Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first thing Volume IV offers is choice, almost to a fault. With 500 additional DOOM levels and 1,800 more for DOOM II, you are not buying a short new chapter with a clear beginning and ending; you are opening a huge stack of possible evenings. That can be thrilling when you simply want more demons, more maps, and a new place to test your familiarity with the original games.

The practical extras give the package more purpose than a pile of maps alone. Loaders and front ends can help you get into its material, while map editors and utilities invite you to move from playing levels to poking at how levels are made. That is the point where this sort of compilation starts to click: it treats DOOM as something you can keep exploring and modifying rather than a pair of finished games to put back on the shelf.

Frustration is likely to come from the scale. A collection this large asks you to browse, experiment, and accept that not every stop will become a favorite. There is no promise here of one unified difficulty curve or a hand-picked sequence. Treat it as a deep well of optional DOOM and DOOM II material, and it is far easier to enjoy than if you expect a single expansion-length journey.

Graphics

Alongside the level collection, Volume IV includes new graphics. Their presence fits the package’s broader mix-and-match spirit: this is material for changing up familiar DOOM and DOOM II play rather than a standalone game with one authored look.

Story

Story is not the reason to come here. This is an accessory compilation built around extra levels and tools, not a new narrative campaign with a central cast or plot line to follow.

That makes the experience feel closer to browsing a community-minded toolbox than progressing through an authored sequel. You make your own momentum by choosing a map, trying a utility, or dipping into the reference material.

The included cheat codes, hints, and FAQs reinforce that hands-on, practical focus. They are useful when you want help getting unstuck or want to experiment, but they do not turn the package into a story-driven release.

Overall Experience

Volume IV is a substantial final bundle for someone who still wants to live in DOOM and DOOM II after the core games have run dry. Its strongest quality is abundance: thousands of extra levels plus tools, editors, sounds, graphics, and reference material can occupy a dedicated fan for a long time.

Its weakness is that abundance is not curation. You need to bring patience and a willingness to sift, because the package’s identity is defined by variety rather than one polished through-line. The payoff is worthwhile if discovering and tinkering are part of why you return to classic DOOM in the first place.

Give it a chance if you want a large DOS-era grab bag that treats DOOM as a platform for more play and experimentation. Skip it if you are hoping for a compact, guided add-on that tells you exactly where to start and maintains a single consistent ride.

Retro Replay Score

6.5/10