Doom is an iconic game. There is no disputing that. Doom, its expansions and Doom II ( and its expansions) influenced all of gaming for decades now. So much of modern gaming draws on Doom, even games which seemingly are the anti Doom. Then we have games like Doom 3, which while not bad, are quite controversial. Its remake, Doom 3 BFG Edition was better but still didn’t have that classic Doom feel. So when the new DOOM was announced, I was hesitant. It had gone through a lengthy period of Development Hell and some of the things I had been hearing made me nervous. Then the game was shown off at E3 2015 and I was blown away. Aside from it seeming a little too slow, it looked like classic Doom in HD, albeit with elements of the mod Brutal Doom and other improvements. Snapmap stood out to me from the reveal as it was a form of bridging PC game modding with the console version. And while multiplayer seemed like it would be underwhelming, I was still excited about what I saw. A lot of people were skeptical about DOOM for a number of reasons, such as an underwhelming Beta and no review versions before launch. Many were bracing for the worst, but it was not to be.
DOOM is absolutely amazing. It’s campaign is exactly what many have wanted in a first person shooter. A modern FPS that truly hearkens back to the original days. The campaign is gory and violent and over the top and done in a way that feels right. The glory kill mechanic is great and gives an extra oomph to the experience. While many FPS games get bogged down with story, DOOM keeps it simple and allows you to learn more at your own pace. And the story that is there is excellent. The protagonist is a great character with a great backstory ( no spoilers here) that makes me want a DLC prequel campaign to help set up the events of the game. The way the environments interacted all felt well done and the secrets were a nice touch.
I am not really that great at console FPS games, but playing on the PS4 had me feeling right at home. Nothing felt awkward or out of place and I appreciate that in a game. I did not have any trouble getting used to the controls and was able to enjoy the game as it should be enjoyed. I understand that some have played the game and complained about controls while playing, but it was fine for me. The weapons are all excellent, with the different control scheme for the chainsaw being a great choice. I think Bethesda and ID Software did a great job with that.
Now for the downside: The multiplayer component. This was pitched as being Quake style arena deathmatch gameplay, but it falls short of the promise. Maybe it is because it is still early on in the game’s life, but it feels sterile and tame. It is far too reminiscent of modern FPS multiplayer games for my liking and I cannot bring myself to enjoy it. It is not bad, but there are other games that are far better choices for multiplayer. The game is still worth getting for the campaign though, and in fact the campaign alone would be enough, but there is one more reason the game is great.
Snapmap: This is a great feature. I have seen some amazing maps and levels from players that have wowed me. From levels that are based off Metroid to multiplayer levels based off Evolve. I’ve played levels as a Baron of Hell, levels that replicate the original Doom, and levels that are just brief experiences where you mow everything down with the BFG. Almost all are great. The issue here is that snapmap seems to have been designed with multiplayer in mind, not single player, with weapons being handled the way they are in multiplayer. That said, Bethesda and ID Software have announced at this past E3 that Snapmap will be updated for more single player level options which is great.
All in all, aside from the multiplayer, this is an amazing game. The single player campaign alone is enough to warrant a purchase, but snapmap makes it even more worth it. This is an experience all need to play!