DOOM Eternal review: still the best first-person shooter

DOOM 2016 can be loved for a lot. Created by id Software, the game has become a kind of master class in the renovation of retro shooters. The 2016 reboot was well-received, but it didn't come with many new and unusual features. The developers took everything that the players loved the classic 1993 DOOM for and simply transferred it to modern hardware, slightly improving the already well-known formula.

It wasn't easy to keep going. Id Software has already returned to the series in triumph, delivering the gaming experience gamers of decades past have been craving. For those who bitterly remembered the claustrophobic, dark corridors of DOOM 3 or used Quake 4 only to get the free Quake 2 disc that came with the Xbox 360 version. With such success, the only way out is to continue what we started and provide even more content. What inin principle, the studio did in DOOM Eternal.

DOOM Eternal uses all the great features of DOOM 2016, improving and expanding the elements, making them much larger than before. Let's take history as a first example. In the previous title, the plot went into the background (not even the second), took on a comic image. The executioner constantly joked about everything. This time around, there is a sense of authentic storytelling that longtime fans of the series should enjoy. Thanks to the exploits of the UAC - the company behind the brilliant idea of siphoning energy from Hell - the demons have ended up on Earth, where they either indiscriminately kill people or enslave them to create bloody nests around the globe. You play as the Executioner of Doom - a hell-pissed marine who simply cannot allow demons to take over the Earth (even though this is not his home planet). Using an orbital ship that teleports him to different parts of the world, he does what he does best - tear and shred!

It is also surprising how widely the game world and the story of the protagonist are revealed. ExecutionerRoca is portrayed as a character with a lot of motivation (than just a brutal killer who destroys demons for fun and enjoyment). He is an integral part of the universe, a member of the holy order of the Guardians (you will learn more about this during the game, so we exclude spoilers) and the only threat to the demonic army. One of the best aspects of the game is how it conveys the feeling that you are an unstoppable force that even the fiends fear. You are the very final boss that you strive to meet during the passage of other games.

The phrase "tear and shred" has long been the slogan of DOOM. And it is more relevant than ever for DOOM Eternal. The executioner has never been so fast and cruel. The weapon arsenal is consistent with what we saw in 2016, but with some necessary changes to make each weapon even more effective and stylish. The gun is no more. Your starting weapon is a single-barreled shotgun that retains the power and brutality of the original, but with a few key differences. On the one hand, as soon as you get a super shotgun, you will forget about the existence of the usual one. On the other hand, you will soon realize that different weapons are suitable for different opponents. Each weapon can be improved, new modifications can be unlocked, and so on.

Weapon upgrades in DOOM 2016 looked more like a dostargeting, but in Eternal it's different. For each weapon, there are two modifications to choose from. In the case of the shotgun, you can choose between a sticky bomb or a machine gun burst. The same goes for upgrades to the rest of the weapons, including the ballista, plasma cannon, and so on.

Each weapon is well balanced. Heavy and powerful weapons have much less ammo. And the BFG or the Crucible sword can only be used with a separate type of ammunition. That is why you have to choose on the fly which weapon to use, because only in rare cases will it be possible to shoot from something more powerful, killing the enemy with one or two hits.

Another significant gameplay improvement is the Executioner's movement. He has never been such an agile character that even Sonic the Hedgehog could be somewhat envious of. There were also several new tricks. For example, Doomslayer can dash, which can be used when moving through vertical locations or to dodge opponents.

Maps?? DOOM Eternal is massive, with many levels set over chasms and completely airborne, requiring you to use both double jumps and wall-hook dashes. This verticality is also useful during the battle. Battle arenas are always full of crossbars, jumps, portals and ledges that allow you to dodge opponents.

The best way to describe DOOM Eternal is that the game never slows down. The movement never slows down, you never stop thinking about how to properly destroy certain demons, and the campaign remains exciting even after 18 hours. It's quite a feat for a shooter like DOOM to create an 18-hour FPS that has enough content to keep people wanting to revisit levels over and over again. There is much more to what we have discussed above. Executioner's Gate, secret skirmishes, and so on. Even in the Stronghold of the Guardians, the hub of the Executioner, in addition to remotes that allow you to start new tasks or replay previous ones, there are also many secrets hidden.

Add to all this modeBattlemode is an asymmetric multiplayer game in which three players fight against each other, divided into two teams. On the one hand - the Executioner of Doom, on the other - two demons to choose from. The task of each team is to destroy the enemy. The Executioner of Doom has the same arsenal of weapons and equipment, but the demons can overwhelm him. Each demon is capable of summoning lesser minions, blocking access to ammo, and using unique skills. And when one demon is killed, the Executioner will have to finish off another in 20 seconds, otherwise the first one will be reborn and everything will have to start all over again.

The last thing I would like to say is the soundtrack. Musical accompaniment for DOOM Eternal once again created by Mick Gordon. This asshole knows his stuff! Heavy metal has never sounded so stylish, and what happens in DOOM Eternal without such a soundtrack would not be so spectacular. In this way, each element of Eternal complements each other and provides the player with a fantastic experience. This is not just a worthy sequel to DOOM 2016. This is the pinnacle of the genre!

Id Software used the functionality, ??which allowed the creation of the previous title, released in 2016, and significantly improved it. As a result, we got a dynamic, fast, brutal and fun action at the same time. Doom Eternal isn't just a great FPS or an outstanding sequel. This is the pinnacle of what the genre can achieve today.