Is there anything like the classics? I find it pretty telling that even now, in 2019, one of the most anticipated games of the year is a DOOM title. In the almost sixteen years since the original we have seen so many innovations and changes in the way games are made; we've seen advancements in graphical possibilities, established fundamentals for level design and even seen honest-to-goodness storytelling worked into our favourite hobby. DOOM is one of the grandfathers that sparked it all with iconic, unforgettable gameplay and a simple kickass premise. If Wolfenstein 3d birthed the First Person Shooter genre than DOOM raised and honed it into a deadly, demon slaying machine. (And all in the space of one year.)
That is not to say that DOOM guy has always been with us. There was a period time, after the confusingly named reboot; DOOM 3, when the franchise was dormant. 12 years, in fact. In its absence the FPS market saw the rise of many genre definers that would keep the FPS throne warm whilst the DOOM Slayer hibernated. Bioshock introduced the genre to resource management, Call of duty bought weight onto the player's movement, Far Cry bought mobility with fluidity and Crysis... still runs like crap. All these classic games defined the FPS' of the mid to late 2000's and paved the way for the great FPS revival. Starting with the fantastic 'Wolfenstein: The New Order' in 2014, with its great gunplay, thoughtful level layout and gripping story; And really solidifying in 2016 when the second DOOM reboot came to pass.
I remember that moment when the first DOOM trailer launched. Right away the folks at Id Software made it abundantly clear that this game was going to set itself apart from the well worn FPS market. Where Wolfenstein: TNO impressed with an adult, well told narrative; DOOM would win back gamers with its relentlessly brutal gameplay aesthetic. Yes, this was the same old story of the DOOM marine wiping out the demon population of mars, but we had never seen him do it with such ardent ferocity. Back in 1993 the height of DOOM's violence was the way in which some of the sprites would burst into bloody chunks if you shot them with the super shotgun or the way enemies would gush pixelated blood when you stuck your chainsaw in their chest. In the lead up to the 2016 game, we saw the DOOM Slayer rip off a Possessed's arm and beat the demon to death with it. This was a DOOM for a whole new generation. A whole new desensitized generation.
DOOM would release to rave reviews and a whole slew of sales. Fans old and new flocked to the gore-ridden blood splattered revitalization of the FPS genre. DOOM 2016 was pure, classic, video game fun and people responded to its simple truths. That isn't to say that the game had no story, just that it didn' matter. The DOOM Slayer himself indicates as such when he (Without requiring prompting from the player) grabs and tosses exposition-spewer Samuel Hayden's terminal halfway across the room in favour of killing some more demons. He isn't given a motivation, he hunts the demons. He doesn't negotiate and cooperate, he slays more demons. The DOOM Slayer was presented to us as a one-dimensional badass just like he always should have been. Id Software even gave him a cool backstory that painted out the lore as though the DOOM Slayer was always hunting demons, from age to age, never tiring, never faulting, always slaying. Like a space-age John Wick.
With how much adoration, praise and (most importantly) money that the DOOM revival generated, a sequel was inevitable. DOOM Eternal looks to be the entry that will finally push the franchise further than it has ever been before. Don't get me wrong, the first game was and is thrilling but in many ways it wasn't entirely fresh. It was a modern reimagining which was crafted to invoke the essence of the 1993 original. With DOOM Eternal we're pushing the setting forward. We're leaving Mars and Hell and seem to heading to Heaven in order to... kill angels? (It isn't exactly clear but I must say, the prospect does give me flashes of Paradise Lost. If Paradise Lost had more decapitations, that is.) Players will face off against at least one sky scrapper sized demon and have a laser sword fight with a hell knight. Oh, and God is in the game. And he looks like one heck of boss fight.
Eternal promises to take us to places that we've never before been in a DOOM game. We've seen a demon ridden human colony, (That isn't on Mars this time) a cathedral space station donned with seraphic iconography and a swirling vortex drilled into the face of what looks to be the moon: Phobos. Id Software have also expanded their colour palette beyond shades of red to take us on a visually spectacular roller coaster through the bizarre science-mythological world of DOOM. Visual fidelity has been improved as well. Glory kills are more visceral then ever with demon organs now tucked away inside of those demonic flesh bags you eviscerate.
Visuals, however, are just the garnish and DOOM Eternal does not disappoint when it comes to gameplay either. The player's basic arsenal has been expanded upon from DOOM 2016 to include several new weapons with slick alt fire modes, a handy chain for pulling yourself around or pulling demons to you and the aforementioned laser sword. Because swords are cool. All of these tools are to be placed in the hands of the DOOM Slayer as he cuts a visceral path through the forces of... I guess just anyone who gets in his way this time. Each new addition still shakes hands with the old mechanics to enrich gameplay without diluting the formula. It is incredibly delicate recipe that Id are well equipped to cook.
Whilst other franchises feel the need to alter their very DNA to stay relevant, such as the melodramatic remodelling of the Modern Warfare licence, DOOM can still wow audiences with the simple pleasures of ultra violence. This isn't a reflection on how shallow the series is but rather a dive into how bottomless the potential is. Wolfenstein showed that a modern FPS can respectfully tell a dramatic narrative and DOOM Eternal is set to enforce that a concept shaped around the idea of endless conflict can still be fun and even surprising for a modern audience. Even after all these years; Id is at the top of their game.
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