Review cover DOOM Eternal (PlayStation 4)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

  • Release Date (NA): March 20, 2020
  • Release Date (EU): March 20, 2020
  • Release Date (JP): March 20, 2020
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Developer: Id Software
  • Genres: FPS
  • Also For: Computer, Xbox One

Game Features:

Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative

Review Approach:

2016 was a good year for gaming, and of all the releases I remember DOOM very fondly. The game was cathartic in a sense, it was both a return to the origin of the series after a more story and exploration-oriented DOOM 3, but at the same time it introduced a number of new mechanics that gave it new-found intensity that differentiated it from the average ultra-violent FPS. To me, it was the complete package, so I didn't need to be asked twice about sinking my teeth into DOOM Eternal - I was ready to once again walk in the shoes of the Slayer, knee-deep in the dead.
DOOM Eternal is a First-person Shooter available on PS4, Xbox One, PC and soon also the Nintendo Switch.

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Hell on Earth

Some time has passed since the Doom Slayer's adventure on Mars where he was rudely awoken from his slumber in the middle of a demonic invasion. Although the Slayer managed to thwart Olivia Pierce's plans, the victory was only temporary - it seems that humanity has foolishly continued their research into Argent energy in his absence. Faced with the prospect of literal Hell on Earth, humanity cries out for help, and the Slayer is there to answer the call. Armed with new gadgets of both alien and human origin and sporting his very own Fortress of Doom, the Slayer watches over Earth with a hateful glint in his eye. He thirsts for vengeance, and the time is now... are you ready to raze hell?

Rip and Tear

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DOOM Eternal has some cinematic cutscenes that develop the story - a departure from DOOM 2016 where the Slayer himself shunned the story component of the game

With a quick introduction to the plot out of the way, DOOM Eternal throws you right into the thick of things by dropping you off at your nearest cultist gathering. Your mission? Slay the three Hell Priests, stop the invasion and come back home before dinner time - easy! I began taking in the environments and it quickly became apparent that Earth is not in the best of shape. Some 60% of the world's population has been decimated and it seemed that the dimensional merge was progressing swimmingly judging by the blend of gothic and futuristic architecture that surrounded me. I began dispatching the familiar zombies and imps and was happy with what I saw - yup, it's DOOM. Returning players will be satisfied with Eternal's combat - it's everything they've enjoyed in DOOM 2016 and then some, with enough twists to keep things interesting. It's still the same frantic run-and-gun game you remember, however the meta has evolved significantly and requires some skill and practice to master. For starters, the combat shotgun has replaced the somewhat useless pistol - this, combined with the new aesthetic, immediately felt like a nod towards the classic Quake as opposed to the original DOOM. I didn't mind it one bit - it enables you to truly devastate your foes from the moment you start, which is well-within the spirit of the series. It's the perfect atmosphere to slay some demons, especially when accompanied by the fantastic soundtrack by Mick Gordon and the meaty sounds of gunfire.

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The environments in DOOM Eternal look truly hellish - in a good way!

Besides your typical arsenal of shotguns, rifles et cetera the Slayer has access to three gadgets - the chainsaw, a retractable DOOM blade and the equipment launcher. All of these devices are central to the new concepts in combat. Starting with the DOOM blade, it replaces the standard punch and allows you to launch into Glory Kills - powerful, gory finishers which execute staggered enemies and wrench some health pick-ups out of their pummeled corpses. Is there anything more satisfying than plunging your blade into an enemy and splitting them right half in two? I think not. Although initially somewhat underpowered, progressing through the game unlocks its Blood Punch ability - after filling up your Blood meter via Glory Kills you can unleash a powerful punch which decimates enemies around you, often times in one fell swoop. Your second melee gadget, the chainsaw, is limited to three charges, but it allows you to instakill most demons. As an added bonus, a chainsawed enemy turns into a geyser of ammunition and health pick-ups ripe for the taking. The amount of fuel used is dependent on the size and strength of the targeted demon, so if you want to use it on the bigger ones, you have to be on a constant lookout for fuel canisters. Finally, the equipment launcher, reminiscent in shape and size to the Predator's shoulder plasma cannon, is used to launch frag grenades, ice bombs, and most importantly, functions as a flame belch. It enables you to either set your enemies on fire, freeze them or blow them up. These effects have a variety of benefits - enemies that are on fire gradually shed armor pick-ups, frozen enemies stand still and explosions dispatch large groups of demons all at once, allowing you to quickly clear crowded corridors so that you to focus on the bigger baddies. All of these mechanics play off of each other, making engagements in DOOM Eternal far more strategic than in DOOM 2016. You can't just run around the place like a headless chicken - you have to maximize the utility of your arsenal and consistently use the belch, the chainsaw and your fists to stay well-stocked in health, ammo and armor. Items on maps are sparse and if you're not thinking during combat, you're basically doomed - it's slay or be slain. Inactivity on the battlefield or clutching those fuel canisters for dear life instead of using all of your available resources properly means certain death, so don't leave your ammunition just sitting there waiting for a rainy day - that day is now, and the game will punish for playing too conservatively or defensively.

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When in doubt, rip and tear!

One thing I immediately noticed about DOOM Eternal is the change in level design - the game is much more vertical, with larger maps more reminiscent of the original DOOM than those of DOOM 2016. The previous game often times felt like a journey from point A to B with battles on small arenas in-between, and although Eternal still encloses you in areas until you cleanse the demonic infestation, you are given significantly much more freedom. You're not just walking from one Gore Nest to the next and triggering battles - engagements feel much more organic, with demons minding their own demonic business or infighting until you come along. And yet, it is in this new-found freedom and verticality that I found my first gripe with the game - the platforming. That's right - in addition to ripping and tearing the Doom Slayer now engages in Mirror's Edge, Tomb Raider-style platforming, complete with climbing, box-pushing, dashing through air, double-jumping and pole vaulting. Now, this might be an acquired taste and perhaps I'm biased, but these mechanics felt out of place in a game that used to be all about murdering hordes of demons. The platforming sections simply take far too long and spoil the broth. The amount of time you spend soaring through the air or climbing walls is significant, and although the mechanics are well-polished and fun, they do detract from the overall experience at times. Of course I fully understand that the game needed to give the player some respite in-between the enormous battles, but it already has cutscenes for that - the emphasis on platforming was a little too excessive, and in certain sections I lost more health to pitfalls than I did to the horde, all while getting lost trying to find the next obviously climbable wall. I couldn't help but feel that I shouldn't be climbing walls at all - I'm the Doom Slayer, I should be smashing through them. On the bright side, you get an opportunity to do that too.

Life is Temporary, but DOOM is Eternal

This simple game loop of slaying and jumping to slay some more is very addictive, and what further adds to the formula are all the secrets scattered across the map - a trademark of the series. There's a whole lot to find, from upgrades to your weapons and suit to collectibles like vinyl records of in-game music, floppy disks with cheat codes, collectible figurines and more. In addition, maps also feature optional activities in the form of mission-specific challenges, hidden timed challenges triggered by removing hearts of Gore Nests and, finally, Slayer Gates - special arenas which require a Slayer Key to enter and reward you with... something very special, provided you can find them all. Needless to say, you will be replaying maps a lot to find what you've missed before, and I have good news - you can do so easily by using Fast Travel from the deck of your Fortress of Doom. Cherry on the cake? You get to keep all of your weapons and skill points, so previously challenging sections will now be a breeze. Revenge! Revisiting the levels as a grossly overpowered angel of death is a lot of fun, and well-worth the effort, since every single upgrade point counts, as there are upgrades galore.

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Upgrades, collectibles, cheats - secrets galore!

Do you like your combat shotgun? Sure, but you'd like it more if it had an underbarrel sticky bomb launcher, right? Y'know what'd make it even better? If it could fire five bombs instead of three! Each weapon has two swappable mods available, and each mod has two upgrade paths. These mods can also be mastered by completing a special challenge, so the path to maxing out your favourite weapons is pretty long. Your suit has an entire wheel of upgrades too, from ones affecting basic suit functions to modifications to your equipment. But wait, there's more! The Slayer himself can be upgraded too, gaining the ability to magnetically attract loot, convert excess pick ups into blood and more. Upgrades, upgrades, upgrades... too many upgrades. It's hard to keep track of them all and at times it really feels like progression could've been streamlined a bit.

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Once the campaign is done and dusted, you'd think that'd be it, but no - DOOM Eternal also features a multiplayer component unlike what you'll see in most shooters. Battlemode is an interesting three-player mode where two players take the roles of demons and one player plays as a Slayer. The demons, in addition to their innate abilities, also have the option to summon more of their brethren, as well as temporarily freeze the Slayer's ability to pick up items. The rules are fairly simple - if the demons manage to kill the Doom Slayer, they win the round, but if they are both slain, the round goes to the Slayer. This setup allows for setting up engagements very much similar to the campaign's arenas and is an interesting take on the otherwise tired genre. In addition to Battlemode, DOOM Eternal is also getting an Invasion mode in the future - a mode where players will be able to, well, "invade" their friend's campaign, Dark Souls-style. Although currently unavailable, Invasion is coming soon in a free update, and I can't wait to try it. What's sadly missing is the classic Deathmatch, which seems like a weird choice as it's pretty much a staple of the genre. There's also no co-op campaign, which would've been a no brainer - four-Slayer co-op would've been a blast. Multiplayer is another portion of DOOM Eternal where the developers tried to do things differently so much that they somewhat harmed the end product, but to be fair, it's the campaign that's the highlight here. On the bright side it seems that they're intending to periodically update the Multiplayer, adding new maps in subsequent seasons, as well as a Battle Pass-like progression system where gaining experience throughout the season rewards the player with various cosmetics. It's clear that the developer didn't intend for this game to be a "one and done" experience and focused a lot on increasing its longevity, both in familiar and in novel ways. Sadly, they've omitted the Snap Map editor this time around, but given the sheer scale and nature of the levels I can see how implementing user-generated content would've been demanding to implement.

Until it is Done

So, in conclusion, is DOOM Eternal worth your time? Yes, absolutely. Although the platforming can be a chore and the game is a little more story-oriented compared to its predecessor, its refined gunplay is second to none. I've had a blast with the title, even though it is rough around the edges. The great interplay between your weaponry and equipment and the frantic pace of the game kept me on the edge of my seat, occasionally swearing at the screen. In those brief moments of rage I was the Slayer, and I clutched my controller tightly as I sliced through the hordes like the reaper's scythe. While the shooter genre isn't exactly a rarity, few games have the look and feel of DOOM, and even fewer have the level of polish on display in Eternal. The game delivers precisely what it says on the tin, and with further expansions on the way, I'm confident that I'll be coming back for more. If a classic first-person shooter with some modern quality of life improvements is what you're looking for, you've found it - now rip and tear, until it is done!

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Excellent gunplay
  • Strategic and fast-paced combat
  • Beautiful environments reminiscent of the series' origins
  • A wealth of secrets to discover
  • Classic DOOM maps with lots of verticality
  • Great selection of implements of DOOM
  • Fantastic soundtrack by Mick Gordon that keeps your heart pumping
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Excessive platforming sections
  • Upgrade system that needs some streamlining
  • Glory Kills can get repetitive after a while
  • No standard Multiplayer Deathmatch or Co-op
  • No Snap Map editor for user-generated content
9
Gameplay
The gameplay is where it's at, and DOOM Eternal hits the demon on the head. The game truly comes alive when you're in combat, managing your resources while simultaneously reaping the hordes of demonic invaders. It's fast, it's highly skill-based, it's perfect. Where the game loses points is between those engagements - the platforming was an entertaining distraction, but at times it was simply a little too much. The somewhat convoluted upgrade system doesn't help things and definitely could've been streamlined. As for the plot, DOOM Eternal has a much stronger focus on storytelling, tying games of the past and present together into one seamless narrative, but that's not supposed to be in the spotlight. After all, you play DOOM to murder demons - that's what we're all here for.
10
Presentation
DOOM Eternal looks and sounds the part - its environments harken back to the series' roots. The game looks great, and it sounds even better thanks to the awesome soundtrack by Mick Gordon. The title draws inspirations from the greats - the original DOOM and Quake, and it shows, creating an atmosphere unique to the series.
8
Lasting Appeal
With a wealth of content already in the game, an interesting Multiplayer component and a commitment to continuously update the game with new content over the course of its seasons the game is sure to glue you to the screen for quite some time. Sadly, I don't think it will develop a competitive scene without a core component it seems to lack - traditional Deathmatch. It also lacks Snap Map, but where it lacks in user generated content, it promises to give in DLC - hopefully it gives in spades, as I definitely want more.
9
out of 10

Overall

DOOM Eternal is a game I've been looking forward to since before it was even announced. The cliffhanger ending of DOOM 2016 left me wanting more, I waited and hoped for story DLC which never materialised, and now in 2020... my patience has been rewarded. DOOM Eternal was everything I wanted and more. I can wholeheartedly recommend it, although that goes without saying. After all, it's DOOM - who can say no to that?
Im Liking it so far ................... looking sweet in 4K ... all i can say it gets a bit samey .......... but its still fun
 
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Im Liking it so far ................... looking sweet in 4K ... all i can say it gets a bit samey .......... but its still fun
How "samey" is it compared to 2016 Doom? That was one of my only complaints about the game, that it all started to get a little repetitive.
 
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How "samey" is it compared to 2016 Doom? That was one of my only complaints about the game, that it all started to get a little repetitive.
Well it's the same deal in a new skin really.... Personally I was hoping for more of a DooM 3 where it was more jump scares and atmosphere.... Alas it's just hardcore blasting fun... I still like the chainsaw.. And the hook shot shotgun... But it's more or less survival rooms with slight puzzles here and there....
 
For those who have played this game. Is it ALOT better than Doom 2016? Or is it almost the same? :)

Ohhh and also when will this game be available for Switch? :)
 
For those who have played this game. Is it ALOT better than Doom 2016? Or is it almost the same? :)

Ohhh and also when will this game be available for Switch? :)
I Dunno About Switch at all i don't own one ................ But I Finished the 1st one on PS4 ..& im playing the new one on PC ... im about half way thru the new one i guess ... its fun fast & hard AF .......... but so was the 2016 one ......... this one feels more tactical where the 1st one was more of a rage blaster .................
 
I Dunno About Switch at all i don't own one ................ But I Finished the 1st one on PS4 ..& im playing the new one on PC ... im about half way thru the new one i guess ... its fun fast & hard AF .......... but so was the 2016 one ......... this one feels more tactical where the 1st one was more of a rage blaster .................
So the first one also have that fun hype gameplay?

I'm thinking to buy the first one (Doom 2016) until Doom Eternal releases on Switch :)
 
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So the first one also have that fun hype gameplay?

I'm thinking to buy the first one (Doom 2016) until Doom Eternal releases on Switch :)

I haven't played through Eternal yet, but I had SUCH a fun time playing through what I did of Doom 2016. It really is just a great time. Buying it would absolutely be a good choice.
 
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Both games are great in their own ways, but as it was mentioned, DOOM 2016 was indeed more of a rage fest with A to B arenas and very little open space to play around in, DOOM Eternal is much more tactical and open while maintaining the fast-paced combat. I honestly recommend both. I can see why some people would prefer it to be more like DOOM 3, but honestly these two are closer to the spirit of the series - frantic twitch shooters with some exploration thrown into the mix.
 
[people preferring doom 3]
Now I have seen people enjoying all manner of limited ports of the original doom games but I never thought I would see the day that people clamour for more doom 3.
That said I would probably take more doom 3 than a lot of the more recent battlefield, cod and whatever efforts.

Anyway I still have 2016 to play (got myself a PS4 copy for £4 the other week).

While I am here though did the humour that ruffled so many feathers from the earlier trailer make it to the final build or was that just a marketing stunt?
 
[people preferring doom 3]
Now I have seen people enjoying all manner of limited ports of the original doom games but I never thought I would see the day that people clamour for more doom 3.
That said I would probably take more doom 3 than a lot of the more recent battlefield, cod and whatever efforts.

Anyway I still have 2016 to play (got myself a PS4 copy for £4 the other week).

While I am here though did the humour that ruffled so many feathers from the earlier trailer make it to the final build or was that just a marketing stunt?
It did make it into the game - the demons are still called "mortally challenged", the word "demon" is an offensive slur. Hilarious. :lol:
 
Doom Eternal is a ridiculously crazy shooter game. It's a careful balancing act of a dozen gameplay elements that, when you pull them all off in succession, makes the entire experience godly.
 
Vert nice review :grog:
But no multiplayer is fine by me.
Well, it does have Multiplayer, just a different spin on it. I would've liked to see Deathmatch like in the classics, id Software sure knows how to make a competitive shooter.
 
Yeah, I'm not liking this game, for a different reason.

First off, need to bring up how the game demands a bethesda account to even play it at all. What, was the $90 asking price not enough for Todd Howard and his trained cocaine monkeys?

Second, even though the PC version does run much better than implied, I've been getting constant visual errors where it'll flicker entire black framers or random elements will just black out, which makes no sense even on current drivers and updates.

But for me, personally, the game's too cheap to really be fulfilling. Granted, the only reason I even am playing it at all, is because the wife's pc won't even start the game, whereas mine is strong enough to run it. But yeah, the difficulty is already frustrating, and unnecessarily stressing me out. Had me feeling a massive migraine last night, and today even more so after trying (and failing repeatedly) to deal with those challenges and slayer macguffins. Even when I am doing well, the game is just pissing me off.
 
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It might not be absolutely flawless, but it sure reached the top of my "favorite games of all time" list. I doubt the devs can make a better DOOM game after that one, but time will tell.
 
Review cover
Product Information:
  • Release Date (NA): March 20, 2020
  • Release Date (EU): March 20, 2020
  • Release Date (JP): March 20, 2020
  • Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
  • Developer: Id Software
  • Genres: FPS
  • Also For: Computer, Xbox One
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative

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