STACK May 2016 Issue 139

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or a game synonymous with guns,
gore and carnage, the planetary setting
of Mars, named after the God of War,
has always been an inspired choice. DOOM
needs no introduction, and neither does the
studio behind it. It’s coming back this month,
dressed for battle on the 21st century gaming
platforms – and yes, it’s still set on Mars.
“As for returning to Mars, it was a very
early decision,” says executive producer at id
Software, Marty Stratton. “DOOM has always
been set on or around (the moons) of Mars, so
as we’ve set out to 'reboot' the brand with this
game, it made a lot of sense to start there. It’s a
great canvas that works well with the tone and
themes of DOOM for a number of reasons."
With the coordinates set for the Red
Planet, the team at id set about shaping the
lore of the game and defining the reason for
being on Mars.
“The origin of our setting on Mars is that
a number of decades from now, and in the
midst of quite a bit of exploration within the
solar system, the Union Aerospace Corporation
(UAC) discovered a mysterious source of
energy on Mars – that (once processed) is
seemingly infinite and clean – they call it Argent
Energy,” explains Stratton.
“Over the course of many years, the UAC
constructs a massive installation on Mars to
extract, process, study and exploit the power
of Argent. What they don’t understand initially
is that this energy is being drawn through a
fracture between dimensions – our dimension
and Hell. Through the course of the game you
have the opportunity to discover some of the
crazy secrets of the UAC, but more importantly,
why you’re there to kill the demons.”
Mars has consistently captured the
imagination of authors, composers, filmmakers
and developers. Earth’s closest neighbour has
inspired the likes of H.G. Wells, Gustav Holst,
and more recently, Ridley Scott. But what is it
about Mars that makes it the ideal location for
DOOM?
“For DOOM, it’s the isolation and
disconnection with humanity that makes it
appealing as a setting for the UAC," Stratton
offers. "For some of our more fantastical
elements (like Hell), it’s also the fact that, with
all of the ideas and conspiracies about alien life,
past civilisations, possible current life, religious
overtones, etc., Mars is just this big awesomely
mysterious (but very real) place that almost
anything is somewhat possible.
“In DOOM,” he continues, “we establish
that an unexplained energy well, its location
fixed and marked by an enigmatic symbol, is
discovered on Mars and just happens to be a
rift to Hell. Is that pretty outlandish and not at
all based in reality? Absolutely. But, if tomorrow
you pulled up the latest image from the
Curiosity Rover and it revealed a discernible
glyph carved into the bedrock next to
one of the rover's wheels, would you
completely dismiss it, or would you
want to see that next picture?”
For many, the DOOM franchise
represents nostalgia, a game that shaped a
genre not through in-depth storytelling but
rather unrelenting action. It helped lay the road
to competitive multiplayer and put outraged
parent groups right across the globe on the
video game warpath. But how does the studio
responsible for the game feel about returning to
hallowed (or is that infernal?) ground?
“DOOM obviously means a lot to everyone
here and to the company as a whole,”
emphasises Stratton.
“For some here, it’s how they got their start
in the industry, or a driving reason why they
came to work at id. For others it’s a defining or
influential moment in their 'gaming life'. But for
all of us, it’s simply a dream project and a rare
opportunity.”
off the Planet
DOOM obviously
means a lot to
everyone here.
• DOOM
is out May 13
visit GAMES FEATURE
52 MAY 2016
GAMES
The game that shaped the first-person shooter is storming into JB stores this month.
Executive producer at id Software Marty Stratton talks DOOM and Mars.
F