The new 2016 Action-Shooter DOOM may seem suspiciously simple to skeptics (such as myself) leading us to beg questions like: "Is this worth $60? Seriously?" "Will I enjoy this game?" "Is this just another run-of-the-mill shooter?" "Is it ACTUALLY a good addition to an infamous franchise?"
We all have our own questions, and I'll try to do my best to (briefly) answer as many as I can in this convenient and easy-to-read review with NO SPOILERS and 100% HONESTY - considering gamers from ALL walks of life.
THE PLOT:
There isn't really a plot. AT ALL. Much like, let's say, games such as Dark Souls and Shadow of the Colossus, DOOM's plot is told through the environment around you, not unlike The Division. You won't have many cutscenes saying: "HEY. This is what is going on. This is what you need to do." This game is about being (for all you know) the LAST PERSON ALIVE on Mars with an extraordinary talent for CRUSHING demons. You can pretty much leave your story-loving expectations there. EXPECT to not be told much and you will be pleasantly surprised by the result.
THE GAME:
So... about this game...
HOW DOES IT PLAY? - The answer is simple, it is an EXTREMELY fast-paced game. Let me explain it to you like this: You are on a ROLLERCOASTER, but you can move this rollercoaster wherever you want and ram it into flaming demon hordes while shooting them with an arsenal of very different and satisfyingly destructive weapons. There you go, you've pretty much imagined what the beginning stages of DOOM are actually like. You may be expecting something fast-paced in a CALL OF DUTY or BATTLEFIELD kind of way, but that is incorrect. This game plays far more rapidly, but it is also smooth - you do have control, your ability to play isn't lost in the speed of the game, ever.
This game is BRUTAL. It has, in my opinion, the most SATISFYING MELEE and FINISHERS I've ever been able to use in gaming to date.
HOW LONG IS THE GAME? - This will LARGELY depend on the type of gamer that plays through the game and which DIFFICULTY you select. People have reported taking as long as 16 HOURS on the "HURT ME PLENTY / Normal" difficulty. I can personally tell you that playing on NIGHTMARE (THE HARDEST DIFFICULTY - besides ULTRA-NIGHTMARE which is essentially Nightmare that RESTARTS your entire game if you die ONCE... EVER...) will take you LONGER than 16 hours. Then again, you just might be amazing and beat it quicker than that. But the odds are not in your favor.
IS THIS GAME FOR ME? (Imagine you are circling yes or no) - #1. Do you like being a character in a game that is EXCESSIVELY strong but sometimes just not strong enough for BEASTS that are more than THREE times your size? Yes - No
#2. Do you like a game that can be very CHALLENGING or very CASUAL depending on what difficulty you choose, but never BORING?
Yes - No
#3. Do you like SHOOTERS?
Yes - No
#4. Do you like games that have both a VERY well-made campaign that is fun and reasonably long as well as a COMPARABLE multiplayer (with good customization and variety) that MAY or MAY NOT appeal to you depending on how much you liked MULTI-PLAYER GAMES like: TITANFALL, UNREAL TOURNAMENT, HALO (More specifically REACH) and/or TEAM FORTRESS? - If you liked ANY of those games, then the multiplayer should be enough to interest you for A LITTLE WHILE to A LONG WHILE.
Yes - No
If you answered YES to ALL FOUR questions, then you WILL enjoy this game.
If you answered NO to any of the questions, #3. especially, this may not be up your alley.
MAKE YOUR POINT NOW, PLEASE: - Okay, okay. Jeez. I'm getting to the point now. DOOM is a game for gamers that like thrills. If we're talking about it being a good DOOM game - the answer is: "It is a magnificent DOOM game."
If we're talking about it being a good game, ALONE, the answer is: "It is NOT for everyone. It is a hard-core shooter."
In THE END - this game I give a 9 out of 10, because it has truly done something to the shooter genre that hadn't been done since HALO 3. It has made me believe in a revival of the First-Person Shooter.
IS IT APPROPRIATE FOR THE KIDS? - That's your call, not mine. The game is a SPLATTERING and GORY macabre. It does not shy from any F - Bombs and the entire premise (without spoilers) can be summarized like: "Those things trying to kill you, big and small, kill them all."
WORTH PURCHASING? If you've read through everything I've written above, I'll leave that up to you. If you've scrolled down here to the bottom to immediately get to my point. YES. IT IS. Unlessyou aren't a fan of shooters... if you are, it is, definitely.
THANK YOU for reading this REVIEW.
- ARBALON