Bethesda certainly does not rush when it comes to releasing the next in-line for the long running and one of the most iconic series in the history of gaming with Doom, in fact it’s safe to make that statement for just about any game from Bethesda and that’s testament to the quality of games produced over the years.  It’s quite mad to think that it’s been 12 years since Doom 3 was released, but finally the next instalment is here with the fourth major entry into the series.

The premise to Doom has also been a simple process over years, you’re a badass marine and literally all hell has broken loose on the planet Mars and its down to you to put an end to it and kick a lot of demon ass in the process and the 2016 release is no exception.

The game is filled by many moments in which you are crammed in a single room like some kind of demon-orgy and it will mainly require you to kill everything that moves, but that’s what makes Doom so much fun and this is one of the most fun shooters that I’ve played for quite some time.  You can run from point A-B to finish your mission and pick up the required coloured keycard along the way, but then you’d be missing out on what the campaign has to offer.  For example, just like the original games, Doom is full of secrets, collectibles and homages to games of yesteryear, if you choose to look for them.

It also features a meaningful levelling up system, in which you can not only upgrade your marine’s health and damage intake, but you can also upgrade him with many perks and abilities, not to mention that each of your primary weapons have two upgradable attachments.  For example, you can acquire explosive rounds for your shotgun, missiles to your heavy machine gun, increased firing rate for your mini-gun and much more.  One of, if not the best way to level-up your marine is to take on the Rune Trials.  Rune Trials are found throughout the campaign and they offer you a timed challenge that should you complete, you will be rewarded with a special perk.  They can vary from extra gory Glory Kills, being more mobile and much more.  The rewards are certainly worthwhile, but the process in which you acquire them is an absolute blast.

Speaking of weapons, you also have the staple favourites such as the chainsaw and iconic BFG.  Each and every weapon is created with its own identity and purpose, and depending on your current predicament, you’ll find yourself mixing it up with them all. As briefly mentioned, a new addition to Doom are the Glory Kills, these happen when a demon is a staggered state and you execute them to devastating effect.  There are numerous ways in which you can perform a Glory Kill, depending on the demon and your attack angle, but each and every one is sadistically just as satisfying then the last.

The action of Doom comes thick and fast and a key factor to this is that none of the weapons ever need reloading, which perfectly complements the high octane action.  But don’t get me wrong, you can and will run out of ammo, so always be on the lookout for extra pick-ups.  However, with the terrific arsenal of weaponry on offer, you won’t ever find yourself short of having adequate tools at your disposal.

Visually, Doom is an absolute treat and even during its many fast and frantic moments, I’m yet to announce a dip in framerate, which is very impressive considering how fantastic the game looks at an incredible pace.  And what can I say about the enemy design?  It’s nothing short of awesome, especially when you get close-up to its brutality with the glorious Gory Kill.

I always remember the original Doom games to have atmosphere and tension in the abundance, but it always managed to retain its iconic fast-paced gameplay.  Yet when Doom 3 released, it seemed to favour a steadier paced narrative and gameplay.  While this resulted in the game to be quite possibly the scariest in the series, it meant it sacrificed its high octane gameplay.  With this Doom, the demons look better then ever and it’s an all-out gore-fest, but it’s not a scary game.  Don’t get me wrong, it has its many moments of tension, but it’s not scary in the slightest.  Which does disappoint me a little, but on the flipside, the gameplay has returned to the fast and frantic action of old and despite me being a fan of horror, I’m glad that the series has retuned back to how it once was.

id Software has also done a splendid job in the games audio.  The soundtrack never feels out of place and while subtle sound-effects do a job during the rare calmer moments when exploring for secrets, the soundtrack knows exactly when to kick-in, almost reminiscent of heavy metal band Rammstein in a way, pumping you with adrenaline to take on the on-coming demon slayer-fest.  The weapons also sound fantastic, in particular the lock ‘n’ load of the shotgun and if you have a quality gaming headset, then give your ears a well-deserved treat, as Doom is one of the best sounding games currently on the market.

Strangely I really enjoyed the Doom multiplayer alpha, but showed little interest in the open beta, so I wasn’t expecting to feel very excited for the finished multiplayer at release.  It’s not the best multiplayer, but just like the campaign, it is still a lot of fun.  It’s very reminiscent of the Quake and Unreal Tournament multiplayer of old, so old school gamers will likely be very fond of this additional feature.  It has a fairly basic levelling up system, with additional perks and weapons that you unlock as you progress.  You will also unlock a variety of OP demons to use in the multiplayer for which if you get a chance to control one, it’s a hellacious fun.

You can customise your online demon and marine to your hearts content with choices of gear and colours to kit out, you can also customise the look of your weaponry, oh and if that wasn’t enough to grab your attention, one of the emotes includes a Carlton dance! (for free might I add).  Like I said, it’s not the best MP feature, but it’s still fun and it’s something to sink your teeth into once you’re done with the extensive singleplayer campaign.

The creative gamers out there will also include a feature called SnapMap.  This not only allows you to create your very own maps, but modes too.  You can play some of the community creations and let me tell you, it might surprise you what you find there.  You’ll discover your standard survival modes or multiplayer match-types, but I also found myself playing a memory game, I kid you not.  It’s great seeing what the community can come up with, especially for those that think outside of the box.  The process of creating your maps and modes is relatively an easy process too, with walls and paths clipping to one another, with pre-programmed enemy paths and weapons to drop-in on your desired location.  There are currently a lot of options available in the SnapMap feature, with the promise of feature content at a later date via free updates, which is an added bonus indeed.

Additionally, if there are any Rune Trials that you could not complete during the campaign, you can revisit them via the main menu to have another crack of the whip, as well as a chapter select with your upgraded marine and weaponry.  I won’t give anything away, though you’ve likely seen the potential spoilers on the internet by now anyway, but during the campaign there are some awesome secret rooms to find and when these rooms are found, you’ll unlock some very special levels to playthrough that can also be selected via the main menu.

If I was to have one minor criticism of Doom, it would be that the loading times can take a little longer then I’d like, but in fairness that’s me being a little nit-picking as I try to scrape the barrel for a negative or two, after all, no game is entirely perfect.

All in all, Doom feels every bit of an evolution to the series, it retains everything that made the series so iconic, but does more than enough with its style and substance to make it one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling shooters in recent times.  In a nutshell, Doom is an adrenaline pumping, high octane, blood boiling, demon slaying funfest and the next time your told to “go to hell”, wave them a middle finger just because you can, give them a “hell year” and book a first class ticket to Mars!  But whether you pick Doom up or not is up to you, it’s of no consequence to Doom Guy, because Doom Guy don’t give a fuck!

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