74
TESTED GAMEShanks to Covid-19, ‘Hell
On Earth’ hardly counts
as escapism at this point.
But with ridiculous commitment
to violent excess, id Software’s
loud, gory and unapologetically
old-school Doom follow-up is the
shot in the arm we didn’t know the
FPS genre needed.
With the Doom Slayer charged
with taking down the Hell Priests
who caused the pits of the inferno
to spill out on our planet, Doom
Eternal has double the demons
with combat that comes fast andfurious. Much of the long campaign
sees you battling demonic foes at
lighting speed – pause and you’re
dead. Mind you, move around a
lot and you’re probably dead too.
It’s relentless, cracking along at
a blistering 60fps with no hitches,
and seemingly running at a steady
4K on the Xbox One X.
Doom Eternal does allow a bit of
down time between missions; but
it’s just you, a bunch of chambers
to unlock and, bizarrely, a demon
prison where you can practise your
slaying techniques. This is a goodplace to examine the customisation
options available: there are a few
ways to tweak your loadout, from
gun upgrades to runes that offer
major gameplay changes.
It’s a little overwhelming, but
even with all the madness, the
blood and the carnage, this game
has been designed with a deep
level of thought and intricacy – and
some surprisingly enjoyable 3D
platform sections. Our Doom Slayer
can dash, double-jump and cling
onto certain surfaces, ensuring
interesting leaps and bounds acrossthe environment. These sections
are not as well designed as the
combat, but there is plenty to find
in the far reaches of each level.
Yes, this is as good a shooter
as you’re likely to see all year – an
intensely well-made and ferocious
shooter marrying incredible
production values with cathartic
brutality. Fans of the measured
pace of Call of Duty may struggle,
but if you’re after searing, palm-
sweating slaughter, Doom Eternal
will satisfy your bloodlust.
Jon DentonSTUFF SAYS Gory and glorious, this is an adrenaline shot for first-person shooters +++++
Doom Eternal
The hellish Doom series is back, offering immaculately designed carnage with
big-budget sensibilities – and slaying with fire has never been so much funPS4, XB1, Switch, Stadia, PC / stuff.tv/DoomEternal
T