It's funny that right after I write a whole spheel talking about how much I love the maximalist feeling of Doom Eternal and constant adrenaline run it provides me that the second dlc pulls all the punches and delivers an almost Marvel Cinematic Universe experience and I mean that in the worst way.
I knew coming in that it would be easier (I watch hugo streams) but I wasn't expecting it to be doom eternal midgame. This would be fine, but the encounters are also extremely milquetoast. Enemies are introduced and then only fought in the same arena you see them or maybe you get an encounter that's just a bunch of them, not paired with other enemies much. You'll see a blood makyr here from DLC1, but it'll be the first thing you see that's easy to prioritize, or it'll be the only threat. Riveting.
I'm overgeneralizing, as there are a few solid encounters here, especially the optional encounters that were just absolutely major thrills that I loved almost completely. But it still feels like the trollish lovely feelings of Hugo and his team feel, well, minimized? Watered down?
I keep thinking of two things. Firstly, that this is the Doom 2 to DLC1's Plutonia. I mean this for several reasons. Like Doom 2, TAG2 perfects the roster that was already pretty good if even great after base game and TAG1. These new enemies are phenomenal even, with the cursed prowler being my favorite just for being a troll enemy done right that also punishes you just as well. They force you to use more of your weapon roster in an optimal pattern and contribute well to the "you will press these buttons and you'll press them right dammit". But, just like Doom 2, the overall design of the game is a major step down from previous. About half of the encounters are too basic, utilizing little of the synergy in waves or asking for much of what the core systems provide.
The second one I'm thinking of is Ninja Gaiden, no please stick with me. Ninja Gaiden 2 is one of my favorite games and is a pinnacle of extremely brutal fuck you blah blah blah i covered this in my TAG1 review, and rightly it's TAG1. This? It feels a lot like Ninja Gaiden 3. Something is 'missing' here, so missing that it takes me straight out of the game and makes me wonder where the soul went sometimes. It's so sanded off, devoid of much edge and made way easier. They throw a ridiculous amount of super ammo at you and then have you do a few encounters where you just spam the same move for spectacle.
If you're tired of me making analogies at this point, I guess the right wording to describe my feelings is disappointed, and rather underwhelmed. It's still Doom Eternal, something I love and probably will stay in my top 20 games for a very very long time. But the ending for it all feels remarkably... less of it. Minimal
Also PS, I respect hugo's balls to make the final boss a super marauder but this is the one time I'm going to say I wish he had no hand in this.
I knew coming in that it would be easier (I watch hugo streams) but I wasn't expecting it to be doom eternal midgame. This would be fine, but the encounters are also extremely milquetoast. Enemies are introduced and then only fought in the same arena you see them or maybe you get an encounter that's just a bunch of them, not paired with other enemies much. You'll see a blood makyr here from DLC1, but it'll be the first thing you see that's easy to prioritize, or it'll be the only threat. Riveting.
I'm overgeneralizing, as there are a few solid encounters here, especially the optional encounters that were just absolutely major thrills that I loved almost completely. But it still feels like the trollish lovely feelings of Hugo and his team feel, well, minimized? Watered down?
I keep thinking of two things. Firstly, that this is the Doom 2 to DLC1's Plutonia. I mean this for several reasons. Like Doom 2, TAG2 perfects the roster that was already pretty good if even great after base game and TAG1. These new enemies are phenomenal even, with the cursed prowler being my favorite just for being a troll enemy done right that also punishes you just as well. They force you to use more of your weapon roster in an optimal pattern and contribute well to the "you will press these buttons and you'll press them right dammit". But, just like Doom 2, the overall design of the game is a major step down from previous. About half of the encounters are too basic, utilizing little of the synergy in waves or asking for much of what the core systems provide.
The second one I'm thinking of is Ninja Gaiden, no please stick with me. Ninja Gaiden 2 is one of my favorite games and is a pinnacle of extremely brutal fuck you blah blah blah i covered this in my TAG1 review, and rightly it's TAG1. This? It feels a lot like Ninja Gaiden 3. Something is 'missing' here, so missing that it takes me straight out of the game and makes me wonder where the soul went sometimes. It's so sanded off, devoid of much edge and made way easier. They throw a ridiculous amount of super ammo at you and then have you do a few encounters where you just spam the same move for spectacle.
If you're tired of me making analogies at this point, I guess the right wording to describe my feelings is disappointed, and rather underwhelmed. It's still Doom Eternal, something I love and probably will stay in my top 20 games for a very very long time. But the ending for it all feels remarkably... less of it. Minimal
Also PS, I respect hugo's balls to make the final boss a super marauder but this is the one time I'm going to say I wish he had no hand in this.
2 Comments
Boy, you weren't kidding, huh?
LunaEndlessWitch
3 years ago
CORRECTION, as i'm finding out, he DID have no hand in this lmao. it was this guy for the final boss