21 Q Review - Doom Eternal
Who made it?
Doom Eternal is made by Id and published by Bethesda as most everyone knows but going deeper, 2016 was directed by Marty Stratton who was recently promoted to Studio Director upon Tim Willits retirement. This means that Doom Eternal is directed by Hugo Martin, who was the creative director on Doom 2016 and I think it’s the change of director that gives Doom Eternal a completely new feel.
Do I need to play the original?
No and by original, I am talking about the 2016 reboot. Doom Eternal is basically a brand new story with a brand new traversal style and all new controls. Playing Doom 2016 before this wont give you a better grasp on the story or controls but it was one of the best games of that year.
Does it do anything new ?
Doom Eternal changes a lot and doesn’t feel like a continuation of what was started in 2016. The amount of new elements introduced can be overwhelming at times including all of the many upgrade trees and xp, but the main thing it introduces is your method of traversal. Doom Eternal now has you platforming, climbing up walls and airdashing to get to the next objective.
What does it do better than predecessors?
Doom Eternal immediately forces you out of your comfort zone based on its design. Ammo is very limited, even when fully upgraded, and you are never able to fully rely on one weapon throughout the game as a crutch as you were able to in Doom 2016. In addition to having to be a master of all weapons, you also need to be fully aware of everything else in your toolkit. Doom Eternal makes you constantly evaluate your situation. Depending on whether you require ammo, armour or health will depend on if you need to chainsaw, glory kill or burn enemies.
Is it platform exclusive?
Doom Eternal is available almost everywhere. I played it on the PS4 Pro but you can find it on Xbox One, PC, Stadia and later this year on the Nintendo Switch. Doom 2016 was ported to the Switch with average results and if you really want to play Doom Eternal and you only have a Switch then it would be serviceable but probably not the way it should be experienced.
Is it on GamePass?
Doom 2016 is on GamePass, which leads me to believe that Doom Eternal will make its way to GamePass but the big question would be when.
Does it have a campaign?
Doom Eternal and Doom 2016 are built with a single player campaign as priority. The campaign feels longer than Doom 2016, which was around 15 hours compared to around 20 hours for Doom Eternal. It also feels longer due to the actual length of the missions which can feel like a chore at times to complete some of them. Doom 2016 ended with you closing the portal to hell and Doom Eternal picks up with a Hell ravaged earth after some considerable time has passed and your mission is to save it.
Does it have replay value?
Doom Eternal has a lot of collectibles and challenges throughout the game that you are unlikely to achieve initially. Master Levels and Slayer Gates are also challenges that await you and are some of the purist forms of fun in Doom Eternal; however, after finishing Doom Eternal I have no desire to return for any of that.
Is the story good?
Since Doom 2016, Hell has taken over and now demons walk the earth. Unfortunately, Id seems to have missed the mark on what made Doom 2016 such a success. I think Id was worried that if they created a sequel that was just more of the same it wouldn’t be the success that Doom was in 2016. For any good sequel, change is required but I don’t think trying to force a serious story works here, especially when its blended with absurd moments and much of it is buried in the codex, which somehow gets a pass here when other games are chastised for hiding their story in this manner.
Will there be DLC?
As of right now there is a Year One Pass that you could get by purchasing anything above the standard version or buying separately for around 30. All we know about the Year One Pass is that within one year of release there will be two campaign DLC. No details on length or scope as of year or if it will be related to the main story.
Does it have multiplayer?
Doom Eternal ditches all of the aspects of Doom 2016 and introduces BattleMode which is a 2v1 arena where two players control demons and one controls the doom slayer. The team has said that they want to innovate and offer something new to the genre and the only way to do that is to create. Hugo Martin also made it seem like there might be more multiplayer modes coming down the road that are more in line with traditional shooters when speaking with Joe Rogan. Invasion was a mode that was announced already but will be coming post launch, here you take control of a demon during someones campaign and wreak havoc if you can.
Does it look good?
Playing on PS4 Pro, Doom Eternal looks exactly like the kind of game that you expect to see near the end of a console generation. A game that is squeezing every piece of silicon in the machine to make something truly gorgeous, if you don’t mind demon guts.
Does it sound good?
With Mick Gordon returning, it was a pretty safe bet that the score would be more of the excellent work that was done in Doom 2016, which is exactly what is present in Doom Eternal along with some ethereal religious chanting that highlights the quiet moments. Sadly to say, I tried the game with the music completely off and it created a different game that was atmospheric and eerie. I feel that this is the way to experience the game and appreciate every audio detail that went into every weapon, demon and surface.
Does it control well?
My main issue with Doom Eternals controls is that it is asking too much from you for the average controller player. There is too much precision required in Doom Eternal as it introduces weak spots that are required for you to succeed. If you’re playing on console with a controller then by the end of this game, the precision required will push you to the brink during lengthy arena battles or boss fights that don’t have checkpoints. Trying to hit small spots from across the map requires switching weapons, while also trying to switch between firing modes, changing grenades, operating your shoulder mounted flamethrower, performing glory kills, using the chainsaw and even more in the later game. It just feels like too much going on at once to feel fluid. You are constantly forced to take your hands off essential controls and it just doesn’t fit with their mantra of always push forward.
Is it fun?
Doom Eternal is fun in the most id way possible. Not Id the studio, i’m referring to the most primal and instinctive part of your brain. Doom Eternal gets you out of your consciousness and connects to you to the world of the Doom Slayer and all there is to think about is killing demons. However, the missions can feel long and bloated that usually after one level you have had your fill.
Is this game good for couples or families?
Its definitely not good to play with your family as you are trying to reclaim earth back from the depths of hell while ripping and tearing in some very gruesome methods. Although as Hugo Martin said there is no swearing and no nudity in the game and you are only killing evil demons, so you could make an argument that your family could be playing worse games. As for playing as a couple, you could pass the controller between sections but Doom Eternal is a game about getting into a rhythm with all of your weapons and abilities. Passing the controller just woudln’t be conducive to this need.
Does it have technical issues?
If there is one thing definitive about Doom Eternal is that on PS4 Pro it runs incredibly smooth and clearly the extra few months that it was delayed from late 2019 gave the team extra time to apply a high level of polish. Despite how many weapons are being fired or how many enemies were on screen at one time the engine never faltered during my time.
Will it be released on next generation?
Doom Eternal seems like a perfect candidate for Smart Delivery and whatever Sony calls their analogous service. As good as Doom Eternal looks on the current consoles it would be amazing if load times were less between levels and i’m sure with it would look amazing with higher frame rate or resolution.
What is the best part about this game?
The best part about Doom Eternal is when you are in a combat arena and all of the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. Upon arrival at some of these combat areas, it seems like an insurmountable task but upon quick decision making you figure out what targets are a priority and how to properly deal with them. All of this happens in the blink of an eye while you are performing glory kills for health, lighting demons on fire for armour, and using your chainsaw to replenish ammo. Doom Eternal has the ability to put your mind into a state of zen while not blinking or taking a breath. The variety is also very impressive from locations, enemy types and glory kills that still caught me off guard towards the very end of the game.
Whats the worst thing about Doom Eternal?
My main issue with Doom Eternal is that it doesn’t evolve Doom 2016, instead it feels more revolutionary. Unfortunately, too many changes implemented just get in the way of the fun. I couldn’t put Doom 2016 down and had to finish it, but with Doom Eternal, I don’t feel the same pull from the depths of hell. A story that lacks clarity with most of the good stuff buried in codex, new traversal methods that are clunky at times and hinder the experience. Not to mention an abundance of systems and upgrade trees that seem like filler as power increases feel negligible. There are also plenty frustrations in the game including the design of some late game bosses as well as certain enemies; don’t even get me started on the Marauder
Do you recommend Doom Eternal?
I think Doom Eternal is a very fun game but with a litany of new features that actually get in its own way, this is not the sequel that I was hoping for. I would say that if you haven’t played Doom 2016, I would strongly recommend that you go play that game first as I think it is a far superior game that knows what it is and has a much more even tone throughout. It’s quite possible that Doom 2016 was just such a pleasant surprised that it didn’t have the high expectations of Doom Eternal. Overall it’s still a fun time depending on how much ripping and tearing you want to do.
17/21