“They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you. You will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done.”
In a video posted to Reddit yesterday, developers Dr. Beef and baggyG—the same team responsible for bringing Half-Life, Quake, and Quake 2 to VR via the Oculus Quest—teased the arrival of another classic franchise on standalone headsets.
Though the video doesn’t actually specify what game they are referring to, the music is unmistakable. Those aggressive guitar riffs and hardcore drums belong to the original theme song of iD Software’s 1993 fps classic DOOM. While the game has already been available in VR for some time via DoomGVR, the 3DoF experience—originally released on the Samsung Gear VR followed by the Oculus Go and Oculus Quest—is a vanilla source port of the original game, resulting in a poorly-optimized, borderline broken experience.
According to Reddit user u/VR_Bummser, who appeared to be posting the video on behalf of its creators, this new version will be running on a more modern engine; either the Gzdoom or Lzdoom. Not only will this improve the overall visual quality of the experience, but allow for various mod support as well.
This includes potential support for Brutal Doom, a mod so popular that even horror icon John Romero praised it as the definitive version of the game. Noticeable improvements include comically over-the-top blood effects, the ability to blow off individual limbs with high-caliber weapons, and various lighting enhancements. You can actually play Brutal Doom in VR right now via a PC VR headset. Just follow the instructions located here.
The video does not include an official release date other than 2020. Like the ports of Half-Life VR and both Quake and Quake 2, DOOM will be available to sideload onto Quest headsets free via SideQuest. If you’re looking for something to satisfy your demon-killing urges until the release, consider checking out DOOMVFR on SteamVR and PSVR. While it may not deliver the same nostalgia as the O.G. DOOM, it’s still a satisfying piece of eye candy guaranteed to get your blood pumping.
With DOOM: Eternal releasing on PC and consoles next month, 2020 is shaping up to be a big year for the legendary franchise.
Image Credit: iD Software