Doom Eternal's executive producer Marty Stratton says, the game is "fast food," "turning a page," and "junk food with nutritional value." These captivating, limited-edition bunnies give the animator an open speech he gave to the assembled crowd of previews.
While those comparisons are brought with a smile, Stratton feels he has a reason to do it. Later on the 24-year veteran of the Birthed Doom studio, it has a simple, straightforward description of their new action shooter: "This is the best game we've ever done."
Unclaimed claim. But in addition to his hour-long presentation and our nearly-lengthy follow-up interview, he made a compelling case for that belief, pointing to what the studio learned from the first corpse of the series, released on PS4 in 2016.
He has been surprisingly open about issues they are honoring: a recurring campaign. Lack of visual differences. Unintended player exploitation. Not many players in numbers. Running base support. Although there is a strong and passionate player ("the number of people still playing this every month will surprise you," he said) the message is simple: id Software needs to do better. Doom Eternal begins to respond to each of these issues.
And even though the single-player campaign promises to repeat the length of 2016 & # 39; s and adds to the same increase in enemy types, Stratton is adamant in emphasizing that "better" is not as "big." "That's not enough," she affirms.
If the main concern was monotony, then the solution was simple: diversity. That name, that's it feelings, explained all the sequel design decisions, the influential gameplay, the look, the story.
Stratton explains the four-month delay (since last November) was needed to fix the bugs and uncover all aspects of the game. “It just has to be good,” she says.
The result is, as Marty refers to it, a page turner. “We're always bringing something new, or in the latest phase of the game: new enemies, new mechanics, new observations. You're doing things you've never done in a Doom game before. It's hard to get up. ”
Choose your adventure of breaking and tearing
Make no mistake: fighting demon-filled forums is still the beating heart of Doom-based gameplay. Your decisions still need to be very sharp, your reaction at high speed (if not faster with the addition of connectivity capability).
Your strategic decisions though? The band.
It hurts the demon enough on Doom and he moves them, their reflective light being designed for Glory Kill. It did so, along with a good rendering of health photos blooming the remains. Be aggressive, stay healthy. Eternal extends the idea: Chainsaw Kills gets you ammo, cook demons with your firethrower to get yourself more weapons. Attack to stay well.
But chainaws need gas, firethrowers take time to rebuild. Murder Fame wants the demon to be shot in submission first. Machine maintenance is another strategy to consider on the battlefield.
But that thinking is something I tend to get out of the hands of in the past. Today, as the opening hour of the game introduces me to the re-enactment of today's Doom game, I'm able to focus on another change.
A road trip for biblical prices
I spent that hour fighting across the ruined city on the adjacent Earth. It's not a unique arrangement, but the tangible beauty of id Software capture is amazing in both detail and detail: bow before the power of id Tech 7.
It is memorable to see and varied in its layout. I struggle with demonic forces roaming the broken city streets, sniffing the upper lane of the ship's main buildings and going toe to toe with the dreaded non-black supermarkets. It is a far cry from the unity of Mars' red dunes and the reconstruction of buildings.
There has also been a steady increase in levels, The early game conflicts that have flagged me have prompted me to seize monkey barrels with double jumps to further encourage them, a vengeance pin. Without a fight I climb an earth-shaped wall or jump in car parks that turn the valley floor because of an earthquake.
id Layer of world history in its construction, such as this hulking, mecha-destroyed part
There are also natural hazards you can face. I hear the first fire pipes that hit the street dry and elsewhere the demonic walls that emit flames down the malls, forcing me to crawl through shopping malls and use mannequins as a cover.
And the Earth promises to be the first stopping point. By the end of the campaign, you will have shot your way across the solar system, kicking through the door of Hell and knocking down your own skies. It's crazy to look at what Software artists don't think differently than Hogo. Except for the context of this studio install before launch
Those levels feel more diverse and contain natural puzzles and secrets all stemming from the studio's desire to advance the gameplay without encountering it.
Finding the level of secrets is not new to the series, but many of Doom Eternal & # 39; s fans will be closer to the critical path, which is part of the basic philosophy of keeping everything in the player's "arm's reach," encouraging exploration. Back to back levels, an enhanced UI that emphasizes areas of interest to advance experienced players to discover carefully hidden collections. This can provide gameplay changes, player buffs or cool merchants for the universe.
We found out more details about the game hub mentioned by the studio last year. The Fortress of Doom is a floating base on the surface of the Earth, and will gradually be adorned with the collected people found during the campaign, such as vinyls, prints and so on.
The difficulty is to fit all the flavors, both in the campaign and in the multiplayer
Completing Doom 2016 has unlocked the complexity of Ultra-Nightmare, challenging you to restart the campaign without dying. Here, available from the start, rubbing shoulders on the game menu screen with the new Extra Lives mode.
Here's how it works: 1 cumulative collection is already hidden at each level. Collect and instead of reloading and watching them come to life, your life is saved and a brief period of damage is gained. This studio loves that old school way of building campaign mode all the time.
Master levels are an excellent reminder of the levels of the mission that will follow after the launch, which is increased significantly in previous phases with more powerful enemies introduced only late in the campaign.
Apparently the studio has added entry support for those who are fighting heavy boss battles: Sentinel weapons will be sent closer to the player after a certain number of deaths, to give them health and weapon health. The mechanics, Stratton emphasizes, are the same. It's just a hand that helps judge any frustration and keep players focused on the campaign.
That desire to embrace more of the relevant Slayers is one of the explanations for a significant change for many players. The game was introduced with Battlemode, a 2v1 clash was played on tight platforms between demonic controllers and one Slayer.
Designed and built within id Software, the aim is to add depth to the multiplayer arm of the Doom experience, making multiplayer game winning more strategic than base-based attacks.
Like everything else in the Eternal Doom, your standard arsenal has been upgraded. For example: When your enemy's Plasma Rifle shields & # 39; pops & # 39 ;, explosions occur, they include everyone nearby.
Equally as enjoyable is the pre-launch mode, a login that allows any other player to control any demon in your game. Focused on a core that knows the campaign's internal standards, Stratton believes it sounds like a natural extension of Doom's experience.
That mode is just one glimpse of an over-the-top engagement program, which includes everything from the description of meaty DLC to cosmetic skin. But the exact details remain a mystery. We will have to wait until delivery in March.
Although out of the way of the launch presentation, there is much to enjoy about this. A unique, versatile play mode, the kind of meaty campaign that promises to completely swallow you if you can agree. Test your skills and wits in a fight that, while still a highlight of the experience, gear is best for test sessions. There are secrets to tracking down if you have the mind to do so, and different ways to approach it, taking care of both the wolf and the social player.
A shooting tool that is both fulfilling and enjoyable? Unhealthy nutritional value nutrition, Marty.
Composer Mick Gordon is also in top form for this sequel, with the game opening with a remix of the Doom theme theme that still haunts my days back