Oh, Doom
, I can't help but be angry with you.For myself and, well, pretty much everyone, the year 20/20 was fairly terrible. Although I dislike considering years—which are essentially innocent periods of time—to be holding vessels for sorrow, a number of horrible events occurred in 2020, therefore I'll join the chorus in saying that it was a dreadful year.
Eternal DoomThe release of (and Animal Crossing: New Horizons) coincided with the end of the world. We had just crossed the year's barrier when Doomguy arrived with his new game before we could even locate the unsatisfactory food table.To make matters worse, after purchasing Doom Eternal from Steam, I discovered that my CPU, which was over ten years old, was no longer supported, and the game would not even start. I used the refund I received to purchase the PS4 version. That just made me feel even more let down. I couldn't help but feel that this wasn't Doom 2016 and that it wasn't the next step forward in its progression. I found it difficult to appreciate, but I forced myself to do so since I had to pay the money, and I eventually stopped a little after halfway through.
After more than a year, I have a new processor. For whatever reason, I picked up Doom Eternal on Steam on a whim and started playing right away, getting back into some serious carnage. However, I sensed something different this time.
Since the beginning of time, I have been a Doom fan. I recall being in awe of it while using my uncle's PC to play. After my parents gave in and purchased me the SNES version, I spent a considerable amount of time playing it. I remember telling a buddy in high school that I preferred playing Doom to Halo, and he scowled at me. During my time in college, I used the school computers to play ZDoom during my free time, and I used to carry a copy of the game about on a USB stick with an incredible 1GB of capacity in 2004.
Doom 2016 was an incredible experience. It dispelled my doubts and offered me something that adhered to the Doom concept while not being Doom. I became enamored with the game's overall vibe, the small surprises and flashbacks, and the updated portrayal of Doomguy. It seems to be a contemporary take on the classic titles, accepting its silliness but yet aiming to be funny.Imagine the result if we had received the Doom IV prototype instead; simply another bloodthirsty, grayscale war shooter. Rather, we were treated to a furious murder mystery that both advanced and revitalized the series.
The mechanical feel of Doom Eternal is what caught my attention right away. To be honest, the formulas for both games are essentially the same: vast arenas are divided against more formidable foes by platforming passageways filled with demons. They both used a level-based, mostly linear strategy with hints scattered throughout.
Doom Eternal had a cement-like feel to it. In contrast to Doom 2016, which required you to go from area to area, Doom Eternal requires you to teleport to the next level, thereby cutting off all connections. Similarly, it seemed to be a little less adaptable in where battle venues were positioned. When you approach a heavy combat arena, you can almost tell right away since they have pick-ups, jump pads, and ramps arranged in conspicuous locations. It seems a lot less natural as the demons begin to line up to spawn in.The two games' tones also vary greatly from one another. Although Doom 2016 is not really a horror game, it did take inspiration from the eerie hallways of Doom 3 and even tried a jump scare or two. Doom Eternal, in contrast, has a comic book-like vibe to it. The overall atmosphere is lighter and the surroundings seem less menacing. The landscapes are less convincing, and some of the creatures seem simply ridiculous.
While Doom 2016 was undoubtedly a vast away from reality, it was nonetheless more grounded.
My smallest grievance could have been that they destroyed Doomguy's aura of mystery. He's still the same unstoppable ball of fury that he always was, but he also has toys, guitars, and a picture of himself and his bunny in his Doomcave. He's spoken about in wonder, demons dread him, and women desire him (maybe); he's merely been exaggerated to the point that details can be imagined without the need for creativity.
Looking back, I'm not sure why these things annoyed me so much that I would just walk away from the game. This time, they didn't even affect my viewpoint since I was too busy kicking ass.
I was now enjoying the increased mobility of Doom Eternal as I raced over the chaotic battlefields, jamming my Super Shotgun into the throats of the different monsters. I was Doomguy, the embodiment of power. Use the minigun to take out this monster, run out of ammunition, chainsaw that one, and then notice I'm getting low on health. I then flame belch on another monster and blood punch the ones that are near to it. Break apart and dismember!
Even the platforming felt powerful as Doomguy would swing, double-jump, and airdash to the next wall after sticking his large, meaty claws in clearly marked ones. Every time someone told Doomguy he couldn't do anything, he would quickly disprove them, and I started giggling.
I enjoyed using my shotgun to shoot a bloated Mancubus in the face and flesh hooking my way across arenas to take out enormous monsters with immediate kills. Setting priorities on the fly: an Archvile is present, and it has to perish! I will just race across the arena, glory kill some fodder, and then return to destroy that cyber Mancubus without using my blood punch.
It was hard to keep track of all the fighting possibilities (I didn't use grenades too much). I devised tactics to deal with certain crowds and backup plans for when I recognized one of my guns was empty. I became Doom Incarnate at the conclusion of the game!
Let us not deceive ourselves: Doom Eternal was warmly welcomed. Although some people had problems and other people, like myself, didn't connect with it, it wouldn't be honest to call it a failure. Put simply, it wasn't what I wanted according to my expectations.
Or at the moment, it seemed that way.
It was a whole different experience to play it again. I was so enamored with it that I started to believe Doom 2016 would seem plodding and insignificant in contrast. The fighting was simply so intensely thrilling and fulfilling. Without a doubt, I still don't believe it's ideal, but I think I understand it better now. Like \i>Doom 2016, it is aware of its identity. It only aims to amuse and accepts its foolishness. I'm pleased I gave it another go even though I'm not sure why I took it so seriously the first time.