The sequel to Doom 2016, Doom Eternal, is about to be four years old. The game was released on March 20, 2020, and it was the perfect game to help us cope with the COVID-19 era. I still remember during those times, I definitely didn’t want to go outside, but Doom Eternal happened to be another reason why I didn’t want to leave the house.
I grew up being a big Doom fan during my childhood years. The classic games had always left an impression on me, and they are the main reason why I wanted to pursue a career in gaming. Those games are so good that I still play them to this day! The classic Doom games are without a doubt the prime example of how great game design can always make your game fun to play no matter how old they get.
The Doom 2016 Effect
When Doom 2016 was finally announced, I was obviously excited, but I wondered if it would live up to the legacy and iconic status that the old games have done. After nearly eight years since Doom 2016’s birth, Doom 2016 felt like the perfect reboot for me. The game took a direction that was familiar to the old games, but it also had its own identity.
The combat was much more visceral than before due to the smarter AI. The player progression is something I’ve always enjoyed in the newer Doom games because it always feels great when you’re rewarded with these upgrades and I liked how it gives the player the option to choose whether they want to upgrade their health, armor, or ammo.
But the other modes outside of the campaign like the multiplayer and SnapMap was also a welcoming addition too. It gave me more options to play and I definitely have spent some time in those other modes.
Ever since Doom Eternal was officially announced back in 2018, it had some big shoes to fill in. Doom 2016 had set a bar of how you should reboot beloved classics, but I was wondering what they could possibly do to improve upon it. Originally, Doom Eternal was supposed to be released in 2019, but it got delayed to 2020. I’ve always believed that these decisions are generally a good thing because it meant the developer knew the game needed more time in the oven before they can let rabid Doom fans like me to feast on it.
My Initial Impression on Doom Eternal
During the launch day, I was certainly in the honeymoon stage with Doom Eternal. I absolutely loved how action packed the game was, there were many different types of locations to go to, the new enemies were fun to fight, and it just seemed like Doom Eternal was living up to being a great sequel to Doom 2016. As much I loved Doom 2016’s base campaign, I wished the combat was more heavier, and Doom Eternal definitely amplified the combat encounters.
There are more boss fights this time around, and they are all fun to figure out their mechanics. The Slayer Gates were also something I heavily admired during my first playthrough because it was cool how they introduced enemies where the game didn’t teach you how to properly fight them. These types of content were optional and challenging, but they were also rewarding when you finished them and they were certainly an adrenaline rush too.
This character is rather important in Urdak.
I did briefly mention that there were many diverse levels to go through, but I believe the one that left a lasting impression on me was Urdak. This level was definitely something I never would expect from a Doom game because it is sort of a heaven-esque environment within the game’s universe. However, it’s not quite as pleasant as you think, and that’s why its ominous tone makes me appreciate this level the more I play. Of course, the combat encounters are also great and they all feel unique compared to the others.
Master Levels and The Ancient Gods Expansion
I recall the many times I was replaying the campaign before the game had the additional Master Levels or The Ancient Gods expansion. As far as the other content goes within the single player portion, the Master Levels are definitely fun remixes of various levels with harder combat. I also thought The Ancient Gods Expansion was definitely a solid experience overall, and it was the first time id Software made post launch single player content for the modern Doom titles.
The entire expansion is definitely revolved around the endgame experience of Doom Eternal, so that means you have all your upgrades and arsenal available to you. The expansion is a good test of how well you know the game’s mechanics, and it will reward you with some of its most thrilling fights outside of the Master Levels.
But as great as Doom Eternal was, the more time I invested in the game, the more I felt like it was simply its own game rather than a proper sequel to Doom 2016.
Doom Eternal Feels Like Its Own Game
There is certainly nothing wrong with that because as long the game is entertaining, then it’s definitely doing something right. Even to this day, Doom Eternal is still a fun and exciting game to boot up when I’m definitely itching for some intense first-person shooter action.
This map is personally one of my favorites.
The core mechanics of Doom Eternal are without a doubt different compared to Doom 2016. Admittedly, when I first played through Doom Eternal, I was hoping my long term knowledge of Doom 2016 would mean something, but it honestly didn’t. The way you progress within the combat arenas in Doom Eternal are definitely different than Doom 2016, and Doom Eternal does want you to learn cooldown of various equipments that the game hands you.
That’s just an example of how mechanically different Doom Eternal is compared to Doom 2016. Doom Eternal also just lacked decent game modes outside of the single player campaign too.
A Couple Last Words…
I strictly play Doom Eternal for mostly the single player campaign content. It would’ve been nice to have some alternative modes to play just to shake things up from the single player campaign. There is also the Horde Mode that was released as a post launch game mode. It’s a cool mode, but the recycled areas that you bump into makes it feel like it was mostly designed by a small team and it feels like something they made hastily. I do have a more in depth article where I dive deep on how the next Doom title should improve its Horde mode experience.
A detailed looking room.
In the year of 2024, Doom Eternal is certainly going to continue to get older as a game. But no matter how old the game gets, fans of single player oriented first-person shooters should definitely give the game one playthrough to see how thrilling the sequel to the beloved Doom 2016 can be. It can be rather frustrating at first especially if you enjoyed Doom 2016 heavily, and there is a bit of a learning curve in Doom Eternal before things start to click. But once you get the hang of things, Doom Eternal is just a game that’s easily replayable and it’s always going to be a blast no matter how many times you replayed the campaign or your favorite missions.
