Urban Brawl: Action DooM 2

Urban Brawl: Action DooM 2 thrusts you into a gritty prequel set ten years before the original Action Doom. Whether you load it as a .wad file or play it stand-alone via the Windows ZDoom port of DOOM, you’ll be greeted by striking cel-shaded visuals and visceral melee combat. Swap between fists, bats, shurikens, bottles, baseball bats, a taser, chainsaw or katana, each with basic and advanced attacks, while limited ammo keeps ranged weapons a precious ace up your sleeve. Weapons wear down over time, so drop them to grab fresh gear, and scarf down junk food pickups to refill your health bar—visible alongside your foes’ HP at the top of the screen.

Follow a desperate father on his mission to rescue his kidnapped daughter in a series of stylish black-and-white cutscenes reminiscent of Sin City, complete with hard-boiled narration. Fight through gang-infested streets, city subways, lofty fields and the hidden lair of the shadowy organization behind the abduction, uncovering secrets and Easter eggs along the way. Your choices lead to two distinct endings. Urban Brawl is free to download, or grab the $9.99 Collector’s Edition on disc—complete with bonus maps and challenges, a brand-new song, and the original Action Doom wrapped in exclusive box art.

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Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Urban Brawl: Action DooM 2 flips the script on its predecessor by shifting the emphasis from ranged firepower to raw, in-your-face melee combat. From the moment you drop the first punch, the game delivers a relentless, adrenaline-fueled experience reminiscent of classic brawlers like Final Fight. You’ll cycle through fists, bats, shurikens, bottles, a baseball bat, a taser, a chainsaw, and even a katana—each weapon featuring both basic swings and more powerful advanced attacks.

Weapon durability adds an extra layer of strategy: your trusty club will wear out after prolonged use, forcing you to improvise or scavenge fresh gear from defeated foes. This dynamic keeps encounters tense, as you balance offense with conservation, and occasionally decide to ditch a nearly broken weapon in favor of something new. Limited ammo for ranged weapons ensures you can’t rely solely on a shotgun blast to clear the room—you’ll need to close in, time your strikes, and master crowd control to survive.

Health management is equally hands-on. Forget healing potions or medkits—Urban Brawl replenishes your HP through junk food scattered across levels. Chowing down on a greasy burger mid-fight has never felt so satisfying (and necessary). Health bars for both you and your adversaries sit prominently at the top of the screen, giving clear feedback on each exchange of blows and allowing you to plan your next assault or retreat.

The level design, inspired by the Windows ZDoom port of the original DOOM engine, provides a surprising amount of interactivity. Fences can be broken down, crates wrecked for hidden items, and environmental hazards—like electrified pools or collapsing floors—serve up unexpected tactical opportunities. Between the .wad file option and the stand-alone version, you have the freedom to mod levels or play straight out of the box, catering to purists and newcomers alike.

Boss encounters are a highlight, often pitting you against hulking brutes or agile knife-throwers in tight arenas. These set pieces test your mastery of both basic and advanced attacks, and usually demand split-second decisions: do you parry with your bat or close the gap for a lethal katana strike? Urban Brawl keeps the pace frantic without ever feeling unfair, rewarding skillful play and punishing sloppy button-mashing.

Graphics

Urban Brawl’s shift to cel-shaded visuals marks a bold departure from the gritty realism of many modern shooters. Every environment, character, and weapon is outlined in crisp black lines, giving the world a comic-book flair that stands out in the indie FPS landscape. The result is a vibrant cityscape brimming with color and attitude, where every street corner looks like a panel from a noir graphic novel.

Character designs lean into exaggeration—think oversized fists, stylized tattoos, and neon hairdos—while retaining enough detail to convey personality. Enemies are equally memorable, ranging from spray-painted punks wielding Molotov cocktails to burly thugs brandishing chainsaws. Their health bars, displayed at the top of the screen, are seamlessly integrated into the art style, enhancing the HUD without breaking immersion.

The use of dynamic lighting and shadows heightens the cel-shaded look, especially during night missions in the gang-infested city or down in the dimly lit metro tunnels. Bright neon signs flicker overhead, casting dramatic glows on wet pavement, while interior spaces are punctuated by harsh fluorescent lights and deep, moody shadows. Explosions and special effects retain the hand-drawn aesthetic, making every impact feel punchy and visually satisfying.

Environmental interactivity further showcases the engine’s capabilities. Breakable objects pop with splinters of cel-shaded wood, and blood splatters maintain the cartoonish style without dulling the violence. Secret rooms and Easter eggs hide behind destructible walls, encouraging exploration and rewarding players who take the time to poke around every corner.

Whether you’re playing the .wad version on classic hardware or the stand-alone release on modern rigs, performance remains rock-solid. Frame rates stay locked even in the heat of multi-enemy melees, and load times are minimal. Urban Brawl’s graphics strike a perfect balance between style and performance, ensuring that the visual spectacle never comes at the expense of smooth gameplay.

Story

At its core, Urban Brawl tells a gritty revenge tale: a desperate father’s quest to rescue his kidnapped daughter from a shadowy organization. The narrative unfolds ten years before the events of the original Action Doom, setting up characters and factions that fans will recognize while keeping the story self-contained enough for newcomers.

Between action-packed missions, you’re treated to stylish black-and-white cut-scenes that wouldn’t look out of place in a Sin City adaptation. Strong voice-overs lend gravitas to the narration, guiding you through plot beats and revealing key motivations. The stark contrast of these sequences against the game’s colorful levels creates a compelling visual rhythm that punctuates the high-octane gameplay.

The missions take you through a variety of locales: a gang-controlled downtown district, claustrophobic metro tunnels swarming with thugs, an eerie stretch of woods where ambushes await, and eventually the fortified headquarters of the kidnapping ring. Along the way, you meet allies who provide intel—and occasional backstabs—adding layers of intrigue and emotional stakes to your journey.

Dialogue is terse but effective, leaning on classic crime-thriller tropes to build tension. You’ll eavesdrop on corrupt officers, interrogate informants, and occasionally make moral choices that influence which secrets you uncover. These decisions ripple toward two possible endings, giving the story replay value for those who want to see every outcome.

The storytelling never outstays its welcome, averaging three to five minutes of cut-scenes per major chapter. By the time the credits roll, you’ll feel invested in the protagonist’s plight and satisfied by the payoff. Urban Brawl demonstrates that a retro-inspired shooter can deliver both explosive action and a compelling narrative without compromise.

Overall Experience

Urban Brawl: Action DooM 2 is an ambitious indie title that successfully marries the frenetic energy of old-school brawlers with the immersive mechanics of a modern first-person shooter. The decision to center melee combat, backed by a handful of scarce ranged weapons, creates a fresh take on the DOOM mod formula.

Beyond its free .wad release, the optional $9.99 physical edition is a steal for collectors and hardcore fans. Packaged in a collectible case with unique box art, it includes bonus maps, extra challenges, a bonus song, and even the original Action Doom game. This tangible package underlines the developer’s passion and provides excellent value for money.

The replayability factor is high, thanks to branching story paths, hidden secrets, and varied combat scenarios. Whether you’re rushing to beat the game on a single health bar or hunting down every Easter egg, Urban Brawl offers hours of meaty content. Leaderboards and challenge maps add further incentives for completionists and speedrunners.

Technical performance is rock-solid, and the ZDoom-based engine allows for community mods and level creation, ensuring that Urban Brawl’s lifespan can extend far beyond its main campaign. For fans of action-packed, melee-focused shooters—and anyone craving a stylish, comic-inspired aesthetic—Urban Brawl: Action DooM 2 is a must-play.

From its over-the-top combat to its engaging story and streetwise visuals, Urban Brawl punches above its weight. It stands as a testament to creative modding and independent development, delivering an experience that feels both fresh and nostalgically familiar. Dive in, brawl hard, and prepare for one of the most memorable indie shooters in recent memory.

Retro Replay Score

7.8/10

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Retro Replay Score

7.8

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