Demonic blood, brutality, and speed. When Doom rebooted itself in 2016, resurrecting one of gaming’s oldest franchises into the modern era, it built a new, airtight formula for itself. It was a set of ideas that emphasized speed and intimacy in combat, rewarding you for your daring with more health, more ammunition, and more excitement. Then, all of that excitement was wrapped up in pulpy, pastiche aesthetics—a big hero with big guns who hates demons and wants to tear out their big guts. All told, it’s simple, immediately satisfying, and perfectly suited for a sequel.
Doom Eternal is that sequel, and it immediately sets to work upping the ante. Instead of Mars, it’s the entirety of human civilization that is under siege by demons from hell. There are more enemies, more weapons, more elements in the sandbox of combat. And the story has gone full maximalist, a Heavy Metal short that spans 15 hours. It’s immense, messy, and, unfortunately, not nearly as good as the original.
Doom Eternal, wh