Unpopular opinion incoming... I'll start this review off saying that this was super unexpected coming from me. After loving DOOM 2016, and hearing the rave reviews for Eternal, I was more than prepared to RIP & TEAR everything in sight! I was pumped and ready to crank up the Mick Gordon tunes to 11!
But sadly, while Mick Gordon may have at least delivered, the game itself just didn't do it for me... and based on critical reception, it truly makes me feel like I'm a severe outlier. Like am I taking crazy pills here?!
So, just up front, take what I say with a grain of salt, and by all means try it for yourself... but in my opinion, I was not a fan. I thought they literally took everything that made DOOM 2016 great and switched it up. The definition of trying to fix what was NOT broken. Every Single Change, I took exception with... where some saw it as being an evolution in the Doom formula, I saw it as a huge step back, with so many unnecessary and poor design decisions.
Firstly, I hated how disconnected it felt from 2016 - I swear, it felt like I missed a game in between or something... the serious/dark tone replaced by a much sillier, over-the-top, arcade game. The graphics and enemy designs look worse here and seem much more cartoony than its predecessor. It truly felt like a downgrade to me in more ways than one...
As for its story? Laughable. Its campaign fell flat and felt utterly ridiculous too. I mean, is this some kind of self-parody? Did I miss the joke somewhere? They went all in on the memes here too... it truly felt like they were trying too hard. The developers shoving in your face: "look how cool Doomguy is" vs him being more natural in his badassery.
Lastly, and most importantly, there is the gameplay - I could forgive everything else, if they at least nailed this part and I enjoyed the gunplay... but I don't...and in fact, this is where I had the most issues with it!
2016 was a love letter to the franchise. Bringing Doom back from the brink of hell itself, and restoring glory to its good name after a long slumber and the weird attempt into survival horror with Doom 3... Eternal though? Damn, where do I even start?! I hated pretty much all of the changes they made here. To me, this doesn't even really feel like an FPS game - more like an "arcadey", puzzle game with a bunch of platforming thrown into the mix, forcing you down a very singular path in how it wants you to play it.
Limiting ammunition so you are forced into this constant cycle of weaponry rather than allowing the player their freedom in how to tackle enemies and certain situations... no, here you are forced to confront situations and defeat enemies using the same tactics every time... rinse and repeat.
What they did to the chainsaw, should be considered a crime against humanity... I just couldn't stand this gameplay loop and got tired of it real quick. And did I mention, I hate the hub world...
By the time I was at the halfway point, I just wanted it all to be over... but this game is long, and it feels even longer, especially when you are forced into these abysmal platforming sections. There is absolutely no way I will be playing the DLC to this... and I fear with this game's popularity, I may just not be the target audience for the next Doom unless they revert back closer to their 2016 iteration. I'm not holding out much hope...
Easily the most disappointed I've been with a game since perhaps Mass Effect 3's original release on the Xbox 360...
But sadly, while Mick Gordon may have at least delivered, the game itself just didn't do it for me... and based on critical reception, it truly makes me feel like I'm a severe outlier. Like am I taking crazy pills here?!
So, just up front, take what I say with a grain of salt, and by all means try it for yourself... but in my opinion, I was not a fan. I thought they literally took everything that made DOOM 2016 great and switched it up. The definition of trying to fix what was NOT broken. Every Single Change, I took exception with... where some saw it as being an evolution in the Doom formula, I saw it as a huge step back, with so many unnecessary and poor design decisions.
Firstly, I hated how disconnected it felt from 2016 - I swear, it felt like I missed a game in between or something... the serious/dark tone replaced by a much sillier, over-the-top, arcade game. The graphics and enemy designs look worse here and seem much more cartoony than its predecessor. It truly felt like a downgrade to me in more ways than one...
As for its story? Laughable. Its campaign fell flat and felt utterly ridiculous too. I mean, is this some kind of self-parody? Did I miss the joke somewhere? They went all in on the memes here too... it truly felt like they were trying too hard. The developers shoving in your face: "look how cool Doomguy is" vs him being more natural in his badassery.
Lastly, and most importantly, there is the gameplay - I could forgive everything else, if they at least nailed this part and I enjoyed the gunplay... but I don't...and in fact, this is where I had the most issues with it!
2016 was a love letter to the franchise. Bringing Doom back from the brink of hell itself, and restoring glory to its good name after a long slumber and the weird attempt into survival horror with Doom 3... Eternal though? Damn, where do I even start?! I hated pretty much all of the changes they made here. To me, this doesn't even really feel like an FPS game - more like an "arcadey", puzzle game with a bunch of platforming thrown into the mix, forcing you down a very singular path in how it wants you to play it.
Limiting ammunition so you are forced into this constant cycle of weaponry rather than allowing the player their freedom in how to tackle enemies and certain situations... no, here you are forced to confront situations and defeat enemies using the same tactics every time... rinse and repeat.
What they did to the chainsaw, should be considered a crime against humanity... I just couldn't stand this gameplay loop and got tired of it real quick. And did I mention, I hate the hub world...
By the time I was at the halfway point, I just wanted it all to be over... but this game is long, and it feels even longer, especially when you are forced into these abysmal platforming sections. There is absolutely no way I will be playing the DLC to this... and I fear with this game's popularity, I may just not be the target audience for the next Doom unless they revert back closer to their 2016 iteration. I'm not holding out much hope...
Easily the most disappointed I've been with a game since perhaps Mass Effect 3's original release on the Xbox 360...
3 Comments
@NOWITSREYNTIME17 - definitely an "agree to disagree" situation. :) I may have been able to stomach it if they didn't change so much all at once and it was a little closer to 2016... but then maybe it wouldn't have been as critically acclaimed if that was the case. I guess this one just isn't for me...
yeah you probably wouldnt like classic doom then, you might like doom 3 tho
NOWITSREYNTIME17
7 months ago