Mighty Doom is a 2023 top-down shooter game developed by Alpha Dog Games and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is part of the Doom franchise and focuses on playing the Slayer character to progress through various levels in a roguelite play style. The player comes across varying challenges, such as monsters and environmental dangers. The game follows a different visual approach compared to the mainline Doom games, as it features a more colorful and cartoonish design.
Mighty Doom was initially soft-launched in 2021 on Android. In March 2023, it received an official worldwide release on both Android and iOS platforms. The game received mixed reviews from critics, who praised its art direction, roguelite elements, and soundtrack, but criticized its lack of originality and its intrusive implementation of microtransactions.
The premise of the story revolves around demons who have taken away the protagonist's pet rabbit, Daisy. The game's protagonist, referred to as Slayer or Mini Slayer, can be moved around using an onscreen joystick, while shooting is done automatically. Along with a primary weapon, the Slayer has access to special weapons that can be activated manually.[3][4] The mobile game also offers gamepad support, allowing players to utilize controllers via Bluetooth connection.[5] An energy meter with a limited capacity, a common aspect of mobile games, is present in this game.[6]
The player must progress through multiple levels, each of which presents varying challenges in the form of monsters and environmental hazards. While starting each level with only basic equipment, the player can earn temporary upgrades to enhance combat performance, thanks to the game's roguelite features.[1][6] Familiar enemies from the Doom franchise, including the Doom Slayer and the Baron of Hell, are portrayed as toy-like versions.[7] Players are also able to utilize the glory kill system from the Doom reboot duology, which allows them to finish off dazed demons to generate health pick-ups.[6][8]
Mighty Doom was developed for Android and iOS platforms by Alpha Dog Games.[9][6] While the canonical entries in the Doom series were characterized by a dark and gritty aesthetic, the new artistic direction takes a different approach. Instead, the game focuses on a colorful and cartoonish design.[10][11]
The game was soft-launched in 2021 on Android.[12][13] Pre-registration was made available in February 2023 and players were able to receive special gifts, such as weapon skins and a Mini Slayer pack.[14][15] In March 2023, the game had its official worldwide release on Android and iOS.[16][17]
On May 7, 2024, it was announced that due to Bethesda Softworks closing Alpha Dog Games, the developer of Mighty Doom, along with several other studios, to cut operation costs, all development of Mighty Doom has been halted, and the game would be shut down in three months' time on August 7, 2024. In-app purchases are disabled and refundable, and the app is no longer available for download to new players.[18]
According to review aggregator Metacritic, Mighty Doom received "mixed or average" reviews, based on 6 reviews for iOS.[19]
In a mixed review, IGN negatively highlighted difficulty spikes, which the reviewer claimed to be intentionally designed to push players towards making in-game purchases. However, the game's cartoonish visuals and incorporation of roguelite elements were praised as positive attributes.[1]
PCMag gave the game a score of 60 out of 100, commenting that the gameplay is average and lacks originality, and does not align with the original source material. The game's weapon and power-up pairings have been named as one of its more notable aspects.[20]
Italian gaming magazine Multiplayer gave the game a score of 80 out of 100 and praised its Doom-inspired visuals and engaging metal soundtrack. Despite the potential drawbacks of paywalls and microtransactions, the magazine reassured players that these features are not required to fully experience the game.[3]
^ abPugliese, Tommaso (2023-03-26). "Mighty DOOM, la recensione". Multiplayer.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2023-03-26. Retrieved 2023-05-02.
