The 2016 revival of the classic first-person shooter DOOM was met with critical and commercial success as the award-winning game impressed with fast-paced gameplay and a superb heavy-metal soundtrack from Mick Gordon. And the achievements of the reboot elevated expectations for the sequel DOOM Eternal.

Originally scheduled for a November 22nd, 2019 release date, the shooter was delayed until March 20th, 2020 to ensure that id Software provided the best possible experience for players. And though the wait was long, DOOM Eternal has finally arrived.

Let me tell you, it was worth the wait. This is one of the most exciting FPS campaigns I’ve played in a long time. Everything that made the 2016 reboot a smash-hit has been turned up to eleven. The heavy-metal choir and music from Mick Gordon make your hair stand up, the newly-designed demons terrorize the Doom Slayer, and the slick gameplay has been fine-tuned into a manic sprint across Earth in an ever-closer brush with death.

DOOM Eternal bursts out the gate with guns blazing. Here’s what you need to know.

STORY

Previously, the Doom Slayer awoke in UAC facilities on Mars and had to stave off the apocalypse by undoing the damage wrought by cultists. Unfortunately, his work is not over. The sins of man have corrupted the future, and Hell has invaded Earth. The dimension-hopping and shotgun-wielding marine is the only one who can bring humanity back from the brink of destruction. Learn about the Slayer’s past and save mankind’s future.

Everything must die.

It is exciting seeing more of the game’s lore shared during the campaign as each foray by man into Hell—and each invasion by demons into the solar system—provides a glimpse of the Slayer’s history, the role of the Sentinels, and the bridge between humans and demons. DOOM Eternal brings back the codex from its predecessor which reveals so much about the depraved research of the UAC, the ancient war between Hell and other realms, and the violent intervention of the Slayer. Even detailed information about the demons and other characters in the game broadens the narrative and enhances the world-building.

If you enjoyed the DOOM story, then this is more of the same, but closer to home as Earth faces irreversible change.

GAMEPLAY

I played on Nightmare difficulty, and I encourage you to attempt the game on the highest difficulty possible in order to experience the adrenaline rush and frantic gameplay that makes DOOM Eternal so exhilarating.

And that recommendation is tied to how combat works differently from most shooters. In other first-person or third-person games, players can frequently stay behind cover and whittle down the enemy forces until the battle is finished. Fighting might be complex, but it’s more static with regards to movement. An excellent example would be the “All Ghillied Up” sniper mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Moving in the open is a surefire way to be shot and killed.

DOOM Eternal reverses that gaming habit and forces players to move often and with speed. If you’re not sprinting during an encounter, you’re hunted down and punished. Demons chase you. They flank you. Swarm you. Anything to get in close and finish off the Doom Slayer. This means you need to counter that strategy by always moving and picking off demons as you constantly reposition.

On Nightmare difficulty, even the smallest demons can quickly kill you, so it’s imperative that you don’t fall prey to familiar strategies in first-person shooters. The greater peril reinforces the style of play that id Software has built in the new DOOM games. When anything can kill you, you can’t let up.

So play what you can and enjoy the challenge.

The innovative combat also relies on the design of the demons, which is superb and molds encounters into a dance of death. The reboot in 2016 introduced a lot of dangerous and exciting demons, and DOOM Eternal brings all of them back and adds even more. The varied enemies combine into a maelstrom of violent potential energy that explodes in every battle.

Imps chase the Doom Slayer and leap around while slinging projectiles that anticipate movement. Soldiers either shoot energy weapons from mid-range or advance with shields and shotguns. Hell Knights and Dread Knights pursue with crushing leaps and massive swinging arms or blades. Revenants harass with guided missiles and close-range melee attacks. Mancubus and Arachnotron are heavy demons that deal high damage at any range. Carcasses block Slayer attacks with energy walls and Whiplashes slither and slash at high speed.

And have I mentioned the Arch-Vile, Baron of Hell, Marauder, Doom Hunter, Cyberdemon, or Khan Makyr herself?

Any of these demons can pose a problem for the Doom Slayer, but all of them in combination make for a whirling hell that rages around the player and only dissipates when everything is dead.

What makes DOOM Eternal so special, though, is that it provides the right tools for the job. And it teaches players how to fight these seemingly insurmountable battles with intellect and determination. All demons have weak points that can be exploited, and the Doom Slayer has the arsenal to dispatch all of these threats.

Are fast-moving targets approaching you? Freeze them with a projectile to stop the advance.

Need to replenish your armor? Set demons ablaze and shoot them to drop armor plating.

Low on ammo? Tear through a smaller enemy with the chainsaw to refill ammo reserves.

Almost dead? Execute a Glory Kill to leech health from a dying demon.

Surrounded by smaller enemies? Unleash a Blood Punch to clear a path.

Need to reposition? Utilize jumps and dashes to escape being cornered.

Can’t find the right strategy for a hard fight? Re-select your Runes and switch weapon mods.

For every question you have in DOOM Eternal, the developers have created an answer. Yes, it’s hard and it’s punishing. But it’s so rewarding. On the surface, it could easily be mistaken for a mindless action game with gratuitous gore and endless killing. But it’s a carefully constructed first-person shooter that matches brains with brawns. It’s cerebral, not just entertaining.

VISUALS

What’s not to love about dismembering demons and saving Earth? It looks good.

DOOM Eternal maintains the graphical fidelity of its predecessor, but the deep reds of Mars have been replaced with the scarred browns and reds of an Earth overtaken by demons. The two realms have been united in the worst way possible, and the Doom Slayer is hunting on charred ground.

If you were impressed with the visual style in DOOM, then this game sharpens that aesthetic and transports it to a new world.

An exciting change from the 2016 game, though, is the freedom to customize the look of the Doom Slayer and his weapons. Unlocking different character and weapon skins allows you to save Earth and raze Hell in style.

This is an improvement that players will enjoy as it makes their gameplay experience more personal.

AUDIO

The gameplay is not complete without acknowledging the heavy-lifting done by the soundtrack. Mick Gordon achieved new heights. The music in this game is just heavenly. In a game full of demons and blood, the soundtrack pulses and churns and electrifies the air.

It elevates the game. Staying one step ahead of certain death is a hard task, but the music urges you on, gifting buoyancy when you jump, an extra gust of air when you dash, and more vim and strength when you rend demons in half with a chainsaw.

The audio melds with the gameplay into one energetic fusion bomb. Truly a masterclass in creating a soundtrack as iconic as a game.

REPLAYABILITY

There are a lot of ways to play. If you’ve completed the hardest difficulties in the game, then one final challenge awaits. Ultra-Nightmare returns as a way for the most skilled players to attempt the impossible. Perma-death hangs over your head for every encounter, so every mistake jeopardizes the entire campaign. It’s an intense game mode for only the bravest.

And the multiplayer mode has been given a lot more attention this time around. The 2016 game featured online multiplayer, but it wasn’t very impressive. The focus was clearly on the single-player campaign and that’s where id Software spent the most time.

Now, though, the new Battlemode is here, and it’s a marked improvement in the bid to engage players after they’ve finished the campaign. Battlemode games feature three players, with one fighting as the Doom Slayer and the other two as demons. The 2v1 mode has players skillfully implement either the maneuverability and tenacity of the Slayer or the menacing threat of high-level demons.

DOOM Eternal is still in the early stages of their online multiplayer, but the replay value of the game is high, and it’s well worth the time and money.

WHAT IT COULD HAVE DONE BETTER

Further development of the online multiplayer system will keep players long-term. I’m sure that id Software and Bethesda Softworks has a lot planned for the game in the future, so we’ll see how that aspect of the game matures as time goes on.

But I primarily enjoy the DOOM series for its campaign. Therefore, the smaller scale of Battlemode and the online multiplayer ambitions for DOOM Eternal do not detract from the quality of the game.

VERDICT

Barrels of fun, even when they explode in your face. DOOM Eternal is sleek. It’s sexy. It’s a bloody good time.