Doom Eternal

It was four years ago when id Software released a refreshing take on the well-loved Doom franchise and has been rolling full steam ahead with Doom Eternal ever since then. What the 2016 installment of Doom offered was an exhilaratingly fun, fast-paced shooter that left fans of the genre, and franchise, with their jaws on the floor. The question most of us had coming into Doom Eternal was if they could keep that momentum and expand upon their crazy fun formula, or if it would eventually become stale or repetitive.

Doom Eternal takes place two years after the events of Doom (2016) and earth has been overrun by demonic forces that have wiped out 60% of the population. It is up to you, the Doom Slayer, to eradicate that force and restore the planet. Being given that aim and being told to "Rip and tear until it is done," you set out to slay demons, with an incredible arsenal of weaponry, while heavy metal music shreds in the background. Doom Eternal is all about momentum, strategy, and feeling like a total badass. Mostly, that's exactly what this game offers, and delivers on, in spades. It takes the systems from 2016's Doom and expands upon them in creative, and genius, ways that put you in control of your fate or success. Need ammo? Use the chainsaw and watch your enemy explode into a confetti of ammunition! Low on health? Perform a graphic, and spectacular, glory kill to receive health drops! Want shields to stay in the battle longer? Ignite your enemy with the flamethrower, and watch them drop armor plates! The point is, you're constantly thinking of the next logical step you should take and are always trying to balance how, and when, to kill the demons in the wonderfully crafted arenas while also worrying about where the enemies are. Especially the more powerful ones. Sure, this could all sound very intimidating and overwhelming at first, but once you click and get a flow of momentum going, there's no better feeling. You feel unstoppable and satisfied when everything just clicks. If anything is comparable to the "Tetris Zone," it's the feeling of total badassery that Doom sucks you into. There's nothing like it, and it truly never gets old.

Besides the over-the-top, and fun, combat of Doom Eternal is a plethora of secrets and upgrades. What the game offers here is a well-executed and balanced system where you want to go out of your way and try to collect everything in each level, but if you miss a few of them you're not at an extreme disadvantage going into the next stage. Another incredibly well-thought-out feature is at the end of each stage you can fast travel to past areas and try to get missed secrets or upgrades you may have skipped along your way. It's a very smart way to nudge people into going back to get helpful items, but also a great way to not make the player feel burned or bad for giving up on the more complicated secrets and wanting to continue their path of destruction. This is also very useful when some upgrades are for your weapons, armor, perks, and even extra lives that will resurrect you on the spot of death instead of reloading the last checkpoint. Every upgrade can give you the upper hand, especially late in the game, but aren't needed to beat the game. They're just useful to have, and having the option to go back and grab them is a very great system. You're never unprepared for the next stage, which is welcomed.

However, with a game focused so heavily on momentum and pacing, Doom Eternal offers some weird platforming that can often slow that pace down to a crawl. Mostly, these platforming sections are implemented pretty well and keep the rhythm and spirit of the game. But, unfortunately, there are some sections that just feel clunky or odd. For example, there are some lifts that will launch you to your death if you're moving too fast into them or some jumps that are entirely trial and error. It's a feature in which I wish were implemented more consistently because it's not a bad idea, it's actually quite welcomed, it just doesn't feel great and can mess with the pacing a lot. With that being said, they sprinkle some platforming in with their battle arenas, which works incredibly well. Flying off of monkey-bars and shooting a demon in the face with a shotgun will never get boring. Especially when you keep your momentum and can even go faster after using them.

Overall, Doom Eternal is a tight, fast-paced, thrilling shooter that holds no punches. Although it has some hangups with the platforming and the pacing issues that come with it, what you have is an insanely fun game that leaves you with a smile on your face the entire time. There's truly nothing like the indestructible rhythm that comes when you, and Doom Eternal, click. If id Softwares dive back into the franchise in 2016 was a love letter to fans, then Doom Eternal happens whenever that love letter turns into a happy, loving marriage. It's truly something special and worth experiencing for fans of the genre and the franchise.