Final Doom is an expansion pack for the first-person shooter computer game Doom II. It consists of two 32-level megawads, The Plutonia Experiment by brothers Dario and Milo Casali, and TNT: Evilution by the Casali brothers and TeamTNT. Final Doom was released in 1996 and distributed as an official id Software product. In addition to the PC and Macintosh versions, Final Doom was also released for the PlayStation, that version packaged together with the Master Levels for Doom II.

Development

Work on TNT: Evilution was started by TeamTNT, a group of WAD-making hobbyists who were active on the advanced Doom editing mailing list. The project was noted and snapped up by id Software, and finished in November of 1995.

Brothers Dario and Milo Casali, who had contributed four levels to TNT: Evilution, were assigned the task of creating what became Plutonia after having sent an 8-level WAD they had created to American McGee and managing to impress him along with the rest of the id Software crew. They created 16 levels each for Plutonia in four months time, and submitted them in January 1996. Unlike their contributions to TNT: Evilution, which were edited after submission (four were also rejected due to being too large to run on the computers of the day), these were the final revisions of the levels, and Dario Casali later commented about the fact that no changes were requested, "thank God because I was ready to throw my computer out the window at the time".

Gameplay

See Doom game details as it is the same.

Still, Final Doom provides new design and a different experience.

TNT emphasizes interesting and very complicated level architecture, good use of as many colors as possible, and a sense that the action is really taking place in real buildings. TNT is, as a whole, a showcase of the possibilities of Doom in terms of impressive designs and visual imagery. TNT's landscape is dominated by metal, plastic, glass and minerals.

Plutonia is much different - its level style is dark, clean and austere, with stone and wood dominating the scene. The emphasis is put on difficulty - all levels have been designed for Doom veterans who would be able to survive through endless hordes of monsters and deadly traps. Plutonia is a challenge even on low difficulty settings and has proven to be a true test for experienced players.

TNT: Evilution

Story

In TNT: Evilution the UAC once again are intent on developing and experimenting with dimensional gateway technology. They set up a base on Io, one of the moons of Jupiter, with a solid detachment of space marines for protection. The marines do their job well: when the first experimental gateway is opened they annihilate the forces of Hell. Research continues with more confidence and all security measures turned at the gateway.

A few months later, the yearly supply ship comes ahead of schedule, and looks strange and unusually big on the radar. The lax radar operators decide that there is nothing to worry about... The personnel of the base go out to behold the terrible truth: it is a spaceship from Hell, built of steel, stone, flesh, bone and corruption. The ship's enormous gates open to unleash a rain of demons on the base. Quickly, the whole base is overrun, everyone is slain or zombified.

The main character, the nameless space marine has been away on a walk at that time and thus escaped death or zombification. After being attacked by an imp he rushes back to the base where he sees the demonic spaceship still hovering above it and realizes what has happened. Then he swears that he would revenge for his slain troops and sets out on battle against evil, as he seeks revenge and the death of as many demons as possible.

Levels

The Plutonia Experiment

Story

After Hell's catastrophic invasion of Earth, the global governments decide to take measures against any possible future invasion, knowing that the powers of Hell still remained strong. The UAC corporation is refounded under completely new management (the old trustees and stockholders were all dead anyway) and aims at developing tools that would prevent demonic invasions.

The scientists start working on Quantum Accelerator devices that are intended to close invasion Gates and stop possible invasions. The experiments are carried out in a secret research complex, with a stationed detachment of marines. The work seems to be going well but...

The creatures form Outside have their dire attention drawn towards the new research. A Gate opens in the heart of the complex and unnatural horrors pour out. The Quantum Accelerator performs superbly - the Gate is quickly closed and the invasion - stopped. Research continues more boldly.

On the next day, a ring of 7 Gates opens and an even greater invasion begins. For 1 hour the Quantum Accelerators manage to close 6 of the Gates... but the Hellish army has become too numerous and too strong. The complex is overrun. Everyone is slain, or zombified. The last Gate of Hell remains open, manned and guarded by a Gatekeeper - a powerful, enormous and ancient demon that has the power to open Dimensional Gates and control or protect them.

The government, frantic that the Quantum Accelerator will be destroyed or used in some evil alien fashion against humanity, orders all marines to the site at once. The player, the nameless Space Marine, was close to the site and goes there first. There he discovers that there is much demonic activity (howling, chanting, machine sounds) within the comlex - the Gatekeeper is obviously working on something, and his work would soon reach some awful climax. He also realizes that when the marines arrive, they would not be able to penetrate the heavily infested complex, and will all be slain.

The marine decides to enter the complex and stop the Gatekeeper alone.

Levels

References

• Interview with Dario Casali (1998) by Doomworld
• Final Doom at TeamTNT's official website
• Dario Casali's The Plutonia Experiment page
• id Software's official Final Doom page