Also for: Nintendo Switch, Windows, Xbox One
Fortune favors the bold, and in Hell misfortune tears cowards apart. When it
was released one damned day in 1993, the original Doom shook the gaming
industry to its core with its hard-as-nails 3D gameplay and relentlessly
violent visions of Hell. I still curse that day because it cemented the defeat
of my favorite gaming machine, the Amiga, and celebrate it because it
was a revelation - the single biggest evolutionary leap I'd yet seen in
gaming. It changed the scene forever and established the first-person shooter
as a genre.
As I write this, Doom has been back for awhile, and I've finally gotten around to play it. Developed by id Software themselves, creators of the original, they stay true enough to their single-player roots. They knew what they needed to deliver - speed and bloody carnage. It is not for the faint of heart, nor the squeamish.
To me it feels like a fresh start after years of evolution away from the core FPS concept. In Doom 2016, you thankfully no longer have to worry about finding cover, constantly reloading your guns, or enduring snotty teabagging brats hurling insults to your face. Multiplayer is part of the package, of course, but this game mainly focuses on its fully-developed, challenging single-player campaign.
It's like being back in 1993, with the names of the difficulty levels intact - "Ultra-violence", "Hurt me plenty", "I'm too young to die", et.c. - and certain trophies doubling as fan service. Winning the game on any level earns you the "Knee deep in the dead"-trophy, which was the name of the first episode, out of three, of the original campaign. This implies that the reboot might end up as a trilogy.
It adds new stuff to the table as well. Above all, this time around Doom incentivizes you to face your enemies head-on - in fact, doing so heals you right up to continue your killing spree. You can hardly describe the macho-animalistic sensation without coming across as a lunatic; that arousing feeling of running straight at your enemy and ripping its limbs apart for some health. Doom-fans around the world share this understanding like a secret handshake.
This reboot also adds another dimension: verticality. You may now jump or (after a few levels) double-jump freely around the stages, with responsive, forgiving controls never forcing you to stop. As enemies warp in all around, you need to constantly move whilst making your shots count, as well as register the whereabouts of power-ups, health and ammo pickups. Your actions seem almost instinctual, as if the infinite distance between player and player-character is closer than ever.
Almost all enemies are true to Doom-lore, with only a few new additions. Their behavior patterns remains mostly intact, although they all move around more freely. Especially the fireball-hurling Imps are more nimble, almost ape-like, as they jump around and cling to the walls. Although the enemy visual design is updated, any Doom-veteran should have no problem discerning them and recognize their behavior.
If you weaken them up enough, they start flashing, stagger and become susceptible to one-hit finishers, the so-called "Glory kills". These might be considered the throughline of the entire game, as the story starts with such an animation, and ends on the very same note. They come in an astounding amount and variation, all dependent on enemy type and direction of attack, and all feel equally satisfying.
During Glory kills you're invulnerable, and at the end they reward you with health pickups. At low health, the reward seems even more substantial, which makes for some hilarious moments where you defy all sense of self-preservation to go in for a rejuvenating bloodbath. I just wish you could see the hunger in the Doom Marine's eyes as you switch from flee- to fight-mode in a split second.
I'm impressed by the way the game allows me to find a use for every tool at my disposal. The arsenal mimics the original's, with the original peashooter replaced by an energy gun of unlimited ammo but limited firepower. The rest consists of the familiar range of shotguns, rocket launchers, machine guns and plasma rifles. It adds a couple of surprising new gadgets as well, including the ability to modify each weapon in a few different ways. If you run out of ammo, you can use your chainsaw, of very limited fuel, for an ammo-refilling Glory kill.
The few boss-battles are blasts from the past spread out across the latter half of the game. Much to my dismay they also represent the worst aspects of modern Doom: They're basically pattern recognition bullet-sponges with certain weak spots. You fight them in something resembling boxing matches with guns, wheras even more elaborate platforming arenas would've made more sense.
In between bouts you have the opportunity to explore, which can be quite tricky. I like the idea of secrets but maybe not the way they're implemented. Looking everywhere for obscure details in the bland surroundings takes an awful long time, ruining the sense of urgency. Snippets of lore and collectibles lie scattered about, and small challenges prepare the Marine for tougher times ahead.
Finding all of these in the murky, lifeless surroundings is often thankless work. The color scheme ranges from sickly sulphuric yellow and toxic green to metallic grey and dusty brown. Nothing is inviting, and making any kind of sense of the world is futile, but the rewards are too important to be ignored.
The levels are drawn-out and abstract in design, wisely supporting gameplay over realism, and challenge over visual storytelling. Immersion comes from controlling the Doom Marine rather than partaking in his "story". Thankfully, the triumphant execution of the game mechanics masks what could have been a repetitive slog in the wrong designer's hands. Given its length (10-12 hours), I find it astonishing that I never got bored of it.
I cannot attribute this enjoyment to the uninspiring story, which is the kind you soak in and forget once you see the objective marker on the screen. It is told through audio messages, holograms and facetime chats. A slew of technical and scientific jargon bathed in satanic "overtones" makes it an almost satirical take on religious devotion:
Earthling colonials on Mars discover a new energy source, called Argent Energy. As they try to extract some, one corrupt individual opens up a portal to Hell, allowing all manner of beasts to seep into our plane of existance, and yada yada. I couldn't care less, and neither could the Doom Marine himself, as he never utters a single word in response to what happens. His guns, fists and chainsaw do all the talking, and upon first contact with a communications screen he rips it apart right after getting his assignment.
I find it kind of funny how he has become this mythical presence among the creatures of Hell. They call him the "Doom Slayer" and pass on legends about his battles. I mean, he's as wordless as the demons he faces, with no personality whatsoever. But that's perfectly fine, since Doom has never used words to communicate its core values anyway.
Playing it means numbing the parts of your brain you activate to follow a story. Instead, you need to sharpen your awareness, reflexes and decision making to perfection. The slightest misstep could cost you greatly, as the roads to Hell are paved with endless chasms and various hazards. The great, atmospheric audio with its thumping soundtrack pushes you on through endless combat scenarios, heightening the adrenaline rush through the roof. The mix of horror visuals and power fantasy makes it a very tense game, and I left each session emotionally drained.
It begins brilliantly with a quick fix of speed and glory kills, but fails to elaborate on that initial rush. During the second half the effects wear off. As the challenge mounts and you figure out the mechanics and puzzles it remains fun but becomes more of an endurance test. It brings character and gun upgrades, and new enemies, at a steady enough pace to keep interest afloat, but there's room for improvements and innovations still.
That being said, Doom 2016 is a very fine start to a hopefully bright future of single-player FPS campaigns. With better variation in level design, better exploration challenges and more elaborate boss encounters this would have been stellar. But who am I to complain? As it stands, Doom holds an impressive foundation of basics in place. I got exactly what I needed. In upcoming years, this franchise could skyrocket - straight up into the firmaments of Hell.
Comments
Post a Comment