If Margaret Thatcher were to return from the dead, what would she do? Run for Conservative party leader again? Start up her own party? Build a techbase and rise up to conquer the UK and then the world? OG Doom mod Thatcher's Techbase focuses on only one of these options, and it's not the first two.
What is Thatcher's Techbase all about?
As the rather delightful opening screed of Thatcher's Techbase reads, the mod begins with a "mysterious broadcast, a threat of revenge" heard in the voice of the late UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. You must head to the United Kingdom - here cheekily referred to as "the tenth circle of hell" - in order to investigate Thatcher's new fortress and take her down before she can steal any more children's milk. Since it's a Doom WAD, Thatcher's Techbase is rendered in the same lovably nostalgic early 3D as id Software's game. The mod was created by Twitter user Dr. Doom Daddy, and you can check out the rather hilarious trailer via his original announcement tweet.
On September 24th, Margaret Thatcher will rise from her grave. Only you can send her back to Hell.
— Dr. Doom Daddy (@letshugbro) September 15, 2021
3D: Doom Daddy Digital is proud to present 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄, a new 𝙳𝙾𝙾𝙼 adventure for PC, Mac, Linux and whatever the hell you want to try running it on. pic.twitter.com/ssSwk45EoS
Since Thatcher's Techbase is set in Britain, that means a lot of Doom assets have received a uniquely British reskin. It looks like health packs have been replaced by cans of Tennent's lager, and you can also find cigarette packs lying around. You'll also be taking on English bobbies (policemen) and a mecha version of Baroness Thatcher herself, all against the backdrop of Union Jack flags and "Keep Calm and Carry On" posters. As a Brit, I just want to say this project is 100% historically accurate and is a serious attempt to represent Thatcher in documentary form.
When is the Thatcher's Techbase release date?
You'll be able to check out Thatcher's Techbase when it launches on September 24th. According to the mod's creator, it will be playable on "almost any computer hardware", it'll be completely free, and it's compatible with Doom source port Boom. It'll have five levels of difficulty and will support co-op and deathmatch modes, too. Not only that, but Thatcher's Techbase also features voice work by Hades voiceover artist Laila Berzins, who voiced Demeter and Hades in that game. Obviously, here, she'll be voicing someone far less godly (but probably about as icy as Demeter).
Thatcher's Techbase is part of a larger modding scene for the original Doom and its sequel. Earlier this year, modders finally released a finished version of Doom II mod Wolfenstein: Blade of Agony after six years of working on it. There's also Castlevania: Simon's Destiny, which reimagines the original NES Castlevania as a first-person shooter using tech from the original Doom. As far as we know, however, this is the very first Margaret Thatcher-based Doom mod out there. If you want more info on this one, you can check out its Github page. Fingers crossed for the sequel where we get to take down robo-Michael Heseltine.
Quick Take
I'm a child of the Thatcher era (just about), so I'm pretty hyped to do to the Iron Lady what she did to the British mining industry in the 1980s. In all seriousness, though, mods like this are the cornerstones of creativity and comedy in the homebrew scene. It's astonishing that Doom still has the longevity to produce something like this, but long may it continue.
Are you excited to explore Margaret Thatcher's complex political legacy (and blow her up) in Thatcher's Techbase? Let us know in the comments below!
