089REVIEW
INFO
FORMAT PS4
ETA OUT NOW
PUB BETHESDA
DEV ID SOFTWARE
T
he Slayer is back, and he’s
brought his invisible heavy
metal band with him to play
pumping rawk music whenever
he gets into a fight. While
Doom Eternal is everything that
you’ve come to expect from the
series – blood, guts, bullets,
guts, demons, blood, shiny pickups, guts and
blood – it’s a little bit more, too. Lessons have
been learned. Well, some, anyway.Doom Eternal strives to find a sweet spot
between the atmospheric and story-rich (but
slightly plodding) Doom 3, and the adrenaline-
fuelled (but ultimately repetitive) 2016 reboot.
In this, the game hits the mark perfectly. While
the campaign length sits somewhere around 20
hours, it never drags or begins to feel tiresome.
Whereas fatigue set in long before the end of
the much shorter previous game, you’re always
keen to see what lies right around Eternal’s next
gore-soaked corner.
This is thanks to the superbly judged length
and placement of quiet sections, which feature
just a few enemies – or, usually, none at all.
If you’re heavily invested in Doom lore (some
people must be... right?), then there’s plenty of
fan service and a few revelations for you here.
There’s also a slightly heavier emphasis than
usual on exploration. While usually optional, it’s
well worth trying to find the less obvious paths
and hidden nooks, as the goodies you’ll find
include upgrades and cheat codes (the latter only
available on a second playthrough of a mission).DOOM RAIDER
The huge, gross, eviscerated heart of Doom
is, and always will be, combat. We’re pleased
to report that in Eternal it’s the best it’s ever
been. People who are unfamiliar with the series,
or relying on vague memories of the first few
games, might dismiss it as nothing more than aDOOM
ETERNAL
Hell is other people (after they’ve
had their souls removed)
ETERNAL FLAME @Jim_Crikey