Doom Eternal
PlayStation 4
I played the original PS4 Doom back in the year 2019, and I thought it was only slightly above average. It was simple fun and fast-paced action which could be challenging at times. Ultimately I felt it was too short and forgettable of a game in the long run.
As a result, I was in no rush to go out and play Doom Eternal. Several years have passed. I decided to pick it up now because my last game was Death Stranding and I really wanted something fast paced and chaotic to make up for the boring-ness of that game.
And boy, I couldn't have picked a more different game. Turned out to be a welcome change. Read on for my full thoughts.
Story:
I was able to ascertain that Hell was come to Earth, and it is up to you, the almighty Doom guy, to track down the evil priests that have opened the portal and take them out. I'm sure there is more to this game's story, but that is the basic gist of it and honestly I tend to zone out when I play games like this. Again, does it really matter?
Gameplay:
I always love when a game is easy to pick up and play, and Doom Eternal certainly fits that bill. Running, jumping, shooting, and changing weapons all come very easily. The game brings back an element I liked from the first game, where if you weaken an enemy you can perform a finishing move on it, and it drops health and ammo items. Learning how to use this move to your advantage is key to winning this game.
The battles in this game are chaotic as can be. I actually had a really difficult time off and on throughout this game as I played it. There is definitely strategy that you have to use as you play, and I can't say everything completely clicked right off the bat. I didn't even start using my flamethrower to make enemies drop armor until I was about 75% of the way through the game. Switching back and forth between grenade types eluded me, too. Took me a very long time to use the secondary attacks when cycling through my weapons. The juiced up chaingun attack became one of my go-tos for particularly difficult enemies, like those fat rocket launcher guys.
So much of this game is dedicate to big arena-style fights. I'm a pretty good Doom player, so I thought I'd breeze through these. Wrong. They are tough and challenging, but in an "I can do this!" kind of way rather than a frustrating way. Trial and error is the way to go. Learning when and where enemies will spawn. Taking them out in a certain order. Using the chainsaw to refill your ammo, the flamethrower to fill your armor. Keep moving constantly and keep your eye on respawning health items. I always pick off smaller enemies to keep my health and armor levels up.
In the later levels I learned to save my BFG ammo and my sword attacks for the more powerful characters. And I did pretty well. But these are things you learn just from playing the game.
Stages in this game are really long. Sometimes I'd put this game on late at night, thinking I'd play through a level or two before bed. And then I wouldn't even be able to get through one level! I have to say, the better you get at the game, the quicker it starts to move.
In addition to the fast paced combat, there is a lot of jumping and platforming sections to be found here. Double jumping across vast chasms, sprinting forward twice, and latching onto a climbable wall at the last second. There are also gymnastic bars you can swing from to reach especially high or far distances.
I had fun with this game the whole time through it. When I first started the game, I really wasn't in the mood for it and sort of slogged through the first stage or two. But when everything clicked into place for me, I couldn't put the game down.
Graphics:
This is a great looking game. It perfectly blends sci-fi with horror. The demons look terrifying and better than ever. Interesting to look at some of these enemies from the original 90s version of Doom to where they are now. It is quite remarkable.
I can't really find anything to criticize when it comes to the graphics. The stages are well designed, and the environments are rich in detail. Whether it is an abandoned space station or an office building overtaken by demons, the environments look great and perfectly fit the uber violent and gory hard rock tone of the game.
Sound:
I can't think of anything to complain about here, either. The music is intense and fits the tone of the game to a tee. The weapon fire sounds great, as do the noises the enemies make as they take damage. Really draws you into the heat of battle. When you aren't fighting, I like the low-key ambience as you walk around and explore the environment.
Voice acting is absolutely nothing to write home about.
Overall:
I've been reading some reviews for this game online, and every single review ends up comparing it to the original PS4 Doom. Apparently gamers are split into two very opposing camps: the original game is better vs Doom Eternal is better. Apparently there is very little middle ground, and both sides have stubbornly put their foot down on their stance.
I guess if I had to join the fray, I'd be on team Doom Eternal. Now, it's been four years since I've played the other Doom game. Maybe if I went back and revisited it, I'd find that I was wrong. But my memories on that game are middling at best. Personally I had a much better time with Doom Eternal, and I think my review score should reflect that.
This game is fast paced. It is challenging, but not frustratingly so. It challenges you to do better. There is strategy involved. It handles well. It looks great. It sounds great. It is cinematic. There are lots of hidden secrets to discover. You can use points to upgrade your weapons and abilities. It is a very well-made game.
What didn't I like? The story. Didn't care what was happening. I would have liked more, shorter levels as well. To me, part of Doom is its bang-bang pace, and the accomplishment of beating a new level and moving onto the next one. You barely get to feel that in this game. Maybe the difficulty for some of the later bosses can be slightly lowered as well. I had to resort to what I would normally call "cheating" and pick the extra strong armor that they offer you if you die too many times. Oh well.
So can I recommend Doom Eternal to you, my loyal reader? Why yes. Yes I can. I came into this game with the intent of playing something fun and fast paced, and that's exactly what I got... and then some. The mechanics, the presentation, the level of challenge and involvement you feel as a player really makes this game go. Safe to say it exceeded my mediocre expectations.
I still feel as if this might be a somewhat forgettable game in the long run. And that's okay. But you know what? I had fun while it lasted.
THE GRADE:
B
<< Review #460: Death Stranding
Review #462: Super Mario Land 2: 6 Gold Coins >>
For a complete index of all my past posts and game reviews, click
>HERE<
No comments:
Post a Comment