Gloom was the first proper, commercially released, clone of the immensely popular first person shooter Doom on the Amiga. Although somewhat technically inferior to Doom, its release marked a milestone in Amiga gaming, as the Amiga was not widely considered to be able to run such a game at that time.

Gloom is not based on the original Doom engine, but bares a closer technological resemblance to Wolfenstein 3D. Neither game features higher or lower levels. In terms of style, however, the game greatly resembles Doom's Sci-Fi setting, and even features levels based upon Hell later in the game.

Gloom but even better. The game featured a new 1*1 pixel mode, the choice of different screen resolutions and sizes, as well as support for VR headsets, head tracking was not supported. The game was designed for expanded Amigas, barely running fast enough on the 2Mb A1200, even in a small screen. The graphics had been improved to create a greater variation in level design, but remarkably it could now be run on any Amiga with a 020 and 2Mb ram, in contrast to its AGA-only predecessor. The game really needs at least 4Mb and a 030 to fly. The playability had been improved slightly with even better level design and tougher enemies. The variety of the enemies had also been improved to make them tougher than those found in Doom, although it never became frustrating. At many points in the game you could walk around a corner and be confronted with a large ED209-wannabe who was constantly firing.

The third in the Gloom series is a CD-only affair put together by Gareth Murfin. It uses the same game engine as Gloom Deluxe whilst increasing the number of levels available. Unfortunately, these are mostly PD affairs and suffer from poor design and a complete lack of character; I'm still not sure if the gun is meant to be a pea-shooter, it sounds like one. The only improvement are the intro and between level screens.

Step forward and park thyselves in the spotlit leather-seat coders Black Magic, friends of fellow Antipodeans Acid and Vision Software, for you are first in the tunnel. So Gloom is the first ‘real’ Doomster to hit the Amiga. So what? Well, ever since Doom took the PC by storm, Amiga-owners everywhere have been looking forward to seeing a similar-style game for our machine. No matter that it is hardly an original idea, or that games of its ilk are available on PD – we want what they have got, only without the hassle of reconfiguring the software before you get to shoot anybody.

Black Magic’s Mark Sibly has written (or been involved in) some of the best Amiga games, including Skidmarks, Guardian and Overkill, as well as ace programming language Blitz Basic (and BB2), which is part of the development software for Gloom. The fine attention to detail prevalent in Sibly’s previous titles is clearly in evidence here.

You can use pads, sticks or the keyboard, play linked with a null modem cable and fiddle with the screen to your heart’s content, adjusting the resolution, window size and graphic detail to suit. The resolution swaps the pixel size between large and small, and while the smaller pixels look better, they draw a mite slower.

Enough of that for now – we will cruise past the plot at pace. You are teleported into a building and left with nothing but a gun, or a ‘standard issue plasma cannon’, as they are known, and there are people and things who want to kill you. That is it, son. Off you go and the best of luck.

Access doors, enhance weaponry and collect the jugs of health. By jove, it is a simple idea. No, the question most asked of the Amiga Doom clones is, “how fast and detailed is the 3D engine”?

Gloom is fabulously proficient in this department. Not only does it look splendid, there is very little slow down (though, in two-player, split-screen mode the brakes are sometimes on), even when you are confronted with a gaggle of ‘cultists’ as the enemy soldiers are known.

Gloom Simple early doors. Gather the weapon boosters and unleash a volley of bullets at the hapless fodder, but I would recommend you use the ‘messy’ rather than ‘meaty’ mode. Messy leaves the enemy’s limbs and flesh scattered across the floor, and this is a good thing, particularly when you are in the more complex levels later on – you certainly always know where you have been, though occasionally they serve to obscure the power-ups a tad.

No passwords, though, and with 21 mazes to scoot and not a map in sight, the only way to progress is through sheer diligence, learning the layout and the most economical ways to punish the fearsome fellows. Each maze has a secret room housing power-ups and some have bonus games (including Defender) and it is certainly worth checking every nook and cranny to locate them – they are generally found in parts where the scenery slightly differs.

Weapon boosters come in the shape of hovering fireballs and the green balls, in particular, are magnificent. When you get a full artillery, the next ball you collect slaps you with the mega boost, a double-barrelled blast.

It is one of the great feelings in a computer game, to march down a corridor, blasting enemy soldiers without taking on board so much as a scratch, their bodies exploding into a mushy morass. Corks, I hope my granny is not reading this.

After a bit of practice on the early levels, you learn the best routes to take, where the pick-ups and enemy are situated (and where you are likely to get ambushed), and how best to combat them, losing as little energy as possible en-route.

Importantly, the health bottles, which (obviously) boost your energy levels are often situated in the teleport exits to the next level. To attain any success in Gloom, you need all your lives intact when hopping into the tricky, later levels, where the going gets mighty tough. And in the early stages, there are no extra lives to be found, so caution is the order of the day. Be careful, young man.

The levels are split into three main sections, each with contrasting décor and evermore menacing degenerates. Transparent ghoulies haunt the second phase, floating through walls, emitting green liquid when you punish their impudence, while flying devils with unfeasibly large teeth suck you in on the later stages.

Gloom And it is not just a case of dashing the corridors, wielding the axe. Some levels have revolving rooms where you have to move as it rotates )rather like a revolving door), ensuring you sneak out at the right exit.

The worst thing is when you get squashed against the wall, watching your health rapidly deteriorate, before you make good your escape. Suddenly, a skinhead is charging towards you and before you can exclaim “I am armed, dangerous and practised in all the major martial arts”, you are dead.

Really, there is not anything here which makes you gasp in awe, it is just that Gloom works so beautifully overall. The two-player head-to-head games are dull in the extreme, though.

In Alternative’s Death Mask, at least you could access a map and find out where your opponent lurked. And with the regenerating power-ups, you always had a chance to win the bout, even if the end was near on nigh, whereas Gloom is a straight, full-on blast with little else to offer.

Gloom’s two-player, friendly option is far better (particularly on two Amigas with a null-modem cable) and you can organise who scouts around which area, saving valuable time and energy in the process.

The sound. Crivens, the music is fabulous and the howling, screeching and booming gunfire effects are entirely in keeping with the mood. And when you blast the poor blighters, their flesh splays to reassuringly horrendous, squelching sound. But louder footsteps next time, please.

Truly, Gloom is a fine game. I would have preferred a password system, even if there were only two for the next couple of phases. Main contenders, Fears and Alien Breed 3D, will be doing just dandy if they can attain this standard. Smashing!