When you start up a copy of Doom, you pretty much know what to expect. You are going to run around mazes blasting creatures from Hell with a variety of weapons. Regardless of which system you own or which sequel you re playing, Doom is a first-person game that pits you against the entire populace of Hades armed with only your wits and a super shotgun (and maybe the BFG9000, oh yes!).

Therefore, it's the details that really determine the relative worth of each Doom release. Does it look good? Does it handle well? Are the levels intelligently designed? Do you occasionally jump out of your seat after rounding a corner and ending up toe-to-claw with a Baron of Hell?

Final Doom looks pretty good on the PlayStation. Not great like on the PC, but not horrible like that 32X release a few years back. One of the biggest problems is the amount of red in the game -- red walls, red lava, and plenty of red blood. Red tends to bleed on a TV screen, and it not only looks bad, it hurts your eyes after a while.

The PlayStation controller was made for Doom; it has never been easier to run, strafe and blow demons up at the same time. The PlayStation's shoulder buttons allow you to strafe and change weapons convieniently, without having to become a touch typist like on the PC. Just thinking about it makes my fingers hurt.

The levels are top notch, and there are plenty of them -- Final Doom is actually three games in one. First are the "Master Levels," a collection of levels pulled from the Internet and given the official thumbs up from id. The next two, "The Plutonia Experiment" and "TNT: Evilution," are id originals, totalling about 40 levels. If you can refrain from using the cheat codes, Final Doom has extremely high replay value -- once you defeat the game in the hardest mode, try beating each level starting only with a pistol.

As for the immersion factor, nothing beats Doom. Playing this game at two in the morning with all the lights out is where it's at -- your heart is pounding, your palms are sweaty, and you are primed for surprises.

Final Doom is a blast on the PlayStation, even if nothing is really new. To change the gameplay, the enemy, or the setting is to mess with a formula that has served id, and us, so well.