Id Software finally released the long-awaited follow up to 2016’s Doom reboot, Doom Eternal. It is a direct continuation of the Doom Slayer’s journey exterminating demons, this time taking him to new locations outside of Mars. The team made plenty of changes to the formula, some of which force players to play in a way to which they are not accustomed.
To help those who still have not picked it up yet prepare for the unique first-person shooter adventure, below are ten things we wish we knew before we started playing. Most of the changes are good and help the game stand out from the pack, but it is still advantageous to be ready for them.
10 What Difficulty Is Right For You
Like most first-person shooters, the game comes packed in with several difficulty modes, ranging from cakewalks to unbearable challenges. Because of the unique gameplay mechanics, most recommend starting on “Nightmare” difficulty, a notch above the normal mode, and tuning it from there.
The game’s fun comes from constantly moving around and utilizing different tools to regain resources, and the harder difficulty modes push players to think on their feet more. Of course, if one is seriously inexperienced with the genre, “Hurt Me Plenty” might be more their speed. Just know; the game can be boring on an easy difficulty as players are not being forced to explore the full potential of its combat mechanics.
9 Tools Are Progressively Unlocked
The Doom Slayer starts out fairly bare. Slowly but surely, he starts amassing a formidable arsenal to combat demons. If the combat seems slow and uninspiring at first, just pull through a little while longer and more goodies become available for use.
As satisfying as it is to blow a baddie away with a shotgun, it is equally as pleasing to see armor pickups burst from heavy demons as they are set ablaze by the Flame Belcher.
8 Fast Travel
New to the series is a fast travel mechanic which helps the player cleanup secrets at the end of a level.
The game is gracious enough to let players know when a level is ending, affording them the opportunity to zip around the map and snag bonuses they missed. If a particular secret is visible yet out of reach, don’t be afraid to march on and come back to it later on.
7 Jumping. Lots Of Jumping
Some were not expecting the game to have so much platforming. Not only is this apparent in combat, but the breaks between demon slaying are typically filled with the Doom Slayer hopping between platforms and climbing walls.
It is necessary to jump and dash away from hazards while beasts are on one’s tail, though one may find the straightforward platforming segments more frustrating. To be fair, it is far from the worst platforming in a first-person shooter.
6 Doom 64 Pre-Order Bonus
Last year Doom 64 made its way to the Nintendo Switch, apropos considering it was an Nintendo 64 exclusive upon its initial release. What came as a bigger surprise was the announcement of its release on PS4, Xbox One, and PCs to coincide with Doom Eternal’s launch. Better still, it came as a free pre-order bonus for the new game.
It feels funny, maybe even a little dirty, to play a game with “64” in its title on a Sony and Microsoft console. For those looking for more classic Doom action and have already exhausted the first two games, Doom 64 answers the call.
5 Differences Between 2016’s Doom
Having been almost four years since the last Doom game, one can bet the team spent time making many changes to the formula. While the basic idea of the game constantly encouraging the player to push their way into hordes of enemies remains the same, it goes about it in a different manner.
Players now have Flame Belcher, and using it causes inflamed enemies to drop armor. A super-powerful Blood Punch also makes players go in close for a devastating strike. Several familiar moves like Glory Kills and the Chainsaw make a fantastic return, however.
4 Puzzle Combat
Much of the marketing focused on the idea of a combat puzzle, and one feels the idea put into practice when playing. The Doom Slayer doesn’t win by simply spamming one weapon. Certain firearms work better against certain enemies, and it is up to the player to figure out how to utilize their arsenal in any given situation. The secret timed encounters exemplify this idea perfectly. Taking out a group in a certain allotted time seems impossible at first, but switching up the strategy and using the tools at one’s disposal in a particular way makes the challenge a cakewalk.
3 Connection To Earlier Doom Games
This will avoid spoilers by not going into details, but several plot moments heavily imply connections to prior Doom titles. On the whole, the game puts a heavier focus on story and cinematics than the 2016 game.
It rarely gets in the way, however, and much of the lore is optional through text logs. Fans can rest easy knowing that while the series went through a reboot in 2016, the prior games were not entirely forgotten.
2 Length
Doom Eternal is longer than the average FPS, but won’t fool anyone into thinking it is a western RPG. Depending on one’s skill level and the difficulty mode they choose, one can expect the game to run anyway between ten and thirteen hours.
During the runtime, the Doom Slayer visits a variety of locations throughout giant missions, some of which take up to an hour to complete.
1 Multiplayer And Snapmap
2016’s Doom suffered the biggest complaints due to its multiplayer suite. Some felt it was tacked on with no effort. Doom Eternal eschews the traditional competitive modes in favor of a Battle Mode, which pits one heavily armed Doom Slayer against two player-controlled demons.
It is certainly not the main attraction, but it adds something to do and a way to interact with other players during the Doom experience. More curious is the complete removal of SnapMap, the map editing and creation tools from the prior game.
