DOOM II

First Impression

I’ve had DOOM II on my Samsung Galaxy S23 for a little over a month now, and honestly, it’s brought back some memories from when I was a teenager playing on a bulky PC in my parents’ basement. The first time I launched the app, I was surprised by how fast I could jump into the action. No long loading screens, no account sign-ups — just a quick tap and I was blasting demons. The graphics are a bit rough around the edges, but that’s part of the charm for an old-school shooter like this. I downloaded it because I wanted something I could play during my lunch break at work or late at night when the kids are asleep. Tuesday night after dinner, I showed my son a quick level, and he was wide-eyed at the monsters. That’s when I realized this might not be a family-friendly app, even if the graphics look dated. The touch controls took me a few days to get used to — my thumbs felt clumsy at first, but after tweaking the sensitivity, it got better.

What It Does Well

The gameplay itself is solid. It’s fast, chaotic, and keeps you on your toes. There are 20 levels with a lot of enemy variety, from zombies to huge demons that shoot fireballs. I really like the difficulty settings because I’m not a hardcore gamer anymore — I just want to blow off some steam. The customizable controls are a nice touch; I moved the shoot button to the top corner so my thumb doesn’t cover the screen, which felt way more natural. The quick save feature is a lifesaver when I have to pause because my daughter starts crying or the dog needs to go out. Multiplayer is also there, though I haven’t tried it much because none of my friends have the app. The controller support works well too — I hooked up an old Xbox controller on a Saturday morning, and it turned DOOM II into a totally different, smoother experience. For a retro game, it does what it’s supposed to do: deliver adrenaline-pumping action without a complicated story.

Where It Falls Short

But there are some real frustrations here. The biggest issue for me is the controls on a phone screen. Even though you can customize them, aiming with a touch screen in a fast-paced game is tough. I died a lot in the first few levels because I’d try to turn quickly and my finger would slip off the virtual joystick. The game also eats up a decent chunk of storage — almost 2 GB — which I didn’t expect. I had to delete a couple of family photos to make space. Performance-wise, my S23 handled it fine, but I noticed the battery drains fast when playing. Played for about 45 minutes on the bus? My phone dropped from 80% to 55%. Another thing: the app description mentions mod support, but I couldn’t figure out how to use it. I went to the settings and found nothing about mods, so either it’s hidden or I need to download separate files from a website, which feels sketchy on a phone. For a parent, I also worry about the content — it’s a mature game with gore, and there’s no simple way to lock it behind a password or restrict what levels my kid can access.

Is It Worth the Price?

The app costs money — I think I paid around $4 or $5 — which isn’t a lot for a classic game. For reference, that’s cheaper than a coffee at the local shop. If you’re a fan of old shooters and know what you’re getting, it’s worth it for the nostalgia alone. The 20 levels give you a good chunk of playtime, probably around 6-8 hours for a casual player like me. But if you’re not into retro graphics or twitchy combat, you might feel ripped off. My brother tried it on his iPhone and refunded it within an hour because the controls frustrated him. For me, I’ve gotten enough enjoyment out of it to justify the cost, especially with the quick save letting me play in short bursts. If you expect modern graphics or polished touch controls, lower your expectations. It’s a straight port of a 1994 game, and that’s both a pro and a con.

Developer & Support

Bethesda Softworks made this version, and I hoped they’d update it well since they’re a big company. But when I ran into a glitch in level 16 — the game froze and my quick save got corrupted — I tried contacting support through the app’s email. Big mistake. I sent a message on a Wednesday and didn’t hear back until the following Monday. The reply was a generic “restart your device and reinstall the app,” which didn’t fix anything. I lost an hour of progress. I tried following up with more details, but they never answered again. It felt like they didn’t care about my problem. I get it’s an old game, but if you’re charging money for an app, support should be better. This left a bad taste in my mouth, and I’m less likely to buy another Bethesda app in the future because of it.

Privacy & Safety

As a parent, this is my biggest concern. DOOM II asks for permissions like storage access (to save game files) and internet access (for multiplayer). That seems normal for an app like this. But there’s no parental control option, no way to hide the violent content from kids. My 7-year-old saw me playing once and started asking about the “scary red monsters.” I had to turn it off quickly. The app also doesn’t have a privacy policy that’s easy to find in the settings — I had to search online for Bethesda’s general one, which is long and confusing. I wish they’d add a simple content warning or a PIN lock for starting the game. For now, I only play it when my kids are asleep or out of the room. If you’re a parent, be aware that this game is not designed with family safety in mind. It’s purely for adults who want a blast from the past.