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brakywaki's review
5.0
I’ve always enjoyed John Romero as a personality but I had no idea what he went through to become who he was. Proof that you can make the most of a rough childhood with enough skill and maybe a little luck. Also frankly deepened my lack of appreciation for John Carmack. Dude just seems like a robot.
projectazar's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
This is an incredible book about a fascinating person. If you love video games, Doom, talent, or just want a great story, check this one out.
kelseyr713's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This is a very dense book, and John’s writing style strays towards the technical, but it’s fascinating if you have any interest at all in the early days of game design. There are also many moments of honesty and vulnerability that I really appreciated.
whitethief's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
isd's review
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Blood, and Abandonment
Minor: Cursing, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent
nadia's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This is such a great memoir! I'm a huge fan of the detail and it makes such a wonderful companion read to Masters of Doom, which I read earlier this year.
If I had been a proper fan/follower of id and Doom and Quake, and the games that followed, and I remembered all the little details of them, this would have probably been a 5⭐️ read. Given that I'm not, I did lose focus sometimes but I can see how a true fan would be obsessed with the whole thing.
A must-read for anyone into video games, especially how one is produced or the history of the industry! Excellent for general enthusiasts and lovers of memoirs!
I listened to this on audio and it's so fantastic hearing Romero tell you his story himself!
If I had been a proper fan/follower of id and Doom and Quake, and the games that followed, and I remembered all the little details of them, this would have probably been a 5⭐️ read. Given that I'm not, I did lose focus sometimes but I can see how a true fan would be obsessed with the whole thing.
A must-read for anyone into video games, especially how one is produced or the history of the industry! Excellent for general enthusiasts and lovers of memoirs!
I listened to this on audio and it's so fantastic hearing Romero tell you his story himself!
mkaminski34's review
4.0
A fantastic memoir from one of the most influential video game makers of all time. Being a fly on the wall for the creation of some of the most iconic video games of all time is worth the price of admission and Romero is a great story teller. This book is a especially recommended for people interested in game coding as he gets into a lot of the nitty gritty of how the games were coded from constructing the engines (John Carmack’s specialty) to going gold and shipping.
A must read for all video game fans and people who grew up playing these iconic games
A must read for all video game fans and people who grew up playing these iconic games