Doom: Eternal: PS4 Review

Doom Eternal: PS4 Review

Developed by ID
Released by Bethesda
Platform: PS4

The idea of Hell on Earth doesn't seem a far-fetched one at the moment, with the planet ravaged by the coronavirus, and whole nations under siege in lockdown.

Doom Eternal plays a little to that with the Doom Slayer finding himself Earth's only hope as the marauding hordes have taken over the planet, dispatched 60% of the population and are wreaking havoc and it's up to you to dispatch them.

It's a very simple premise, rip and tear, shoot and kill; there's no subtlety to be had here, and that, in some ways, is fine.

Because the main thing about the latest Doom iteration is that even on the most basic levels, the game is punishingly hard, as it sends hordes of creatures after you. Even with some degree of tactics, death is an option you have to pursue a lot, whether you want to or not.

And yet, Doom Eternal's simplicity proves to be the perfect tonic.

Locked in an areas as the dungeon crawler's explode a number of creatures, the game's speed and pace of play makes it a fun companion to pick up and dive down into. Much like Far Cry's despatching of bad guys, there's something visceral about the almost cartoony levels of gore that play
out on the screen.

Glory kills return, and the creatures can look damage distressed as you continue to shoot at them. The game rarely sways from the basics, but it offers more than enough to keep the adrenaline levels alive; it's more than a sureshot, it's the kind of game that after an intense showdown, can see you fist-
pumping the air at your victory.

While the game's design is fairly basic and at times resembles a live-action Iron Maiden album cover, Doom isn't interested in fleshing out areas and giving you the chance to go off the beaten path - but there are little bonuses hidden away in nooks and crannies if you tire of the constant combat (which seems unlikely).

Doom: Eternal may be hollow in some storytelling aspects, but its aesthetics remain true to the original Doom games, and its MO is simple - grab a gun, shoot, kill and move on.

And that, right now, is probably all we need.