DOOM ETERNAL (PS4)
After the surprising success of Doom’s 2016 reincarnation, another ripping adventure with Doomguy seemed inevitable. After a four-year wait, Doom Eternal arrived on the scene, with lofty expectations and decades of history to represent. Fortunately, not only does this sequel live up to the hype, it serves as one of the strongest entries in this illustrious series. Unrivalled in its intensity, fluidity and entertainment with all the dials turned up to eleven, id Software transforms a great predecessor into something close to an art form. As you rip through waves of demons, the adrenaline never subsides for a second. Amongst the eighth generation’s legion of first-person shooters, Doom Eternal stands very close to the summit.
A couple of years after the events of 2016’s Doom, Earth has become completely overrun by demonic forces as humans scrape along for survival. Luckily, the Doom Slayer returns with weapons, a flying armoury and the same urge to annihilate all-things demonic. The story isn’t the deepest, with ties to the previous game and expanded lore which fleshes out details regarding the world, Doomguy and other elements, but it represents only light motivation to press on. Between certain missions, you can freely explore the satellite fortress and find some extra collectibles, including Codex pages which add extra context, but you won’t be missing much, should you opt not to.
Doom wouldn't be Doom without massive explosions, bonkers guns and hellish monsters
Doom Eternal uses sheer brute force to make an impression. Adding to the fast-paced foundations set by the last game, id have turned up all the dials tenfold. The focus is on forward momentum, with static shooting often resulting in a pummelling. The fast dodge mechanic makes flying around combat arenas a breeze, and killing demons often keeps your health, ammo and power stockpiled. Glory Kills make a return, lending a brief window of invulnerability as well as larger health drops, only heightening the frantic nature of combat. Smart additions add immensely to this. Additional mods spice up weapons, including the super-shotgun’s meat hook which propels you towards enemies with high velocity. Shoulder Mounts now allow you to throw ice grenades and set fire to demons, the former stopping them in their track, while the latter rewards armour as you deal subsequent damage. These add considerable spice to an already heated package, making Doom Eternal one of the most exciting FPSs available.
DE’s campaign packs immense action into its lengthy runtime. Environments are woven to allow spacious freedom in how you approach combat encounters, as you push through post-apocalyptic Earth, distinctive hellscapes and planet surface locales. Enemy types have doubled, with lots of resurrected foes including the Archvile, Pain Elemental and Arachnotron returning from previous Dooms, along with new enemies such as the difficult Marauder which deflect attacks and require pinpoint attacks to damage. To create breathing opportunities outside of combat, platforming is often a necessity, allowing you to dash across gaps, cling to certain surfaces and take breathtaking jumps. It’s not perfect, but measured damage means it never becomes infuriating. And of course, Doom’s penchant for secrets shines through, with plenty of hidden collectibles, Easter eggs, and extra lives that respawn should you happen to die. It’s incredibly fun, challenging and compelling until the end.
DE’s campaign packs immense action into its lengthy runtime. Environments are woven to allow spacious freedom in how you approach combat encounters, as you push through post-apocalyptic Earth, distinctive hellscapes and planet surface locales. Enemy types have doubled, with lots of resurrected foes including the Archvile, Pain Elemental and Arachnotron returning from previous Dooms, along with new enemies such as the difficult Marauder which deflect attacks and require pinpoint attacks to damage. To create breathing opportunities outside of combat, platforming is often a necessity, allowing you to dash across gaps, cling to certain surfaces and take breathtaking jumps. It’s not perfect, but measured damage means it never becomes infuriating. And of course, Doom’s penchant for secrets shines through, with plenty of hidden collectibles, Easter eggs, and extra lives that respawn should you happen to die. It’s incredibly fun, challenging and compelling until the end.
You can expect to spend more than ten hours ripping and tearing, and a handful of difficulties offer more devilish challenge on each subsequent level. You can freely replay missions after completion, and hidden cheats can be used to add value to repeat plays, ranging from the beneficial like infinite ammo to the detrimental, such as no drops from demons. Outside of campaign, Battlemode allows for multiplayer thrills, and while a step forward compared to 2016’s bland multiplayer, it’s still not as compelling as the campaign. It’s a 2V1 affair, with two controllable demons versus the slayer, letting you try out some of the powerful abilities you dreaded in solo. It’s a nice power trip, whether you’re succeeding as the demons or slayer, but it can feel unbalanced at points, with the odds stacked against the Doomguy, and you’ll feel a sameness creeping in after a dozen games or so. Still, it’s an interesting diversion, even if it’s not much more.
The first showcase of the seventh id Tech engine, Doom Eternal is a stunner. Demons are unsettlingly detailed, and degrade gruesomely as you damage them. Environments look beautiful, mixing stunning lighting with eerie designs. Animations look fantastic, cutscenes blend seamlessly with gameplay and performance never stutters, keeping the action flowing without haste. The sound is beautifully brutal, with harsh gun sounds crashing into gruesome sounding gore adding impact to every move. The music, seeing Mick Gordon return to compose, mixes elements of previous soundtracks with blood-pumping metal beats, though the audio balance can feel a touch off. The voice work is pretty minimal, though fine in the short bursts, and the squeals to demons are haunting. DE’s collision of stunning graphics and auditory mayhem is a beautiful combination.
Doom Eternal will surely go down as one of 2020’s best games. Recapturing the furiously fast combat of its already-great predecessor as well as making some smart improvements, it smashes through competing shooters with ease. The challenging gameplay remains consistently fun, the levels pay homage to previous games while its incredible presentation brings the thrilling violence to life. It stands as one of the best campaigns of the generation, and while the multiplayer isn’t quite as engaging, this doesn’t tarnish the game in the slightest. If you have any interest in Doom, first-person shooters or fighting demons until none are left standing, Doom Eternal is simply a must-play.
Doom Eternal will surely go down as one of 2020’s best games. Recapturing the furiously fast combat of its already-great predecessor as well as making some smart improvements, it smashes through competing shooters with ease. The challenging gameplay remains consistently fun, the levels pay homage to previous games while its incredible presentation brings the thrilling violence to life. It stands as one of the best campaigns of the generation, and while the multiplayer isn’t quite as engaging, this doesn’t tarnish the game in the slightest. If you have any interest in Doom, first-person shooters or fighting demons until none are left standing, Doom Eternal is simply a must-play.
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VERDICT
"Recapturing the furiously fast combat of its already-great predecessor as well as making some smart improvements, Doom Eternal smashes competing shooters. Simply a must-play." OVERALL: 9/10 |