confusing, the shooting is just as inaccurate, and the entire production feels like it needed another pass.
The numerous flaws make this an incredibly difficult and unfair game. The game tries to hide it by providing many health packs and even extra lives but it does not help much. In fact without the constant power-ups it would be impossible. Sadly the many issues ruin its better moments, such as the creative boss battles. The generous respawn system helps but most will probably give up due to the limited continues.
In Closing
Doom Troopers could have been good with a little more polish. Instead it is a flawed action title that frustrates more than captivates. Ugly rendered graphics, dodgy controls, and high difficulty seal its fate. I’ll say pass on this one.
