(Come on, that can’t just be me.) It’s a power fantasy, for sure, but it’s not gratuitous or gross. For every moment of frustration, there are ten others that will have you cackling in satisfaction as you tear a cacodemon’s eye out of its fleshy face and shove it down its throat. Bottom lineĭoom Eternal is one of the best first-person shooters I’ve ever played, and certainly the most fun I’ve had with the genre in the last few years. The climax is overly drawn out, tacking on an extra few hours of gameplay that probably weren’t strictly necessary. The pacing also goes a little wonky at the end, which is a shame because the game progression feels effortless until then. Some parts were downright cheap, making me feel like more of a puny mortal than a demon-slaying god. In some cases, I spent an hour or more on a single encounter, burning through extra lives (one of the game’s many throwbacks) and reloading over and over again. However, the last few chapters of the game introduce a difficulty spike that’s less like climbing a steep hill and more like ramming face-first into a wall. Even if you fail, you’ll want to get right up and try it again, changing up strategies until you break through. It feels great to line up a series of perfectly timed jumps, swings and wall grabs, particularly when these skills help you collect the otherwise out-of-reach secrets scattered throughout each level.ĭoom Eternal is one of the best first-person shooters I’ve ever played, and certainly the most fun I’ve had with the genre in the last few years.įor the first 75% percent of the game, Doom Eternal hits that ideal balance of challenging and satisfying. However, these sections give you a bit of relief between skirmishes, and feel fulfilling in their own right. Platforming might seem antithetical to a franchise so deeply rooted in push-forward combat. The game does occasionally give you a few minutes to breathe in the form of surprisingly complex platforming segments. Understanding how all of these systems work together is crucial to Doom Eternal’s gameplay, making it a deceptively smart shooter. It feels like a lot to keep track of at first, but when it all clicks, it’s immensely satisfying. Using Flame Belch to set them on fire drops armor, chainsaw kills provide ammo and Glory Kills give you enough health to stay on your feet just a little bit longer. The demons will provide the resources you need if you attack them correctly, though. Most battlefields have a decent amount of ammo and health pickups, but often, it’s not enough. So while you’re swarmed, you’ll be managing attacking demons, limited ammunition and keeping your armor and health up. Doom’s Glory Kills make their triumphant return, allowing you to stagger enemies, then take them out in one brutal finishing move. Most foes have weak points you can target for quicker takedowns, but that’s easier said than done when you’re constantly on the move. You’ll find yourself dashing, jumping and using teleporters frequently just to stay ahead of the pack, all while switching between weapons on the fly.ĭespite its frantic nature, fighting enemies in Doom Eternal also requires a good deal of strategy. As one of the game’s loading screen tips says, if you stop moving, you’ll die. While you’re actively engaged in combat, there’s almost no breathing room. After all, the things you’re killing are demons, and your mission is to save Earth. Still, despite all the blood and guts, there’s a wholesomeness to Doom Eternal that not many other shooters can claim. You’ll tear all manner of creatures limb from limb, ripping out eyeballs and punching in faces as easily as you breathe. Doom Eternal, the long-awaited follow-up to Doom (2016), is definitely violent. These days, thanks to uniformly enforced ESRB ratings and the internet, no one would dare mistake Doom Eternal ($60 PC, PS4, Xbox One, Stadia) for a kid-appropriate game. To hear my father tell it, he didn’t even want this obviously violent game in his home with three young kids, but we saw it on display in a store, and begged for it incessantly. My brothers and I hijacked the family’s shared computer for hours, as we took turns shooting demons and roaming the game’s hellish corridors. Doom II was the first shooter I ever played. The Doom series has always held a special place in my video game-loving heart.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |