Classic video game series 'Doom,' made in Richardson, has returned

Id Software, who practically invented the first-person shooter genre back in the early 90's with Wolfenstein 3D and the original Doom, wants you to celebrate Friday the 13th with demons and big guns. The new Doom (which, yeah, is just called Doom) is out today.

It's been more than a decade since Doom 3 hit PCs, and Id Software's last game, Rage, was way back in 2011. At times it looked like this new game (referred to as Doom 4 for a long time) would never see the light of day, thanks to a troubled development and the departure of Doom co-creator John Carmack.

But Doom is here at long last. Unfortunately the game's publisher, Bethesda, did not send pre-release copies of the game to critics, so there are no reviews out there (though they did provide me with a copy of the game when it released last night), but we'll have more in-depth thoughts on its quality soon.

In the meantime, here are some things you might want to know:

The initial response has been positive

Since the game was released at the stroke of midnight on May 13, people have been playing the single-player for the first time ever. And most people seem to like it so far. A lot.

There's a reversible cover, and you should probably use it

The cover art for the new Doom is, frankly, kind of bland. But Id Software included a separate cover on the reverse side of the retail insert, and it's much, much better.

The game is fast. Really fast

This is not Call of Duty. This is not Gears of War. You will not be taking cover or walking slowly. You want to move quickly, shooting demons in the face at breakneck speeds.

It's also very violent

Like, incredibly violent. Don't-play-in-front-of-your-kids violent.

The original Doom was controversial in its day for being more violent than most other games on the market, but it's pretty tame compared to a lot of video games available now. This new Doom ups the ante with brutal "glory kills" that involve literally ripping demons apart in gory new ways.

It's so over-the-top that it's cartoonish (and not at all realistic), but it's also not for the faint of heart.

There's an easy-to-use map editor

Custom maps were a big part of the original Doom. Id Software is embracing that with SnapMap, a mode that they hope is intuitive enough that just about anybody can jump in and make their own levels and game modes. If that works as intended, it could lead to a very long life for the game.

Kids today don't know what PC gaming was like in the early 90's

Seriously, our schools are failing these kids.

GuideLive editor Sarah Blaskovich is really bad at the game

Seriously, Sarah stared at a wall more than she stared at anything else.

We'll have more on Doom next week.