Is it wrong to start a full comprehensive review by stating that DOOM Eternal is completely awesome! We are not just referring to the colossal level designs, superlative visuals, fantastically brutal combat, atop butter-smooth 60 frames per second controls, or the fact that the Slayer with his Major Chief meets Thanos (without all the killing of innocent people of course) disposition is the singular tipping points. With DOOM Eternal developer id Software swings for the fence and hits a massive home run.
Depending on your age the nostalgia feel of DOOM Eternal is quite apparent, taking its stylish retro fingerprint and integrates an endless visceral affair. DOOM is so fun, it may feel like a betrayal to isolate the games straightforward narrative as shallow.
Sure, if we must have a content pissing contest, the story bridges giving purpose to your malice are certainly the games least noteworthy qualities, however, you will not notice it. The sheer unadulterated action on showcase is brilliant.
Once again players take on the famed role of the Slayer, the relentless and driven ancient warrior who battles the demonic forces of Hell. This time around Hell has laid claim of Earth as it is overrun by the demon horde. Players are tasked with hunting down the games priests who have Earth in a stronghold to save mankind.
Cold and merciless against the hordes of Hell, as his pursuit of the priests is interrupted at every turn, The Slayer is once again the star of the show.
Maintaining a Lonewolf bravado, fear is never part of the Slayer’s calculations. Like a walking time-bomb, the Slayer has no time for a so-called stealth approach. Upon entering any of the games elaborate levels and locales the Slayer makes his presence known with sheer audacity. For some very cool reason, the gameplay has an entertaining sense of urgency throughout. Not that there is a timer set, DOOM Eternal engrosses players with an addictive pacing system.
Like the previous DOOM experience there is no sprint option, maybe because The Slayer is too freaking cool to run, yet his movements are always with haste moving from one execution to the next as if he has a thirst for trying to outmaneuver his last punishing kill. Alongside your traversal, the Slayer can double jump, as well as double dash, even while in mid-air, allowing players the ability to reach seemingly unreachable positions and ledges. Not that you would take notice of this, however, if memory serves me, there is no crouching option.
This is probably because the Slayer is such a bad (you know what) that he bows to no one or anything. It is safe to say you will not care about this as you will be too busy cutting demons in half with your gas-feed chainsaw while recovering health and ammo just before performing yet another ‘Glory Kill’.
DOOM Eternal rewards players as you systematically chain kills together in strategic successions, such as by successfully torching enemies where you acquire armor shards, in addition to a Bolo punch that quickly replenishes after a successful glory kill, ultimately leading to a continuous resource of carnage. By maintaining this sort of kill pattern the Slayer becomes unstoppable as an endless supply chain of health and ammo makes the Slayer a formidable savage. However, DOOM Eternal is no walk in the park.
Just a side note, please don’t play this game on the easiest difficulty setting. Sure, it is still fun, no doubt, yet there is a reason why id Software crafted the kill system this way. Depending on the difficulty and where you are in the game and the particular demons you are battling, the Slayer certainly has his work cut out, despite all of his incredible weapons and their unique upgrades and enhancements.
Like DOOM 2016, DOOM Eternal aims to overwhelm the player with a variety of enemy types, oftentimes forcing you to encounter them in both larger and confined areas. This means that the path to victory and sometimes survival is to always stay on the move, and keep your eyes peeled in search of gas containers, health packs and containers, armor, ammo and the like.
Though the world of DOOM Eternal offers a wealth of vibrant, sometimes compellingly sadistic locales as a jungle gym of fun, as you are consistently repositioning your combative efforts to gain the killing edge over your enemies, id Software has managed to place the Slayer in a consistent succession of empowerment. This is done through not only the game’s devastating weapons but also the customizable skills ladder, allowing players to uniquely impose their will on how they see fit.
While this journey is straightforward, sometimes the challenging puzzles and platforming can be more difficult to conquer, especially if you are not paying careful attention to your surroundings. Speaking of your surroundings, with the experience now on Earth, players who played DOOM 2016 might be able to see the previous influence of the game with Eternal as many enclosed environments seem to draw inspiration from the prequel. However, this is few and between as this time around the Slayer finds himself spending more time outdoors.
By definition, DOOM Eternal is a linear shooter, yet the games map and traversal design do well in utilizing a complex geometry within each distinct locale. More often than not the game will not bore you by recycling environments with backtracking. In this way, including the technical optimization of the experience runs like a flawless interactive achievement.
The legend of the Slayer increase with DOOM Eternal. Now with his very own DOOM space station, the Slayer’s Batcave or fortress I should say adds a profound touch. Here the Slayer can enjoy the fruits of his labor with collectibles, jump back into previously completed missions, as well as test your combative skills in a controlled environment as you cannot be killed.
There is much to applaud about DOOM Eternal. Every inch of this experience seems to have been scrutinized to perfection, as my initial and glorious playthrough was meet with me replaying the game with the same excitement.
DOOM Eternal is that good!