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Art of DOOM
From id Software, the studio that pioneered the first-person shooter genre and coined the multiplayer term Deathmatch, comes a massive art tome from the highly anticipated next installment of DOOM!
From the massive UAC facilities on Mars to the depths of hell, uncover never-before-seen sketches and concept art from DOOM. The book also features an exclusive look at the development of the relentless demons of hell, devastating, over-the-top weapons, as well as the iconic DOOM marine-- all accompanied by commentary from the developers themselves. The Art of DOOM is indispensible for fans of video games, visceral first-person shooter combat, and pulse-pounding action!
This is the companion Art book for DOOM, the latest installment of the Doom franchise, set for release May 13th 2016.
From the massive UAC facilities on Mars to the depths of hell, uncover never-before-seen sketches and concept art from DOOM. The book also features an exclusive look at the development of the relentless demons of hell, devastating, over-the-top weapons, as well as the iconic DOOM marine-- all accompanied by commentary from the developers themselves. The Art of DOOM is indispensible for fans of video games, visceral first-person shooter combat, and pulse-pounding action!
This is the companion Art book for DOOM, the latest installment of the Doom franchise, set for release May 13th 2016.
- GenresArtVideo GamesNonfiction
184 pages, Hardcover
Published June 21, 2016
11 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
About the author
Bethesda Softworks
51 books83 followersBethesda Softworks LLC is an American video game publisher based in Rockville, Maryland. The company was founded by Christopher Weaver in 1986 as a division of Media Technology Limited, and in 1999 became a subsidiary of ZeniMax Media. In its first fifteen years, it was a video game developer and self-published its titles. In 2001, Bethesda spun off its own in-house development team into Bethesda Game Studios, and Bethesda Softworks became a publisher only. It currently also publishes games by ZeniMax Online Studios, id Software, Arkane Studios, MachineGames, Tango Gameworks and Bethesda Game Studios Austin.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 21, 2016
I can't get enough of the Doom 2016 game. I mean, the original Doom and Doom II are the definitive childhood video games of violence for many of us!
Thus buying this Art of Doom book (plus other Doom stuff) would further satisfy my craving.
So how does the book feel in the hands of a doom fan? It is serviceable and good, but not mind-blowing. Actually it felt more underwhelming. The Doom game is made with focus and dedication, so I have expected the same with this art book.
The concept art, renders are all good to look at. Everything in this book are okay. However, the elements NOT seen in the book let me down. For example, not all demon monsters have a consistent number of artworks. The Imp, of all the monsters, only have one page while the boss demon Twins have so many of them pages. Even the Doom Guy! There are no Praetor Suit close-ups and even hi-res renders of him. Pity! Moreover, the only descriptive texts in this book are straight from the codex. No background stories and annotations from the artists and creative director are present.
I have better artbooks (AC Unity, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider) than Doom's. Hardcore fans might consider buying this. This is totally skippable for everyone else.
Thus buying this Art of Doom book (plus other Doom stuff) would further satisfy my craving.
So how does the book feel in the hands of a doom fan? It is serviceable and good, but not mind-blowing. Actually it felt more underwhelming. The Doom game is made with focus and dedication, so I have expected the same with this art book.
The concept art, renders are all good to look at. Everything in this book are okay. However, the elements NOT seen in the book let me down. For example, not all demon monsters have a consistent number of artworks. The Imp, of all the monsters, only have one page while the boss demon Twins have so many of them pages. Even the Doom Guy! There are no Praetor Suit close-ups and even hi-res renders of him. Pity! Moreover, the only descriptive texts in this book are straight from the codex. No background stories and annotations from the artists and creative director are present.
I have better artbooks (AC Unity, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider) than Doom's. Hardcore fans might consider buying this. This is totally skippable for everyone else.
September 14, 2016
I am a HUGE DOOM fan and ever since it's announcement I have followed every aspect of the new DOOM's development! The game itself delivered on almost every single promise and lived up the IMMENSE hype that I and many others had for it! Before the game was even released I hoped that an art book would be made for it as the art design of the game is truly fantastic and my wish was soon granted! After going through the book I can say that while the art that is actually present in this book is great for the most part, I'm a bit disappointed by the amount of artwork for certain things and the lack of multiple concepts. An example of what I am talking about is the DOOM Marine. I was hoping to see many different sketches and designs of him and see some different iterations of his design, but the book only has one page and a few images dedicated to the DOOM Marine and none of the artwork is of other iterations of his design. The artwork also lacks any commentary from the artists. All of the text on each page is Codex entries pulled straight from game. This combined with the fact there is some art even missing (no artwork of the current iteration of the Imp) is why I'm unfortunately a bit disappointed by this book. Out of all the art books I have gone through, this one pales in comparison. If you are a major DOOM fan like me it may be worth going through, but just don't expect too much out of it.
October 25, 2016
It was what it thought it was.....200 pages of artwork from the new Doom game. Interesting to look at, but I'm glad I got it from the library
July 24, 2016
Like many people I was surprised by just how good Doom was. I expected to have fun with it, but I had no idea it would be one of the best games I had played so far that year. Brutal, chaotic, fast-paced, there are just so many adjectives you can attach to the game. The art book gives you a pretty good look into the development of the game. Concept art and detailed in game renders of environments, enemies, weapons, and props. The best chapter is the one highlighting the demons. The enemies are the stars of the game, and here you get to see various conceptual iterations of them as well as the finished products.
May 2, 2017
I would have liked to have had more written input on the design process of the art in the book from the artists and creators that drew the pieces displayed in the book.
November 24, 2018
It was a great book with plenty of high-quality digital images, 3D models, and artistic illustrations of enemies, environments, weapons, and characters. Short elaboration paragraphs are scattered throughout.
Unfortunately it only focuses on the 2016 Doom release. As the first art book devoted to Doom that I'm aware of, one could be forgiven for incorrectly expecting that Doom, Doom II, and Doom 3 would receive some attention as well.
Unfortunately it only focuses on the 2016 Doom release. As the first art book devoted to Doom that I'm aware of, one could be forgiven for incorrectly expecting that Doom, Doom II, and Doom 3 would receive some attention as well.
April 23, 2020
Amazing
I think that all games should have a book describing, if not in words, the thought process of the devs to better explain the meaning and story of any work of art such as this.
I think that all games should have a book describing, if not in words, the thought process of the devs to better explain the meaning and story of any work of art such as this.
April 20, 2020
Довольно бесполезная, но очень красивая книга.
Десяток страниц текста (логично) сообщает нам всю рекламную информацию UAC и больше ничего. Ну, не беда, зато рисунки красивые.
Десяток страниц текста (логично) сообщает нам всю рекламную информацию UAC и больше ничего. Ну, не беда, зато рисунки красивые.
November 3, 2021
297 - 2021
August 15, 2023
I picked up this book to learn more about the design philosophy of Doom 2016. I didn't play that game, but I did play the sequel, Doom Eternal, and enjoyed it a lot, not the least because of the aesthetics. It really sold the sci-fi/occult horror combo, and I wanted to know how the series did that.
The Art of DOOM was a disappointment, however. It was probably an attempt to grab some extra cash from concept art that already existed. Other games made that kind of art into unlockable content, like Mortal Kombat with its Krypt. If you're looking for anything on the design philosophy, look elsewhere. All the texts are taken straight from the ingame codex, from what I heard, and they're not even presented very well. Some entries have them, others don't.
This is not where the problems with this book end, as the execution itself is flawed. As others have pointed out, what concept art made it into this book is hard to explain. There are one or two pages on the Doom Slayer, the hero of this entire thing and one of the more recognizable video game protagonists of the 2010's, but several on some minor antagonists. There's also some pages with pictures of explosions and muzzle flashes, which just feel like filler, and several about the various types of armor in the multiplayer mode. Why would any reader care more about the muzzle flashes than your protagonist? This is why I think they assembled this book from leftover artwork.
Furthermore, many of the designs do not look as good on paper as they look in the game. I suppose that's simply due to different design considerations. In a fast-paced game like Doom 2016, it doesn't matter if the ruined truck you see has an oversized vent running from the passenger door to the stabilizer fins, because you'll see this vehicle once in your life in your peripheral vision while you're busy slaying a demon with chainsaw arms. In that context, it looks good enough. Only when you put it on paper and look at it for more than ten seconds straight does your brain tell you that nothing you're seeing makes sense. No, there are no trucks with stabilizer fins in this art book, but there's armor that looks like there's a deep fryer hidden in some soldier's legs. Why on earth would you put a handle on the armor plate on your shin?
The Art of DOOM was a disappointment, however. It was probably an attempt to grab some extra cash from concept art that already existed. Other games made that kind of art into unlockable content, like Mortal Kombat with its Krypt. If you're looking for anything on the design philosophy, look elsewhere. All the texts are taken straight from the ingame codex, from what I heard, and they're not even presented very well. Some entries have them, others don't.
This is not where the problems with this book end, as the execution itself is flawed. As others have pointed out, what concept art made it into this book is hard to explain. There are one or two pages on the Doom Slayer, the hero of this entire thing and one of the more recognizable video game protagonists of the 2010's, but several on some minor antagonists. There's also some pages with pictures of explosions and muzzle flashes, which just feel like filler, and several about the various types of armor in the multiplayer mode. Why would any reader care more about the muzzle flashes than your protagonist? This is why I think they assembled this book from leftover artwork.
Furthermore, many of the designs do not look as good on paper as they look in the game. I suppose that's simply due to different design considerations. In a fast-paced game like Doom 2016, it doesn't matter if the ruined truck you see has an oversized vent running from the passenger door to the stabilizer fins, because you'll see this vehicle once in your life in your peripheral vision while you're busy slaying a demon with chainsaw arms. In that context, it looks good enough. Only when you put it on paper and look at it for more than ten seconds straight does your brain tell you that nothing you're seeing makes sense. No, there are no trucks with stabilizer fins in this art book, but there's armor that looks like there's a deep fryer hidden in some soldier's legs. Why on earth would you put a handle on the armor plate on your shin?
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews