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Pardon the dust! This page includes some jargon that hasn't been added to the site's glossary yet. I'll be around to fix this later, but sorry for the inconvenience in the meantime. |
DOS Game Reviews
Overview
During the early years of computer gaming, DOS was the operating system of choice for computer gaming. The quality of these games varied widely, largely due to making them work with limited hardware. In fact, the history of early computer hardware can be an interesting rabbit hole to go down - but you're probably not here for that.
So let's have a look at DOS games that are still available in one form or another. Some of the games in this list are also available for modern operating systems, but as they were made for DOS first, they'll be listed here alongside their contemporaries.
Below are links to all 15 DOS game reviews available on this website.
Simply click on the game's title to view the full review.
Games in this List
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Blake Stone: Aliens of Gold
Brief thoughts: Like other First person shooters of the era, blood and gore is frequently seen when enemies are killed. In this case, some of blood is green or yellow, and there's much less gore than you'd see in Doom, but it's still present. |
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Captain Bible in The Dome of Darkness
In the far future, the Enemy has trapped a town in a Dome of Darkness. This deception field causes people to be easily misled by tricks and lies, and evil Cyber Deceivers are patrolling the streets to ensure the population doesn't learn the Truth! Only by correctly applying the scriptures can Captain Bible free the population and destroy the Dome of Darkness! Brief thoughts: The two main issues someone may have with this game lie in the short combat sequences and a few of the topics that might be discussed. However, none of the battles are particularly violent, and since this game was aimed at children, the game's installer has an option to disable the more serious topics. |
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Doom (1993)
Laboratories on the Martian moons were attempting to develop working teleporters, but while they succeeded, the scientists got more than they bargained for -- one of the teleporters malfunctioned, opening a gateway into Hell itself. Now a lone Marine must fight the Hellspawn back through the portal, and stop the invasion from within Hell itself. Brief thoughts: While there's a lot of violence, gore, and demonic references in this game, it's important to remember that the player is actively trying to contain the forces of Hell, not support them. Whether this context is enough to excuse the everything else is a matter of opinion. |
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Doom 2: Hell on Earth
Brief thoughts: Like its predecessor, there's a lot of graphic violence and demonic references in this game, and for the same reason - the player is fighting against an invasion by the forces of Hell. That said, it's a matter of opinion whether or not this is enough to justify the game's content. |
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Final Doom
Brief thoughts: This is an expansion pack for Doom II, so everything found in that game is also present here. For reference, violent gameplay, gore, and demonic imagery are the top three issues. |
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Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders
Brief thoughts: Despite the name, there aren't many references to evil magic. Instead, the main issue is the large amount of blood and gore depicted during the violent gameplay. |
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Hexen: Beyond Heretic
Brief thoughts: Most of the characters in this game make frequent use of magic to aid them in their battles, but the large amount of blood and gore is easily the bigger issue here. |
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Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel
Brief thoughts: This is an expansion for Hexen, so it shares all of the same problems. In some cases it's actually a little worse, as you're more likely to find dead bodies in these new levels. |
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Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus is a young wizard with big dreams. In order to make those dreams a reality, he sets off on a journey across time and space, his eventual goal being the defeat of four of the Wizard Council's greatest foes. Brief thoughts: Magic is omnipresent in this game, though it's mostly reduced to ammunition or specific powerups. A potentially bigger issue is that some of the backgrounds depict demonic or frightening creatures. |
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Master Levels for Doom II
Brief thoughts: As this is a level pack for Doom II: Hell on Earth, all of the problems with that game are an issue here. To quickly recap, there's a lot of graphic violence and demonic imagery. |
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Mystic Towers
Taking on the role of Baron Baldric, your goal is to save the neighboring countries by exploring twelve towers, destroy their monster generators, and clearing out the remaining monsters. Brief thoughts: There are a number of minor issues with this game that, on their own, probably wouldn't be a problem. But they do add up, and this may reach a point where some Christians are uncomfortable with them. |
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Raptor: Call of the Shadows (1994)
Brief thoughts: Like most shoot 'em ups, players spend their time shooting things or blowing them up. Usually this isn't much of an issue, as none of the enemies appear to have pilots, but there are a few situations where you can spot a body among the wreckage. |
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Star Wars: Dark Forces
Brief thoughts: As you might expect, most of the gameplay revolves around shooting people and aliens with laser guns and other science fiction weaponry. However, while this typically only results in a puff of smoke, it is possible to find blood or human remains in some levels. |
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Super 3-D Noah's Ark
Brief thoughts: Although this game plays like any other First Person Shooter, you're scattering feed instead of firing bullets. Thus, enemies who are defeated simply fall asleep instead of dying. |
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Wolfenstein 3D
Brief thoughts: This is a pretty bloody game, despite the primitive graphics. For some, the fact that you're fighting Nazis - and thus constantly exposed to their paraphernalia as you play - is an even bigger issue. Also, as silly as a giant robot Hitler can be, the idea that you're playing a game where you can shoot a real person (even a very evil real person) doesn't sit well with a lot of people. |
