You won't find anything like Team Deathmatch or Capture the Flag in Doom Eternal's battlemode. Three players meet here, but not in the constellation of everyone against everyone. Instead, a slayer takes on two demons. We were able to try out how this works exclusively at developer Id Software in Dallas.
There are five known creatures to choose from among the demons, namely Revenant, Mancubus, Pain Elemental, Archvile and Marauder. Each of them uses special abilities in addition to their standard attacks. The Archvile, for example, can temporarily create a fire area. In contrast, the Mancubus ignites a protective cloud of smoke. In addition, each demon can summon two AI-controlled helpers, which make life even more difficult for the Slayer. And as if that weren't enough, the demons even see the Slayer through walls – at least for a few seconds. If the slayer interrupts direct eye contact long enough, it becomes virtually invisible.
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The goal of the demons is very simple: they try to kill the Slayer. It is not easy. Because after he has killed a demon, he only has 20 seconds to destroy the second henchman. If he is successful, the round goes to him. However, if the demon survives the specified period, its diabolical partner is revived and the dance continues.
An unequal fight?
These seem pretty unfair requirements for the Slayer. But of course he is anything but defenseless. The entire arsenal of weapons is available to him right from the start. You can choose which modifications to use for the weapons before the match. In addition, the Slayer gets strong support when it comes to mobility. Jumppads and poles for swiftly swinging through the arena are only available to him, not to the demons. In direct comparison, the Slayer is also stronger than them. It deals more damage and is usually the winner from a one-on-one situation with a demon.
Even the two helpers of the demons offer an opportunity for the Slayer. Because of his different melee kills, he is able to get health and ammunition through them. The enemies act as walking raw material stores, so to speak.
It's all a question of balance
After the end of a round, slayers like demons can activate an additional bonus: For example, the slayer gets more life from kills, while the helpers of the demons deal additional damage. Each match consists of three rounds. The overall victory is won by the side that can decide two of them first.
Felix was able to play DOOM Eternal in advance. We show you 10 minutes of exclusive gameplay from the fourth mission of the campaign: Doom Hunter Base.
In practice, however, the game balance was not yet optimal. Of our approximately 20 matches played, 16 games certainly went to the two demons. In our opinion, this was primarily due to the fact that the Slayer is generally more difficult to play. To have a chance with this character, a good knowledge of the map is just as important as the correct and quick use of all available skills. So far, using the Slayer has required more skill than playing with the demons.
