Doom Eternal is the awaited sequel to the Doom 2016 reboot, and it is my #2 game of the year, which is really saying a lot. As a note, I should mention I played on Ultra-Violence, which is one bar above normal difficulty. I don’t think the new games are remakes, but just a reboot of the series. Which is still epic.
Eternal takes the road Doom 2016 did, but starts at the end. Right at the start of the game, the Doom Slayer already has the double jump from 2016, but now there’s monkey bars, walls to climb, and a whole lot of demons to shoot. The first few levels establish new mechanics that come together perfectly to set Doom Eternal apart from other shooters. The Flame Belch sets demons on fire to get armor, which is very essential for almost every combat encounter. The chainsaw is now one button, which is oh so useful, and really keeps the game moving at its signature pace. Glory kills now include a knife on the slayer’s gauntlet, which is a fun little touch, and the Blood Punch is really useful for getting out of a demon ambush. Also there is a dash move.
The levels are very diverse and look really great instead of just an orangish hue to everything, from the icy mountaintops of the cultist base to the lush, overgrown green of Exultia. Instead of having to backtrack and missing collectibles for the rest of the mission, you can now teleport at the end of the level. The collectibles are more than just a Doom Slayer toy, and there are heavy metal songs, toys, and cheat codes to keep it fresh in the hubworld. The Fortress of Doom, which acts as the base for the game, is fun to explore a little and look at the unlocked collectibles. The fortress also has a bunch of upgrades and skins for the Slayer, and a mod for the BFG once you finish the extra slayer gates. Basically, the fortress is cool.
The guns have really changed for the better in Eternal, which is a warm welcome back from Bethesda. The weapon mods are super fun to use, and the mastery unlocks are better. For the heavy cannon (LMG), the rocket mod has a mastery that grants ENDLESS MISSILES. At least until you run out of ammo. The precision shot, also for the heavy cannon, is a lot more useful, due to weak points on almost every enemy. The BFG is awesome as always, and the Unmaykr (the mod for it I mentioned earlier) is not super damaging, but allows more accuracy. Time for my favorite addition to Doom Eternal. The Super Shotgun now has a GRAPPLING HOOK. No explanations needed really. Also the mastery adds fire to the hook, allowing even more accessibility to armor. I love the super shotgun.
In Conclusion, Doom Eternal is way better than Doom 2016, although a lot harder. The price tag of $60 is pretty pricey, but definitely still worth it. The levels are long, the gameplay is more in depth and requires more thinking than 2016. I have yet to play the Multiplayer, but this is limited to the campaign, and still. Dang. I give Doom Eternal a well-deserved 5 meathooks out of 5.
The Fortress of Doom is a nice little hub with a lot of stuff.
The boss fights are super tough, but a lot of fun. Also, GRAPPLING HOOK.