Between Hell and Heaven – a review of the game “Doom Eternal”

The Doom series is a legend that largely defines the FPS genre and one of the most important titles in the history of electronic entertainment. One and two are undisputed classics, which – despite over twenty years on the back of their neck – are still playable. The third part was received with less enthusiasm, although it was quite successful and atmospheric. Unfortunately, we had to wait as many as 12 springs for the next installment. During this time, the project was repeatedly transformed, and finally put on a series reset, which – as we could see – was the right decision. This is confirmed by the latest production from id Software. 

Doom Eternal continues the story known from the last part. The earth is being attacked by demons we crashed earlier on Mars, so the Doom Slayer has his hands full again. This time around, the writers put more emphasis on narration – we have more cutscenes, and as we travel, we find numerous codex entries containing detailed information about the game world. In addition, more light was cast on the main character, adding depth and emphasizing it more clearly. Between successive missions, we return to the space fortress, which is the starting point. There are several secrets and flavors that will be appreciated by loyal fans in particular. The plot has never been a strong point of the series, but does it bother anyone at all while carelessly murdering hundreds of monsters?

A symphony of bloody destruction

As you might expect, the essence of the game is to eliminate all sorts of Hell’s inhabitants on vast, vertical levels, resembling peculiar arenas. The fight has become more offensive and dynamic compared to the original. This does not mean, however, that tactics are no longer relevant. The key is to be on the move, use power-ups, juggle weapons, and replenish your rapidly dwindling supplies. There are relatively few resources on the maps, so you only need to get them from your opponents. By setting enemies on fire, we gain armor points, in turn dismembering them with a chainsaw, we collect ammunition, and by performing glory kills – we regenerate health. This forces you to play aggressively, which makes the fight more exciting. 

The well-balanced pace of the game is influenced by many factors. The locations are constructed in such a way as to facilitate the maneuvering between demons in the constant dance of death. Here and there, there are portals and jump pads throwing us into the air, encouraging us to acrobatic maneuvers, and in sight we usually see some platforms, beneficial when escaping in difficult situations. In addition, Doom Slayer has become much more mobile now. He can double jump or dash (also in the air), swim, swing on handrails, and climb some walls. The movement is very fluid and intuitive, but a few platformer fragments require monkey dexterity, which can frustrate and disrupt the fast pace of the game.

When it comes to killing tools, we have at our disposal iconic guns, such as the plasma rifle, Super Shotgun or BFG-9000. There are also some completely new toys, such as the powerful Crucible sword that cuts almost every enemy with one hit, and a devilishly effective ballista. In addition, we have a shoulder cannon that serves as a flamethrower and a fragmentation grenade launcher and ice bombs. On the other hand, the pistol, which probably no one will miss, was abandoned. Each weapon has alternate firing modes and clever modifications to adapt to different situations and enemies on the battlefield. 

Another novelty is a hook on a chain attached to the Super Shotgun, which will move us towards the enemy in the blink of an eye. Of course, there was also a chainsaw, but this time we use a separate button. I have to admit that gunplay is delicious and “fleshy” – you can clearly feel the power of destruction of individual guns. Shooting waves of mascarons is a real fun, which is also influenced by responsive controls. 

Many fans will be pleased to hear that the developers have added more opportunities for effective noblemen of nasty creatures. Performing glory kills – that is, brutal executions of weakened enemies – charges a special gauge. When we fill it, we will perform the so-called a bloody blow, turning nearby unfortunates to a red mush. In the game, it is worth killing everything that moves, because for eliminating a certain number of monsters you get weapon points for upgrading the guns – but you have to sweat a little to unlock them all.

Hell on earth

As for the opponents themselves, we will meet, among others, well-known and liked regulars of the series – from Arachnotrons and Hell Knights to Imps and Cyberdemons. I joyfully curtailed their torment with the spectacular finishers that encouraged uninterrupted carnage. Opponents have weak points that should be exploited – at higher difficulty levels it’s even a duty if we want to survive. For example, when we hit a Cacodemon with a grenade, we will immediately stun him and make him defenseless. A noteworthy detail is the gradual disintegration of the bodies of demons with each shot. A small thing, but it enjoys. Bosses can do it too, although there aren’t many of them. Meeting them is a bigger challenge – battles are long and exhausting, but very rewarding.

Exploration is also an important element of the game. In addition to the keys that unlock the passage to the next levels, collectibles are cleverly hidden in many nooks and crannies. These include mascots, vinyl records, floppy disks (used as cheats), extra lives or items that improve weapons and develop your hero. By the way, each new upgrade gives you the feeling of gradually growing in strength and increasing your combat potential – there were no unnecessary skills in the development tree. In many places, we can also find easter eggs, referring to the history of the brand. Interestingly, the first two versions of Doom are hidden in the game.

Id Software has mastered the gameplay. Virtually every difficulty level can be demanding, because the enemies are not idle and the moment of passivity ends in death. You should replenish the missing supplies on an ongoing basis, killing enemies in a given way and skillfully use the terrain and the protagonist’s mobility. It has its undeniable charm – a specific rhythm, dictated by the pace of the game, which is even hypnotic.

It takes at least several hours to complete the single-player mode. It is possible to return to any level to discover all secrets and complete optional challenges. It is worth, for example, to complete all Slayer gates, i.e. more difficult clashes with hordes of enemies, for which we receive valuable rewards. An additional variety is the ability to personalize the appearance of characters, demons, weapons or the main menu, thanks to skins that are unlocked during the game. This applies to both single and multiplayer modes.

Speaking of which, for those thirsty for stronger impressions, an online multiplayer mode (Battlemode) has been prepared, where the fun takes on even greater blushes. Fighting living opponents is a real challenge – the crazy pace gives you a hard time and requires constant focus and reflexes, but it is still very rewarding. Unfortunately, there is no typical deathmatch mode here. Instead, one of the players takes on the role of Doom Slayer, and the other two control the demons. It’s a lot like hunting game, and it raises your adrenaline every second – especially if you’re game. 

It’s fucking fun

The production in question looks great and has a unique atmosphere. The locations are larger and more varied, and the graphics are more vivid than in the previous part. The corpse is still thick and we are constantly splashed with salt and guts. The only thing that can be noticed is some designer treatments – sound and graphic – relaxing the thick atmosphere and reminding you that it is only a video game. Basically, there is no fault with the binding, as is the case with optimization and technical issues – the game works as it should. On the other hand, the music pleases the ear with energetic songs that match the dark atmosphere. Mick Gordon’s metal pieces have the power and perfectly resonate with the events on the screen. 

Doom Eternal is more demanding than the original and at the same time better in every respect. It brings to the pedestal what has always been the most important thing in games, that is, hellishly addictive gameplay. After only a few dozen minutes, I began to suffer from the syndrome of “one more checkpoint”, and the smile of satisfaction did not leave my face even for a moment. Grinding more and more devil’s litter is a real honey for the eyes and ears. After all, games are all about having fun, and this title does the job with a vengeance. 

We would like to thank Cenega for making a copy of the game available for review (PC).