“Immerse yourself in the first person experience that takes your iPhone or iPod Touch beyond previously imagined limits. Introducing DOOM Resurrection, a brand new, technologically advanced, heart-pounding chapter in the legendary DOOM Saga! Scientists on a remote research facility on Mars have lost control of their experiment and all Hell has broken loose. As the last surviving marine, you must defeat the intruders and help the remaining scientists unravel the mystery of what happened and more importantly, figure out how to stop it. You must succeed! The future of Earth depends on it!

With evil around every corner, use your devastating arsenal of weapons including rifles, shotguns and one vicious chainsaw to even the odds! With its revolutionary control scheme, breathtaking visuals, and intense story, DOOM Resurrection is sure to provide the adrenaline rush you’ve been craving. Advanced graphics engine designed from the ground up to take full advantage of the power found in Apple’s mobile devices! Wield an arsenal of heavy-hitting weapons to defeat a variety of hideous monsters and bosses! Innovative controls for fast-paced and accessible first-person action! An all-new chapter of the DOOM saga that new players and long-time DOOM fans can enjoy!"

Now, considering all of the hype surrounding the title and with such a glowing press release, I found myself excited about what could really be a landmark title for the mobile platform. New control scheme? What would they do? How would they take advantage of the touch screen and accelerometer?

The answer to that question smacked me right in the face as soon as I launched the title – On. Rails. Shooter. I was dumbfounded. There was no way an on rails shooter was going to capture the visceral nature of the Doom franchise and really create any measure of impact with the gameplay experience. I remembered all of the on rail shooters that I enjoyed prior – Time Crisis and the like – and I suspected that while it could be good, I would ultimately be disappointed by the choice of the developer. Upon continued adventuring into the damned I started to reconsider my stance – I found myself actively engaged and even applauding some moments throughout the game. Essentially, what the game does is use an accelerometer-controlled reticule. It follows the movements as you tilt, sway, and move aside. If it weren’t for this mechanic the game would unceremoniously fall flat. In addition, projectiles (hellfire, bullets, and such) can be dodged with well-timed presses of the "dodge/cover" button on the bottom left of the screen. As you are being shot at it, there will be instances where you can use the button to hide behind cover and lay into the undead minions after you predict their pattern. Another welcome addition is on the fly calibration that you can continue to reset so you never feel out of control.

In keeping with talks of strategy, there are several weapons you come across throughout the game, from the machine gun, to the single and double barreled shotgun, to the familiar BFG. Another thing to note is that each weapon has strengths and weaknesses and will have an appropriate time to be used. It could have very easily been the opposite – a free for all where weapon choice really doesn’t matter and you are just mowing through each level. Graphically, the game can be considered one of the better looking titles on the iPhone and you are not going to confuse this game with anything else but a Doom title. The range of browns and grays and the dark hallways and lighting are going to plant you firmly and comfortably in id Software’s hellish universe.

The storyline runs parallel to events in the Doom universe, more specifically Doom 3, and the interaction between the Marine and supporting characters is given through cut scenes that also feel very much like Doom. It’s not a huge and groundbreaking narrative, but it ties everything together well enough.

The game is in the Apple Store now and is going for $9.99 – now, considering how quick my foray into hell felt, I’m not sure I can justify the price tag based on length. However, the game does shine graphically and with fantastic presentation and controls. So if you are looking for a solid title with some replay value (especially considering the good rating system and varying difficulty), then pick it up.