SAKUNA: OF RICE AND RUIN
Through hell and back… and now back yet again
The man with the most iconic tank top in gaming is back! The ending of Doomguy’s last adventure made it clear that he had more work to do, and that work continues here. You’ll jump into his stompy boots to plaster yourself (and everything around you) with yet more demon guts. Precisely how this wanton destruction has been structured has managed to retain what made the main game great… mostly.
Doom Eternal is brilliant, so this has a huge head start. The framerate stays silky-smooth no matter how much is happening on screen, there’s a decent variety of weapons with alternate fire modes, and the finely honed flow of combat remains largely unchanged. You’re still moving constantly in order to avoid a swift and messy death, and you still need to employ a careful mix of glory kills (finishers on enemies close to death), flamethrower kills, and chainsaw kills in order to top up your health, armour, and ammo respectively. It’s a great mix of twitch shooting and moment-to-moment tactical thinking.
Nonetheless, it’s surprising to see this as a standalone release in addition to being DLC. Part of what makes the main game so great is the pacing. New weapons and enemies are introduced gradually throughout the adventure, until you’re well acquainted with how it all works and you’ve established which tactics work best for you. The Ancient
Gods, however, dumps all the weapons in your lap from the first moment, and doesn’t wait long before it starts introducing the most powerful enemies.
As a result, it feels like a greatly condensed version of the main campaign, and loses a little something in the process. This is a lot tougher than the main game, too (I eventually lowered the difficulty from what I used for Doom Eternal), and some of the fights last so long that they can be mentally exhausting. It’s like the 2016 game in that way.
DOOM SHAKALAKA
Bafflingly, stripping the experience back has resulted in proportionately more platforming sections. While some are better than in the main campaign, at least half are terrible, serving as reminders that Id should stay very, very far away from jumpy bits.
Despite these problems, it’s still roughly four to six hours of gorily enjoyable fun that isn’t like anything else
(er, apart from Doom Eternal). The way you can leap from the brink of death to full health and armour through skill alone is still a thrill, and emerging from a particularly tough fight to realise that your heart is beating a little faster will bring a smile to your face.
With three new enemy types and one (very challenging) boss in the mix, as well as three new perks to earn by completing the optional Slayer Gater challenges, it’s a familiar yet distinct experience. But it’s still best to play through Doom Eternal before trying this.
VERDICT
Doom, Doom still shakes the room – but this entry is best appreciated after playing through the superior, betterpaced, Eternal. Then you’ll be ready to rip and tear. Luke Kemp