Building Danger

This column is a reprint from Unwinnable Monthly #179. If you like what you see, grab the magazine for less than ten dollars, or subscribe and get all future magazines for half price.

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Architecture and games.

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Doom is one of those few games that could be considered truly canonical, having not only revolutionized the first-person shooter genre but also game design in general. The unrelenting mechanics, memorable environments and intense combat sequences have made the game an incontrovertible classic.

Apart from the demon destruction and the labyrinthine levels, the game exhibits an intricate relationship between its enemies and the spatial dynamics of its levels. The demons in Doom could in many ways be considered a form of architecture, given their specific behaviors and characteristics that shape how players move around levels and otherwise interact with the game world.

The term architecture typically refers to the design and construction of the physical spaces in which people spend their lives. When it comes to videogames, architecture extends beyond physical structures, encompassing the overall design of the game world including the spatial relationships, environmental storytelling and interactive elements that guide player movement.

Level design is a crucial aspect of videogame architecture. This involves creating spaces that not only look aesthetically pleasing but also influence gameplay. Level designers have to consider how players will move through a given space, what challenges or hindrances they’ll face within that space and finally how the environment itself will react to their actions. The game’s enemies, with their unique behaviors and abilities, also act as dynamic architectural features that directly influence how players navigate the levels.

Spatial agency is a term used in architectural theory to describe how space influences behavior and movement. The enemies in Doom exhibit spatial agency by forcing players to react to their presence, shaping how players move through the game world. Rather than simply being obstacles to overcome, they act as dynamic elements that shape and reshape the player’s understanding of a space.

Among the most iconic enemies in Doom is the Imp. These early game demons are fast, agile and will frequently throw fireballs at the player. While they may not pose much of a threat on their own, Imps are often presented to the player in large groups where their ability to move quickly and attack from a distance can produce pressure. Imps function as mobile barriers that restrict player movement, forcing them to constantly reposition themselves to avoid taking damage.

Imps can also be presented as pressure points within a given level. When placed in confined spaces or choke points, they force players to engage with them directly, rather than simply bypassing them, a common speed running technique. The Shores of Hell is a late-game level that has Imps often positioned within hallways or upon elevated platforms where their fireballs can be difficult to dodge. This encourages players to adopt a hit-and-run strategy, moving quickly to avoid incoming attacks while finding opportunities to return fire, shaping the player’s movement through the level by acting as both obstacles and sources of constant pressure.

Another notorious demon in Doom is the Pinky, a melee-focused enemy that charges at the player with surprising speed. Unlike the Imp, which relies on ranged attacks, the Pinky excels at close-quarters combat, making it a significant threat in tight spaces. When a Pinky is present, the player’s movement becomes constrained, as they have to avoid getting too close to a demon while finding ways to eliminate them.

Pinkies are highly effective at controlling space within a level. In open areas, they force the player to continue moving, given that standing still will quickly result in being overwhelmed by their melee attacks. In more confined spaces, Pinkies can act as moving walls, blocking the player’s path and forcing them to either retreat or find a way to kill the demon before it closes the distance.

This dynamic turns the Pinky into an architectural element that directly influences how players navigate a space. In Phobos Anomaly, Pinkies are placed in narrow corridors where their presence forces players to backtrack or find alternative routes to avoid being cornered. By occupying physical space and threatening the player with melee attacks, Pinkies create areas of the level that are dangerous to traverse, forcing the player to think strategically about their movement and positioning.

Cacodemons, floating demonic heads that spit powerful balls of energy at the player, introduce a vertical element to the combat in Doom. Unlike the many terrestrial enemies like Imps and Pinkies, Cacodemons can hover in midair, giving them the ability to attack from angles that other enemies are otherwise unable to reach, introducing a new dimension to the game’s level design, as players now have to be attentive to threats from above as well as below.

Cacodemons act as aerial architecture, creating areas of danger on the vertical as well as the horizontal plane. The level Command Center has Cacodemons in places with multiple points of elevation where they can hover above the player and attack from a distance, forcing them to consider positioning more carefully, as remaining still for too long will result in their being surrounded by airborne enemies. Players are forced to use the verticality of the level to their advantage, climbing to higher ground or finding cover to avoid attack.

The presence of Cacodemons moreover affects how players approach certain areas of a level. In open spaces, the threat of an aerial assault can force players to move cautiously, using cover to protect themselves from above. In more confined spaces, players may be forced to confront a Cacodemon head on, as there may be limited room to maneuver. Both approaches shape the player’s movement by creating vertical zones of danger that must be carefully navigated.

Perhaps the most frightening enemy is Doom is the Revenant, a skeletal demon equipped with shoulder-mounted rocket launchers that can fire homing missiles at the player. Their attacks are highly accurate and difficult to dodge, making the Revenant one of the more dangerous enemies in Doom. The most significant impact on player movement on the other hand comes from their ability to force the player into specific areas of a level.

When a Revenant arrives, players are forced to be constantly aware of the demon’s line of sight. Their homing missiles can follow players around corners and through doorways, meaning that simply running and gunning isn’t always a viable option. Players must instead look for ways to break the missile’s lock-on by using the surrounding environment to their advantage. This often involves ducking behind cover, weaving through narrow corridors and using obstacles to block the path of an incoming projectile.

The best example of this is in Halls of the Damned, in which Revenants are placed in areas with multiple pathways and tight corridors. Their presence forces players to constantly move in between points of cover, encouraging them to think strategically about their movement and use the environment to their advantage.

This dynamic relationship between enemies and level design exemplifies the concept of spatial agency in which the presence of enemies can influence the player’s behavior and movement within the game world. By treating enemies as architectural elements, Doom creates rich and engaging gameplay that goes beyond the static design of its levels, offering players a constantly evolving challenge that requires quick thinking and adaptability. This blending of enemy behavior with spatial design is a key factor in the enduring appeal of the game, serving as a model for how videogames can integrate dynamic elements into their level design.

The innovative use of enemies as architecture had a lasting impact on the design of first-person shooters and videogames in general. The idea that enemies can influence player movement and shape the experience of a level has been adopted and expanded upon in countless other games from classics like Half-Life to modern shooters, particularly Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal.

When it comes to the reboot, the concept of enemies as architecture was taken to new heights, presenting players with enemies that exhibit even more varied and dynamic behavior, each requiring the player to adapt their movement and strategy in dramatically different ways. The level design is built around the idea of combat arenas where the player is locked inside of a given space filled with groups of enemies. They need to use their knowledge of enemy behavior as well as the surrounding environment to survive. This approach to level design can be seen as a direct evolution of the ideas first introduced in Doom where enemies are not just obstacles but integral parts of the architecture that shape the overall experience.

In much the same way, the emphasis in Doom Eternal is on movement and mobility, this time taken even further with enemies acting as both threats and opportunities. The notorious glory kill mechanic which allows players to perform brutal finishing moves on staggered enemies for example turns demons into resources that players can use to regain health and ammunition, transforming enemies into even more dynamic elements of the level.

Doom redefined the first-person shooter genre by introducing fast-paced, visceral combat in labyrinthine environments. The legacy of this canonical game however extends beyond its gameplay and level design. Integrating enemy behavior with spatial design, Doom transformed enemies into architectural elements that actively shape player movement and interaction. This approach to level design has not only added depth to the gameplay but also contributed to the development of the genre, transforming videogames into the dynamic experiences that have seen the artistic medium explode in popularity over the years.

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Justin Reeve is an archaeologist specializing in architecture, urbanism and spatial theory, but he can frequently be found writing about videogames, too. You can follow him on Twitter @JustinAndyReeve.