Doom 4 is definitely still in production, according to developer id software, but the company doesn’t want to get involved in a “long PR cycle” for the game. While some companies thrive on extended campaigns, like Rockstar, id feels it would fuel unreasonable expectations from fans.
id’s last game Rage came out in 2011, and was a solid, but uninspired FPS. Prior to that Doom 3 was a great looking but slightly disappointing title. Doom 4’s lengthy development isn’t as surprising as it might seem – id Software has never rushed out games, and there are often long waits between titles.
Doom was a revelation when it was first released in 1993, but id don’t dominate the first person shooter genre it created any more. Nevertheless, its game engine id Tech 5 is very powerful, and has the potential to make an incredible looking game.
The biggest problem with Rage wasn’t the gameplay or the technology, though. The game’s post apocalyptic world felt generic and uninspired. The biggest worry about Doom 4 is that whenever it appears, it fails to live up to Doom’s past. Futuristic horror games are nothing new today, and ID cannot rely on making yet another bleak, dark shooter. Living up to a 20 year old revolutionary game will be very tough.
[Source: Gameplanet]
