With the release of Doom VFR, we thought we’d look back at the last main entry of the series. How does one go about rebooting the granddaddy of the first person shooting genre? By taking what made the original, which still holds up well today no less, and cranking everything to the max. Everything from the catchy industrial soundtrack to the trademark gore has been improved.

You’ll begin the game already on Mars, having been connected to a strange machine that someone, or something, placed the player in. Our unnamed protagonist quickly arms himself and sets out on a journey of destruction through Mars and the very pits of Hell. Unlike Doom 3, the game puts the story on the backburner in favor of a simple premise that focuses more on fast paced action than slow exposition. There is plenty of story available, but it’s optional.

Much like the original, the game runs at breakneck speed. If you stop moving, particularly in a firefight, you will die quickly. Unlike most modern FPS games, you don’t have a regenerating health bar, so you will rely on seeking out health kits as well as using the new finishing moves that have been implemented in this iteration. After taking a set amount of damage, most enemies will begin flashing which is your signal to get in close for the kill. These are satisfying and needed to replenish small amounts of health.

You’ll find all of your original tools of destruction are present and accounted for. The biggest change to the arsenal is the addition of secondary firing modes, which are unlocked and upgraded by completing challenges in the campaign; some are a bit grindy, but worth the work. The only disappointment was that the chainsaw, which was a personal favorite, is now a pick up with a limited amount of fuel.

Much like the original, each level features a number of secret areas and short cuts, which rewards the player for exploration. You’ll find upgrades for your armor, weapons, as well as a small number of collectibles and the newly added runes. Finding a rune will unlock a short challenge, which if successful, unlocks an upgrade that can be used in the main campaign.

If you missed any collectibles or secrets, you are able to use the chapter select to head back with your newly acquired upgrades. The only low point of the campaign is the lackluster boss fights, which essentially set you loose in an arena against one of the game’s bigger enemies. These are more frustrating than fun, as the bosses are essentially large bullet sponges with a limited number of attacks, some of which are instant kills, leading to plenty of unfair deaths. Thankfully, there are only a few of these encounters.

In addition to the standard campaign, which clocks in around six to eight hours depending on your skill and selected difficulty, you have the option to play each completed level in the post release addition of the Arcade mode. This is similar to a score attack mode, limiting the player to certain weapons and removing any unlocked upgrades, leveling the playing field for those who wish to partake in the leaderboards.

On the multiplayer front, there are a number of options as well. While the PVP arena isn’t as populated as it was at launch, I was still able to connect to a game after a short wait. The multiplayer suite offers the standard game modes found in most FPS games. These modes are just as fast paced as the single player campaign, and in full lobbies can be fun despite the fact you will die and die often. Unlike most of the FPS counterparts, I found myself often laughing at my failures opposed to getting frustrated, which is a nice change.

I’ve spent the most time in the multiplayer arena playing with the new Snap Map feature, which allows players to create their own levels using a number of easy to use tools. They can then be uploaded for the community or friends to play. With hundreds of options available with varying levels of quality, there are a limitless number of replay options offered here. This feature also allows us the option to use old school visuals with the newly modeled enemies as well as to create a party with up to 3 friends for some co-op shenanigans.

While the game is lacking the survival horror element that was introduced in the last entry, it is a well-made shooter worthy of any gamer’s collection; especially those of us who are familiar with the original’s brand of ultra-violence.

9 out of 10

Pros

• Loads of Reply Value
• Great Visuals
• The Newly Added Executions

Cons

• Campaign is Rather Short
• Lackluster Boss Battles

Doom was developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Software. It was released on PC, PS4, and X1 on May 13th, 2016 for $59.99. It also launched on the Switch November 10th, 2017 for $59.99. The game was not provided to us for review by X1. For more on Doom, visit its official site.

If you’re looking to buy a copy of Doom on PC, we are an affiliate with Fanatical, meaning we get a small portion of sales made through any links we provide, and they currently have the game available for $9.99. For an extra $10, you can also get Doom 3: BFG Edition and Doom Classic Complete. A great gift for any FPS lover!

 

Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth playing, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great title that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate a game, please let us know.

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