I swear to you: In my 30 years as a gamer, I have never experienced anything like Doom Eternal! It is a new experience for my gradually aging gambler hands. Id software hits me in the face with a game that makes it unmistakably clear: If you find it too hard, you're just a pussy!
Everything starts off very relaxed. In the main menu I still have all the time in the world to make various settings for graphics, sound and gameplay. I also don't let myself be rushed when it comes to deciding whether to play the campaign or the battle mode. In fact, there is only one option at the time of testing, namely the story. This is simply because the servers for the new multiplayer mode are not yet active. Accordingly, we will provide you with the impressions as soon as possible after the release on March 20. Until then, we will comfort you with ours Battle mode previewthat we recently played for a few hours.
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But even if I could choose, I would start the campaign right away. Because I still remember Doom from 2016. Catchwords like fast, brutal and tactical shoot through my head. That combined into an ingenious gauntlet run, which challenged me as well as entertained. The story, on the other hand, was as important to me as the famous sack of rice that falls over in China. Small spoiler: It will not be any different at Eternal. Okay, maybe I'm wrong, but my opinion is that some titles don't need a big story. Especially not when they are playfully top notch. And that was the case with Doom!
Damn, what's going on here !?
If I had been asked about my expectations for Doom Eternal in advance, I would have said: just like the predecessor, only more of everything. Honestly, I didn't want any world-changing innovations. Doom has already done everything right with his tough consequences. Id software should just put it on the plate and I'm happy!
After a cozy introductory level with little demons, I think I'm ready. Ready for more demons, more action and more speed. Ready for a shooter party in the rhythm of heavy metal music. But Doom Eternal was ready too, to give me the hardest ass kick in recent years!
After the shallow start, the game goes on the gas, and correctly! I almost drown in a flood of little demons and legendary beasts like Cacodemon, Revenant and Mancubus. With each section, another well-known creature takes part in this insane ride to make it even wilder, bloodier and more challenging. Because not only the nasty critters are bothering me, the Slayer itself is a challenge.
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Different weapons with special fire modes, glory kill, chainsaw, flame spout and shoulder cannon sound like a lot of power to shred the demons. But simply shooting at everything brings me nothing but empty magazines and a quick screen death. Because behind all the blood, all the roaring and all the hammering metal is probably the smartest shooter of this generation of games.
THAT is a hell ride!
Everything in Doom Eternal has its right to exist: weapons, monsters and arenas are perfectly coordinated. The key points of every fight are constant movement along the right paths, the sensible use of the guns including special skills as well as the right time for the different melee kills.
Every demon, however powerful it may seem at first, has a specific vulnerability. The Mancubus fires from two powerful cannons on the arms, which are extremely dangerous even at great distances. Just a few hits are enough for my Slayer to be just porridge. But two targeted grenades from the combat shotgun disassemble the guns as quickly as hits with the precision bolts of the heavy cannon. Without its weapons, the colossus is no easy prey, but definitely a much lesser evil. It is the same with the Revenant's rocket launchers or the armored Pinky's tail: If I hit the sore spot, it makes my (survival) life much easier.
It is part of the learning process that this does not work on the first, second or third attempt. After I understand which monster I can kill and how, the next lesson follows: the correct order. Sometimes a hellknight that chases me relentlessly doesn't come first. Instead, I quickly finish off the Archvile because it would otherwise conjure up its extremely deadly retinue. This in turn blocks me from running paths, jump pads and poles, on which I can swing and thus reach higher levels. Standing still means the end, so I run, I jump and jump at top speed while trying to catch the monsters.
At least as important is the right timing for the stray mini demons. These pose practically no danger, but are donors for ammunition, life energy and armor. Although there is always a certain amount of it distributed in the arenas, this is rarely enough to kill all monsters. Accordingly, I have to divide up the cannon fodder to get the essential extras.
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What comes out of it is precisely defined: The chainsaw brings ammunition, the flame spout life energy and a Glory Kill armor. Needless to say, the chainsaw and flame spout only work with enough gasoline or charging time. As if that wasn't enough, I should also take care of weakened, thick chunks with a glory kill so that they calm down. If I allow myself too much time, Pain Elemental and Co. get a second breath and continue to attack cheerfully.
Only those who die get ahead!
With every level my adrenaline level rises to a new high because Doom Eternal demands more from me. After a while everything happens only out of intuition. There are a maximum of fractions of a second that I have left to fix the situation. The trip leads from the cursed earth to a space laboratory to Mars, on which arenas and new demons of different structures are always to be mastered. Fortunately, the lame collecting of key cards like in the predecessor is avoided, instead it goes from one slaughter to the next with a few interruptions.
Before I can do all of this, I die countless deaths. There are always places where the legions of hell destroy me within a few moments. This is especially true for the powerful bosses. But I am learning and I cling to every challenge. A level of difficulty that can be changed at any time, optional tasks and a particularly tricky special arena per level ensure that I never feel underwhelmed.
But no matter what I fail: the error is always with me. At no point did I really feel that I was being treated unfairly. I struggled and swore mightily, but in the end never about the game, but myself. The Slayer brings everything to master every situation. Incidentally, this also applies to technology. On the PS4 Pro, Eternal runs across the screen at a fixed 60 frames per second – even in 4K and HDR. The worlds and opponents are presented very coherently, and Eternal doesn't save on fat weapon and splatter effects anyway. Nevertheless, none of this is really impressive, but subordinates to the fluid frame rate. That's a good thing, because even the slightest jerk would mean screen death in view of the dizzying process.
Doom Eternal is ready to open the gates of hell one more time.
As unique as Doom Eternal celebrates his fights, the jumping passages are mediocre. In between, I have to take a forced break from the high-speed action. Then double jump and dash are used to snap back and forth between special walls, because that's the only way to move forward in the level. Elsewhere, such artistic deposits are worthwhile to get the important upgrades for the weapons or the suit of the Slayer – afterwards, be sure to keep your eyes open! In rare cases, the demon butcher even has to dive, which then also applies to the fun of the game due to the poor control. On the other hand, I find myself enjoying these short, quiet moments. Then your head and fingers have some time to relax before the next hellish fight is about to begin …
