DOOM Eternal

DOOM 2016 was a terrific re-imagining of DOOM. Super fast, gorgeous, all-round an exciting, fast-paced shooter. But it was marred by the pretty bland setting of Mars and Hell which became very monotonous after a period of time.

DOOM Eternal took that formula to the next level. They added new weapons, multiple progression systems and unlocks, more moves that completely change the flow of battle, and they added a whole host of new areas and settings that reinvigorated the game for me. The end result is a truly terrific game. Outside of a couple spots where the enemy combos felt like bullshit, I was pretty addicted to this game.

The biggest change is probably the interweaving of the new abilities: namely the flamethrower which gives you armor, and the Blood Punch. While the previous title really pushed you to be moving around a ton, this one emphasizes it even more AND gives you the option to wade into the front lines and actually gain armor and heal from it. It really produces a terrific ebb and flow to the combat, where once you get good you really feel like a demon flying and jumping around the map, flamethrowing a crowd, blowing them up, switching weapons, scoring headshots-- it's all great.

The progression stuff tied nicely into the exploration of the levels. I actually found myself enjoying finding all the little secrets. Honestly if I had played this on Steam, a part of me would be looking to get all the achievements.

One thing that caught me by surprise in the game was how much I was enjoying the story and lore that they added in the form of codex entries. The background on Doomguy in the reboot is pretty damn cool. DOOM 2016 I mostly ignored it-- though I did think it was cool that you seemed to be some sort of prophesied slayer of demons returned-- but this one it really is front and center which is cool.

Yeah, overall super glad I played this game (for free no less!).