Doom, I don’t know if this is a reboot or a sequel, was released on Xbox Game Pass. I downloaded it and am going to tell you what I thought.
Doom is fun
Like this game is proper fun. There is a simple structure. You go into an area, all the door locks and you have to kill everything in the area to get the doors to unlock. Lather, rinse, repeat. You might think that this will get tedious after a while, but it doesn’t. The game is mostly an arena shooter. You fight it out in confined spaces. It’s like a hyper-fast version of chess you are having to work out the fastest way to take out enemies. At the same time, you are having to work out which one to take out first and what weapon that will best suit the scenario.
This is made all the better by the fact that;
Doom has the best controls in a first-person shooter.
I can’t overemphasise to you how smooth the controls are, everything is silky smooth. All the buttons are mapped out, your character is always running. There is a crouch button, but I don’t think I’ve used it more than twice in my entire run so far. You still feel like you are in complete control of your character at all times. If you mess up and die, it is because of your own overconfidence in your abilities. There is no lag in animations. This leads to some fun platform sections between the constant shooting.
There is also the glory kill system. Stagger an enemy then approach them and perform a move that will have you complete a preset animation. Either ripping off a demon’s jaw or pulling off a monster’s arm and thumping them with it. The animation is brief. The repetitiveness doesn’t become overbearing, and it doesn’t bring combat to a halt. Add in the ability to speed up the animation, and it becomes a part of your overall play style.
Doom is a throwback
Doom 2016 feels like a spiritual successor to the first two entries in the series. I didn’t play Doom 3 so don’t know how it performs in comparison.
I saw that at one point Doom 2016 was going to be more like Call of Duty. I’m glad that they didn’t take that route. When all first-person shooters have iron sights and regenerating health Doom has decided to keep it retro.
Doom does have some hallmarks of modern shooters, but they aid the game to become more fun. Weapons have perks, and your character’s abilities are upgradable. These perks come from exploring and finding secrets.
I could tell you that Doom has a story but to be honest I don’t know what that is. When I’m playing, I usually have the volume down low, and I’ll have something else going on in the background. That doesn’t mean that I have not noticed the awesomeness of the score and the sound effects. Ripping out a flying demon’s eye and shoving it down its throat does sound good and squishy. To be honest, though I have ignored the story, I don’t think that I have missed out on anything, I’m sure it’s okay.
One thing I really like is just how angry the hero comes across. Whether it’s gouging the eyes of some demon or the way he punches elevator call buttons. You get the feeling that the guy you’re playing as is in a constant state of rage. There’s something funny about that.
As for bad stuff, the loading times are a bit long, and I’ve encountered some texture pop in from time to time. You may find that the gameplay gets repetitive fast, but I have been loving it so far.
If you’re a gamer and this has passed you by considering giving it a go.
Bring on Doom Eternal.
