Believe it or not, this is an analysis of a book! Doom Guy: Life in First Person by John Romero was just released, and it was very quickly digested. There are many thoughts. First and foremost, I would like to thank John Romero for bringing out a book that is not only an amazing read, but also amends some misinformation that has been released by other sources. He even calls out the biography Masters of Doom by David Kushner on some of its misinformation and misleading terminology.
It really is a testament to the effort the entire ID team put into this one game that shaped gaming pop culture as we know it. Even its predecessor, Wolfenstein 3D, had a hand in wrenching the status quo and paving the way for Doom beforehand. John Romero did a fantastic job displaying the way they worked together as a team and pitched into the effort of making this game amazing. Even Tom Hall, with his short-lived stint in its development had influence in the final product, whether he saw it at the time or not. It was especially refreshing to see Romero's close friend get his due diligence.
What got me about this book was how he beared no ill will toward his former colleagues, even the ones who didn't end up being faithful in the long run. He seemed to go out of his way to make sure that if he sounded bitter, it was only because he was telling the truth. Like a stone, however, he allowed the negativity to wash over him and he has more or less seemed to let it go. He makes it clear that holding grudges only wastes energy and eats at the soul.
His stories about Doom were far better than they were in the Kushner book. This is no insult to Kushner, though I am a little peeved he "exaggerated" a few details for drama's sake. Truth be told, the drama got old. What was delightful were the years at the lakehouse. Those years when they were in the building beside the screaming dentist's office and smashing things. That's the good stuff. John Romero lived it and his descriptions on how they made the models, guns, levels and game mechanics for Doom were in head-spinning details.
Romero even put coding terms in words that those with even a basic understanding of computers and software could follow along with. That is very difficult to do because coding is literally another whole category of languages. You can just hear the flare in his words as he tells stories, my favorite being when he was in the middle of the photoshoot for the coverart. This coverart is very well known to Doom fans, and little did I know that none other than John Romero himself posed as the Doomguy! The model they had doing it simply posed as the demon grabbing his arm. Romero is actually the original Doomguy.
That's fitting, because, much more well known to fans, John Romero is also the Icon of Sin. That's right, folks, despite the early days of Doom not having a whole lot of lore, the creation of doom definitely has some good material. He not only performed the distorted voice work for the main Doom 2 villain, but he also has an icon of his head on a spike behind the hideously awesome image of the Icon himself. He had no idea they'd done this, but in retaliation, he put in the voice easter egg to get the last word in. That's just how awesome he is.
There was really no need for him to explain about his decisions back in the day. It was pretty clear what had happened and there are very few people who would do things less impulsive and seemingly nuts. He was handed the keys to the kingdom and he thought he could lead a new team to develop the most awesome game ever by himself. One of the many issues was, he got too ambitious with technology and people he did not know well enough. After having his dreams crushed with the disappointment of Quake, he was ready to load up Dai Katana with every mechanic imaginable. It didn't work. It was way over-budget, passed deadlines and was a worse experience than Quake to make. John Romero made some miscalculations. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
I, for one, have nothing but gratitude and respect for this man (hence the impulsive article), and that should be the standard for those who have had hours of fun with one or any of the games Romero had a hand in. Make no mistake, he had his hands in more than just ID software games. His influence and his expertise found its way into Heretic and Hexen, Deus Ex would probably have never gotten made if it weren't for his generosity toward the development team and he still makes Doom levels today. Either Sigil that was released for free or One Humanity where the proceeds went to charity for the Ukraine War.
If you are a fan of Wolfenstein, Quake, Doom, Commander Keen or any title as such, Doom Guy: Life in First Person is a title that you will most likely, very deeply enjoy. It's an update on his life and it is a gripping tale from start to finish. The beginning is very dark, especially considering he was a child or teenager when some of the less comfortable events happened. Make sure you're okay with the contents before you make the purchase (Drugs, alcohol, child abuse and neglect, etc, it is not graphic). Give it a look and thank you for reading my little spontaneous book report. Rip and tear, dear friends.
