DOOM: Eternal

[DisturbedSwan]

 

[DisturbedSwan]

Previews dropping today:

 

 

 

VGC: DOOM ETERNAL IS ANYTHING BUT A ‘DUMB SHOOTER’

 

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Nuance and complexity are not something you would have historically associated with Doom, but 2016’s slick, pulse-raising reboot put a bloodied boot to any suggestion the FPS forefather would forever be known as a ‘dumb shooter’.

 

Id Software exec producer Marty Stratton told assembled press in London this month that he hopes the sequel, Doom Eternal, kills that reputation stone dead – and stomps its head into a meaty mush just to make sure.

 

“There’s maybe a perception out there that Doom is a mindless corridor shooter,” he said. “Sure, we have great guns, great gore and rocking music, but that ‘mindless’ part is something that we have wanted to get away from. That’s not the game that we made at all.”

 

Anyone who played 2016’s sublime reinvention will know what Marty is referring to. On the surface the reboot had all the flashy guns and fancy engine features that defined past entries, but at its core is a masterfully crafted combat loop: an R-rated ballet of head-stomps and shotgun blasts that demands skill, reflexes and puzzle solving from its players.

 

Demon battles pit players against not one or two, but tens of enemies who will quickly make mincemeat of you if approached without skill or strategy. Ammunition and health are limited, just like the old games – but that’s where the similarity ends. The protagonist is the predator of this game world, and resources must be earned by chaining together ever more stylish and varied executions.

 

Doom Eternal presents combat as a puzzle and players must utilise the many tools at their disposal to solve it. Set enemies alight with the shoulder-mounter flame thrower to collect armour. Chainsaw them for ammo. Lob a grenade at a slack-jawed Cacodemon to stun it, then follow up with a devastating melee Glory Kill to replenish your health.

 

“Doom Eternal encourages a flow of combo-and-counter gameplay not unlike a deep fighting game. Among the chaos and castration, players eventually enter a zen-like trance as they chain together complimentary moves.”

 

Doom Eternal encourages a flow of combo-and-counter gameplay not unlike a deep fighting game. Among the chaos and castration, players eventually enter a zen-like trance as they chain together complimentary moves. You’ll launch into the air, slow-mo snipe opponents mid-leap, then shotgun two more before bludgeoning a poor critter to death with his own limbs. It’s incredibly satisfying to play and likely just as entertaining to watch.

 

Learning to balance every ability can be overwhelming at first, leaving you embarrassingly short of ammo and armour at the jaws of a braying hell monster, but thankfully the single-player campaign seems well paced enough to explain its tricks.

 

“It’s about double the size of Doom 2016,” Stratton says. “It’s the most epic and best thing that we’ve ever created at the studio. Our levels are bigger than they’ve ever been, we have double the amount of demons and from beginning to end you’re going to experience things that are always new.

 

[one-armed dwarf]

I don't know about Eternal but that extract describes the Doom 2016 game really well, it's really like an FPS character action game which is why I liked it so much.

 

Not sure what to make about the zen-like castration however

[Maf]

I’m looking forward to this game but not sure what to make of the hook shot stuff. Either it will be awesome and there will be never ending uses for it or it will be very prescriptive like just use it here to get across there or this enemy is weak on it’s back so always hook shot then rocket launcher every time. Unsure. 

[one-armed dwarf]

Like ideally you'd want it to be a major movement modifier. If there are lots of airborne enemies and you can grab one and use the momentum of being lifted to fuck shit up across the map.

 

What you want is it for it not be linear/prescriptive so you've got to have some fairly open environments for fighting in, which I felt like the original did pretty well.

 

Honestly it needs to be like Nero's arm with regards to how it extends the fighting but leverage the level design better than that does, imo.

 

When I played it though I just boosted down a corridor. The demo had loads of shit platforming in it, so I hope they don't just fill it with shit platforming and go 'check out our shotgun hook platforming isn't it sweet dudes'

[DisturbedSwan]

22 minutes ago, Maf said:

it will be awesome and there will be never ending uses for it

 

That's a bingo. From what they've already shown of the gameplay it seems the hookshot is a key part of your arsenal which keeps you zipping around the mini-arenas and slaughtering enemies with glee.

[DisturbedSwan]

 

[one-armed dwarf]

Some pretty great gameplay here by GB at the 11 minute mark, Brad is really good at DOOM ?

 

 

 

This definitely looks better than what I tried.

 

That platforming still looks shit though.

[DisturbedSwan]

ERA User Wwm0nkey noticed the book titles in this from the preview footage:

 

[DisturbedSwan]

Doom Eternal cosmetic items are unlockable with experience, not micro-transactions

 

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Creative director Hugo Martin broke the news in a Facebook comment, which has been doing the rounds today. He said that Doom Eternal has no digital store and the cosmetic items are purely cosmetic with no extra advantages. “Eternal is a $60 game, not a free-to-play game or a mobile game—we are giving you a complete experience with no store just like you’d expect. Unlocking skins with XP is a part of the experience if you care about that stuff, or you can completely ignore it,” explained Martin. “It’s all free.”

 

[AndyKurosaki]

Good. That’s the way it always should be.

[DisturbedSwan]

46 minutes ago, Nag said:

There's a year one pass... how is that "the complete experience"?

 

I think they're just SP DLC spinoffs. The main game is pretty meaty from what I've heard (20+ hours apparently) so I guess they consider it complete and the DLC 'side-stories'.

[one-armed dwarf]

Do people expect much from the MP of this? It wasn't much last time around.

 

I can see this being the same.

 

(so even if they were MTX I wouldn't mind, is what I'm getting at)

[AndyKurosaki]

Not bothered about the multiplayer. It was pretty mediocre in 2016. It’s the single player I’m getting this for.

[DisturbedSwan]

On 27/01/2020 at 17:14, one-armed dwarf said:

Do people expect much from the MP of this? It wasn't much last time around.

 

I can see this being the same.

 

(so even if they were MTX I wouldn't mind, is what I'm getting at)

 

I don't expect much from the MP for this either because that's not what interests me about Doom. But it definitely sounds better than the 2016's effort as that was outsourced - and ID weren't happy with it apparently - this games MP is done in house and is very different, it's a 2v1 'Battlemode'

 

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Players control of one of five Demons, each with special abilities, health pools, and weapons. id’s video overview shows off three of the playable demons, who will be tasked with taking out a player-controlled Slayer. Victory comes only when the Slayer kills both player-controlled Demons before one can respawn, or when the Slayer is dead.

Here are three of the five demons that will be playable when Doom Eternal launches:

 

The Revenant: A demon with a jetpack and a dash. This agile all-rounder deals consistent damage through shoulder-mounted rockets, while his special ability delivers heavy long range damage via a targeted rocket barrage.

 

The Pain Elemental: This round boy is able to fly, giving him a bird’s eye view of the map. He’s able to protect himself with a rechargeable soul shield, but he’ll be vulnerable if the Slayer catches him unawares in the sky.

 

The Mancubus: I’m in awe at the size of this lad, and he has firepower to match — heavy cannons and flamethrowers. The mancubus is a meat shield with no mobility, so he will rely on his smoke bombs to get the drop on a Slayer. What an absolute unit.

 

All of the demon-controlling players are able to lay traps around the map and summon AI-controlled lesser demons. These computer-controlled goons should act like the ones in the campaign, giving the Slayer a healthy challenge as they navigate the map. Demon players can also block resources in an attempt to starve the Slayer of supplies.

If the Slayer is in line of sight of a demon, they will be outlined and visible from afar. Only by breaking the line of sight can the Slayer be able to move undetected. The Slayer also has access to two portals on the map, which means they can cross the field instantly and undetected if they play their cards right.

 

Meanwhile, the Slayer comes tricked out with guns, mods, and equipment. This role is able to match the action of the single-player campaign protagonist. The Slayer’s job is simple: kill demons, manage resources. Glory-killing demons and chainsawing foes gives the Slayer health and ammo.

 

The end goal is a gory, dynamic game of cat-and-mouse. The demons are outmatched by the Slayer in a straight one-on-one firefight, but by working together, they can force the Slayer into tough situations and overwhelm them.

 

Players will also be able to ramp up the action between rounds with upgrades. As a best-of-five match plays out, a demon duo might be able to summon the Baron of Hell, or a Slayer can acquire the BFG.

 

More Demons and maps will be added to Doom Eternal’s Battlemode for free after the game launches, id says.

 

Similarish to Left 4 Dead's Versus mode or something like that it sounds like. There's no Deathmatch or anything like that. As it says in the article maps and new Demons post launch will be free. No Microtransactions. 

[DisturbedSwan]

 

 

 

 

[DisturbedSwan]

 

[DisturbedSwan]

 

[Maf]

Doom is not 4K on Stadia according to EG

 

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-03-11-no-doom-eternal-is-not-true-4k-on-google-stadia

[DisturbedSwan]

20 minutes ago, Maf said:

Doom is not 4K on Stadia according to EG

 

https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-03-11-no-doom-eternal-is-not-true-4k-on-google-stadia

 

Yeah read that earlier. Disappointing for sure. 

 

I've pre-ordered on PS4 purely so I can sell it on after I'm done with it as I need the money. I'd imagine the XBX version will be the only console one that can do 4K/60 but I expect that will be uprezzed, I think my Pro will be 1400p uprezz 4k at 60 hopefully.