Review Doom Eternal - Humanity needs you!

What would it be like to wake up one morning, and the world as you knew it has disappeared? It seems like a sci-fi scenario, but it is easily and safely transposed into the reality we all live. Isolated in our homes, far from the eyes of the world, we must find a way to release our anger and do what is right. Some find hobbies such as drawing, learning an instrument or crocheting; I? I kill demons in Doom Eternal!

Humanity's last chance

Doom Eternal starts quite suddenly and presents you with the Earth invaded by an army of demons. You don't have a very clear idea of ​​how it happened or what all the invading apparitions want, but you know you have to intervene. And here you appear, in a fancy suit, with some steel balls and a lot of determination; ready to spread demonic blood everywhere in the way.

As a small spoiler, which you discover in the first 30 minutes of the game, you will find out that you have to kill three satanic priests in order to save humanity. This is where the story of Doom Eternal starts. At the beginning of it, you will see in the first person how you detach the head from the body of one of the three priests. And I'll stop here and let you discover for yourself, because the story is good.

What news does Doom Eternal introduce?

Many people, including the undersigned, were wondering what new Doom Eternal will bring compared to the 2016 reboot. Well, let's just say that this the new iteration of the franchise has teleported the entire experience to the present and we have many new elements.

The emphasis has been placed on customization, so you will be able to easily change even the way the menu looks. Also, the character skins debut along with a lot of cosmetic changes. Another new element is represented by a kind of Calling Card as if removed from Call of Duty Modern Warfare. You will unlock different emblems and designs that you will probably be able to show off in the multiplayer mode of Doom Eternal, but more on that later.

Another novelty is the level progression system. It is based on the game model based on seasons, and in Doom Eternal the first season of slaughtering demons, zombies and UFOs (non-exorcised flying oratans) began. With each level-up you will unlock customization elements, and that sounds good, at least for the time being. I don't know why, but this whole thing left a micro-transaction taste in my mouth. I'm really afraid of the day when Bethesda will try to maximize profit. But they haven't done this before, have they? *intensified sarcasm*

If in Doom 2016 you kill for pleasure, in Eternal you do it for the love of art

By far the most satisfying part of Doom Eternal is the revamped combat system. When I started the game I noticed the absence of sprint and crouch mechanics, something that sent me directly to 1990 autumn, when I was not born yet, and the shooter was played with keys. Well, even if at first this whole non-modern system seems a bit cumbersome, the more you play, you start to appreciate its simplicity.

On the other hand, to compensate for the lack of mechanics listed above, Doom Eternal includes from the beginning two very useful abilities: double-jump and dash. If the former is obvious what it does, the latter replaces the old sprint with a kind of short-distance teleportation. This will give you both tactical and mobility advantages. With the new dash system, you'll be able to dodge enemies or surprise them by easily getting out of a jam. Mom, if only I had something like this on the subway or bus.

Another change in the dynamics of the game is a wannabe-parkour system in which you will be able to combine double jumps with the dash and the ability to cling to the walls, to solve a series of puzzles. I don't think anyone asked for this, but it seems like a good introduction to distract you a little from the madness of the fights. Unfortunately, the mechanics feel a little out of place, and the transition from parkour to fighting is not always smooth.

The weapons were also slightly modified, but still remained the classic formula. You start with a shotgun and as you progress through the story, you unlock more weapons. You'll end up with two or three anti-demon solutions, to a whole arsenal, and that's not the best part. Besides the progression of the weapons, which is similar to the previous game, this time, the costume is the one that stands out. I won't talk much about it because I don't want to spoil your pleasure of discovering for yourself what each new ability does. Instead, I can count on your fingers some of the new powers with which you will clear each battlefield: a flamethrower, some ice balls, even a super strong punch. Sounds good huh?

How about the fact that the game introduced a very interesting tutorial system, and each new skill you discover will teleport you into a test environment where the game teaches you how to kill demons effectively with your new skill .

Even if at the time of writing the review it was not available, on the day of release Bethesda will release the multiplayer mode in Doom Eternal. It's about Battlemode, a competitive multiplayer mode that will put you face to face with other demon hunters from around the world.

Level design like his mother's

I haven't played a single-player for some time that caught me, so Doom Eternal fell flat for me. It is not a mindless open-world where you have a huge half-empty map; even the opposite. The game offers you small sections of the level to explore and tests your ingenuity in searching for all the secrets hidden in quite intuitive places.

Also, in addition to the missions in the story, Doom Eternal also has some secondary activities. I think you all remember the short and very aggressive battles of the game from 2016. Well, they are still here, but with a twist. This time, the side missions are accompanied by Slayer Gates. These are separate missions that put you face-to-face with a huge horde of enemies, but they offer you a befitting reward and a very fun and good way to upgrade your favorite weapon.

Doom Eternal is a visual splendor, but especially auditory and brings a breath of fresh air to a legendary franchise

On the graphics side, Doom Eternal is exactly what I expected. A completely new game, developed on the idTech 7 engine with state-of-the-art textures and visual elements. Everything looks good and is carefully finished. The textures are clean, the shadows don't feel extra or artificial, and the epic landscapes manage to create one hell of an atmosphere. Er, er, did you get it? Doom, game with demons, damn it?! We continue…

I had the pleasure of playing Doom Eternal on PC, and here things are very good. The optimization is top-notch, but I'm starting to see for the first time quite high requirements even for the Low graphics preset. So, for a smooth gameplay at 60FPS and 1080p resolution with Low details, you will need an Intel Core i5/Ryzen 3, at least 8GB of RAM memory and at least a GTX 1050Ti/RX 470 card or the equivalent from older generations/ we. The basic rule is that the video card should have at least 3GB (in the case of GTX 1060), but I think there would be problems there. For the luckiest of us with powerful configurations, a GTX 1080 should be enough to run Doom Eternal at 60FPS, 1440p resolution and High details.

That's not all though; to run the game at Ultra Nightmare settings at 120FPS and 1440p resolution, my video card, an RTX 2080, was not enough. Here, Bethesda recommends at least an RTX 2080 Ti card, and this can run the same preset with 60FPS at 4K resolution. Some really high requirements, but the game looks great even at 1440p, Ultra and 144FPS, that is, as I ran it.

The part where Doom Eternal scores the best is the auditory one. Before the release, I saw a behind-the-scenes video where I witnessed the genius of Mick Gordon and how the soundtrack in this game came to life. It is a collective effort of several established musicians of the heavy metal genre who joined their talent to create something special. And this is felt in the game to the fullest. The music is engaging, but at the same time atmospheric and it doesn't stop there. The sound effects and the technology behind them left me speechless. More than once I stopped in a level to see how the background sounds are shaped and what level of detail they have.

First favorite at GOTY 2020

If I'm sure of anything, it's the fact that Doom Eternal has a real chance to be the best action game of the year. This was also true with the previous game, which received the title in 2016, and I believe that the family legacy will continue. With a happy combination of old but still effective mechanics, current graphics and a superb presentation, the new Doom won me over. It has what it needs, where it needs it and offers enough new things to be worthy of a sequel, in such a good FPS franchise.

I can only recommend it to all fans of pac-pac games and I'm sure it will remain a cult-classic for years to come. A breath of fresh air, in a very sensitive period that the world is going through and another reason to stay at home quietly until the spirits calm down.

Verdict!

Story - 7.5

Gameplay - 9

Graphics and Sound - 9.5

8.7

Doom Eternal is a mix between old and new, bringing elements from previous games, but adapted to our times. With a superb presentation and a gameplay to match, we may have before us a candidate for the title of Game of the Year!