A truly incredible research experiment enables rats to play DOOM 2 via a novel virtual reality setup. The sequel, a violent first-person shooter, was released in 1994, adding new levels of Hell to explore and a slew of new demonic enemies to slaughter.
The classic titles are widely recognized as the first real first-person shooters in the gaming industry, and the titles have stayed relevant due to periodic rereleases and updates of DOOM and DOOM 2. With innovative features, including 3D scenery, multiplayer gameplay, and custom mod support, id Software’s 1993 shooter DOOM basically invented the first-person shooter genre. Only a year later, DOOM 2 was released, bringing additional advancements such as wider levels to explore and more clever demons to destroy.
Fan-created mods have added to DOOM’s expansion, with id Software actively pushing modders to improve and alter the bloodthirsty shooters.
Mods range from minor visual tweaks to entirely fan-made expansion packs with dozens of new levels.
One prominent DOOM 2 fighting game mod converts the videogame into a throwback brawler, giving the fast-paced demon killing a whole new spin. Neuroscientist Viktor Toth (via YouTube) has trained rats to play DOOM 2 in virtual reality in a stunning demon-slaying experiment.
According to Futurism, Toth set up the experiment to learn about computer-brain interactions, with movement in a virtual reality environment revealing a wealth of brain signal data.
The simplicity and variety of DOOM 2’s first level made it a great location for Toth’s rat experiment, as the rodents moved by walking on a huge ball.
Toth even devised a way for the rats to shoot the shotgun, albeit training the animals to consistently fire the weapon was far more difficult than simply having them stroll about.
DOOM 2 is a cult classic enjoyed by innumerable players, as well as a few rats, and the videogame sparked an ongoing series of demonic shooters. While the latest version of the game was published in 2020, Doom Eternal recently acquired a new Horde Mode that allows players to slice, shoot, and blast their way through waves upon waves of Hell’s army.
The highly-requested feature was not originally planned, but developer id Software caved in and added the new option in response to public uproar. The latest DOOM installment significantly increases the player’s speed and rewards aggression with vicious melee executions that restore player health.
While it’s difficult to deny DOOM 2’s appeal, it’s somewhat astonishing to learn that even rats adore the blood-soaked first-person shooter. Viktor Toth’s groundbreaking experiment demonstrates that rats can freely navigate virtual worlds, with at least one rat figuring out how to shoot Imps with a shotgun.
While the rodents are unable to handle the more complicated controls seen in Doom Eternal, the experiment turns DOOM 2 into the trigger for a genuinely unique and fascinating neuroscience investigation.