DOOM: Eternal is an insanely violent first person shooter that follows the story of the Doom Slayer in his conquest to kill pretty much every single demon he can get his hands on, whether that is in Hell, Earth, or even on Mars. It is the ninth game in the series, coming after its very successful predecessor, DOOM 2016. Upon release on March 20, 2020, it sold 700,000 copies in its first week.
After playing it for the first time, I can confidently say that DOOM: Eternal is my favorite first-person shooter. It may be the goriest game in the world, but it looks as smooth as butter, and killing demons never felt so satisfying. I couldn’t really follow the story as much as I really wanted to, because the whole point of a DOOM game is blowing stuff up until you run out of ammo, but each cutscene was a refreshing break for my ears and eyes, considering how loud the music is and how bright and gritty the levels are.
When talking about public reception of a game, it’s always nice to get some perspective on both sides of the spectrum: people who like the game/series, and people who don’t. People who like the series love it because: it’s something to do during quarantine, they love first-person shooters, or they like how refreshing it feels to tear a demon limb from limb.
Then, of course, there are the people who don’t really like DOOM. These are people who don’t like violence, don’t like first-person shooters, or even some of those of the Christian faith, who don’t like the concept of demons, Hell, or killing. I can see how both sides shake out. I really enjoyed the game, but found myself taking breaks every now and again because of how loud the soundtrack is and how bright and heavy the atmosphere is.
Overall, I think DOOM: Eternal is a nice introduction into the series. The soundtrack goes great with smashing demons to bits (but I might recommend turning it down just a little), the style isn’t so easy on the eyes but fits in nicely with the mood of DOOM, and the way the guns feel are quite satisfying with each pull of the trigger. I would recommend DOOM: Eternal to those who like first-person shooters, are okay with intense violence, demons, a heavy metal soundtrack, and the concept of Hell.
