There is a reason why DOOM Eternal is one of the most fun first-person shooters in the gaming industry. Brutal combat, high octane gameplay, and some of the best shooting mechanics in video games are only some of the reasons why you should be excited for DOOM Eternal
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Tons Of New Enemies
First-person shooters face a lot of challenges to make the gameplay fun and entertaining. AI and enemy types that challenge the player and force them to use different tactics are among them. In DOOM Eternal players won’t just be facing off against multiple ‘grunt’ like enemies but rather a combination of many different types of demon forces that will constantly be challenging the way players approach each corridor or battle arena.
The Marauder, Titan, Cyberdemon, Baron of Hell, and all other demons that can be found in the game have their own strengths and weaknesses. In early levels players may find themselves used to rushing enemies with a shotgun but try to pull the same tactic on an arachnotron and he will forcefully push you back with a stomp AOE counter. Another player may try to keep their distance and attack when safely away from any immediate threat. A Hell knight will quickly prove to be a problem as it charges their target head on forcing them to constantly remain on the move
The developers have even gone as far to say that all the way through the final moments of the campaign you will constantly be encountering a new enemy in order to keep you on the edge of your seat and always in a state of dread. This will keep combat exciting through the long haul, and will force players to constantly be adapting and utilizing all aspects of their arsenal in order to combat what demons may lay ahead.
Masterful Level Design
In DOOM 2016 the developers have made a point to say they were not extremely happy with the way levels played out. There would be multiple corridors and hallways that meandered to and fro and the player would haphazardly follow along to reach their next objective. Occasionally there would be a more open area players could explore and search for secrets, but these were far and few between. DOOM Eternal seeks to rectify this by adding a much more diverse level design complete with heaps of new traversal mechanics. Swing bars, climbing, and launch pads can project players from one side of an arena to the next when executed properly.
In a game that heavily relies on fast momentum and constantly being on the move, DOOM Eternal provides players with a plethora of options in order to navigate around the map and always attempt to remain one step ahead of their demon adversaries.
Knowing how to properly utilize these traversal elements can not only help players find rewards and upgrades to improve their carnage, but also allow them to survive just a little bit longer when combat begins to look dicey.
It’s Not Meant To Be Easy…
Another complaint the developers had regarding DOOM 2016 was that they felt as though the combat became too easy as the game went on. Players were able to learn the demons attacks, counter them appropriately, and sink into a formula when they entered into a combat arena. In DOOM Eternal the developers have put in mechanics to counter this.
Having learned much from the previous entry in the franchise, the developers were able to give a massive overhaul to the combat in order to pump the adrenaline up to 100. Through fine tuning AI pathing, accuracy or hit rates, player vs. demon damage outputs, etc. the developers have crafted an experience that will constantly be challenging players to learn how to become better at the game and hone their demon slaying skills.
The developers were not content stopping there. They have gone out of their way to mention that players will die…a lot. In combat segments appropriately labeled as combat arenas, players will be put up against a variety of different enemy types that will challenge how well players have mastered the mechanics of DOOM, and whether or not they have learned the DOOM “dance.” By forcing players into enclosed combat arenas they will have to utilize their entire arsenal, platforming elements, and simple skill to escape these areas alive.
The developers have assured players if they have not taken the time to learn what weapons to use in what situations and how to properly engage different enemy attacks, they may find themselves as demon chow more than a few times.
…But It Is Fair
With any difficult game the biggest challenge to developers is making it seem as though it was something they could have done better. In other words, according to game director Hugo Martin, if a player feels as though dying was the games fault, that is bad game design. Every death is meant to have some level of feedback where players can fully understand where they may have gone wrong and improve the next time they are thrust into combat.
From players who have had hands-on time with the game, they felt as though this was achieved perfectly. There is nothing more frustrating than losing in a game and feeling as though there is nothing you as a player could have possibly done. Likewise, it is both exciting and more engaging when you can look at a character death and realize what went wrong and where. Did you use an incorrect weapon against a certain enemy type or were you not managing your resources of ammo and health properly? Were you not utilizing you mobility options well enough to escape when things get dicey? These are just two of hundreds of game elements that will give players a fair challenge to genuinely improve their DOOM skills.
A Long Experience
There isn’t too much to say here, but according to game director Hugo Martin DOOM Eternal will take players over 22 hours to complete making the game twice as long as its predecessor DOOM 2016. We know, bigger is not always better, but rest assured the developers are aware of this too. Martin stated in one interview that DOOM Eternal is “hell-bent on engaging you from beginning to end,” through both new gameplay elements being thrown into the mix as well as a constantly engaging story.
Even still, the amount of fun to be had in DOOM 2016 only left us more excited to get more DOOM.
The Soundtrack
One of the biggest Staples in any DOOM title has always been the music. In DOOM 2016 we were gifted with Mick Gordon’s incredible soundtrack that perfectly suited every element of demon slaying. When designing the music for DOOM Gordon, “wished to musically reflect the corrupting influence of Hell by dynamically imparting impurities onto the generated sounds in the way he envisioned Argent energy to work.”
This time around, aside from Mick Gordon returning to compose this new soundtrack, they have invested in hiring a choir to backup a vocal element and make the music come more alive.
If that weren’t enoughーGordon even went as far as to create his own device he appropriately titled, the “doom” instrument. Now that’s dedication.
Developers Passion Towards The Product
Almost every developer takes pride in their work and is genuinely excited to get their creation into the hands of players. So having passion towards a game being made isn’t anything novel. It is a different thing entirely when that passion is reflected through interviews and demos of the game. As a massive fan of DOOM it is very apparent when game director Hugo Martin or any other staff member takes the stage to talk about DOOM Eternal how much passion went into the project to make every element of the game feel like it was made for the fans.
Whether it is as simple as including no microtransactions or the games delay to make sure that it is good for the consumers, it is very clear just how much the developers want to make a fun game.
Honorable Mentions
There are so many things to be excited for in DOOM Eternal and we have only scratched the surface. So we figured we would include an additional section to briefly mention some of the other aspects in less detail.
Starting off is multiplayer. While multiplayer was not a popular element in DOOM 2016 the developers have put in effort to completely overhaul the experience. The new multiplayer mode is a 2v1 experience where one DOOM slayer is meant to face off against two player controlled Demons. It looks to be a promising approach to multiplayer featuring a variety of playable demons and customization options
Next up is the lack of microtransactions in the game. It would have been incredibly easy to shoehorn in a microtransaction here and there especially in the games multiplayer mode but the developers decided against it and thankfully Bethesda Softworks, the publisher, signed off on it. Hopefully players will vote with their wallets and support the game, and by extension this decision, at release.
Finally there are the story elements. DOOM is not a game that is meant to be a heavily story driven experience but it does provide a nice backdrop and allows for some incredibly comical moments between the DOOM slayer and other characters in the world. One of the most memorable moments in DOOM 2016 was the opening scenes of the game in which a computer voice was spouting exposition to the slayer. In response the Slayer smashes the screen into a cutaway of the games logo backed by Mick Gordon’s incredible soundtrack. The slayers “take what I want” mentality never tires when juxtaposed with the politeness and subtlety many games strive for.
DOOM Eternal releases March 20, 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
