Editorials
[#DOOM25] The 10 Best ‘DOOM’ Mods
DOOM is a joy that can be experienced time and time again; part of the thrilling experience of embarking through hell is being able to partake in the number of mods that exist for the game. The creativity and wackiness behind some of these mods are impressive; from hundreds of weapons, upgraded graphics, and loads of gore, there are hundreds of DOOM mods players can try out.
To make your life easier in choosing the best mod for you, here is a list of the ten coolest DOOM mods!
DOOM Remake 4
This is your general graphical overhaul of DOOM. Players can enjoy the same game, but with newly rendered textures and 3D models. There’s also a new HUD, and the game is accompanied with additional brutal mods.
Theme DOOM Patch
Ever wanted to go up against the likes of the Predator, the Xenomorph Alien, or the Terminator? This mod allows you to place these sci-fi classics into the game and go up against them.
Brutal DOOM
For those of you in need of extra violence in your game, Brutal Doom adds unique death animations (including dismemberments, headshots, executions, and more). This brings a more visceral experience of flying demon limbs for all Doom lovers.
Batman
Ever wanted to blast away at The Joker, Bane, or Two-Face? With this mod, you can! Bringing out the vibrant world of Batman through old-school graphics, players are treated to 20 levels of facing off against the cape crusader’ss biggest baddies.
The Sky May Be
Need a little existentialism while playing DOOM? In Sky May Be you’ll come face to face with cryptic text, weird visual designs, and enemies and weapons that break all the rules! This bizarre twist on the classic shooter is bound to give your head one hell of a spin.
Russian DOOM (Russian Overkill)
Maybe you want to try out DOOM to some Russian heavy metal? Russian Overkill is exactly that; incorporating a blend of metal/rock style Russian songs into the game, you can blast away your enemies in KGB style.
Rude DOOM
As gamers, we’ve all gotten frustrated at times and sworn at games. Now with Rude DOOM, you don’t have to because the game will provide the cuss words for you!
The Legend of Zelda: Total Conversion
What if DOOM and The Legend of Zelda were one and the same? Well in this conversion DOOM takes on the aesthetic qualities of Zelda, allowing you to travel Hyrule in first-person.
Army of Darkness: Total Conversion
Speaking of other fascinating conversions there’s also Army of Darkness! In DOOM style, you can play as Ash tearing through skeletons and waving around your boomstick.
Groovy indeed.
DOOM: Infernal Attack
Including more than 600 enemies, more than 150 weapons, tons of objects and more, this mod celebrates years of creative mod builds all into one brutal and violent package.
What are some mods not on this list that you have played with Doom?
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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