DOOM Review

DOOM became a mark in history as one of the best FPS games back in 1993. The new DOOM (2016) is by no means short of that. With a gameplay unique to its franchise, you will sure find it entertaining.

Gun Upgrades

DOOM's gameplay is very straight forward: Get some guns and convert demons into piles of flesh and blood. By itself is nothing new, what does make its playstyle unique is the mechanic called Glory Kill, which you might not wrongly assume by its name it is extra gory for an already sanguinary game. After weakening demons enough they enter a staggered state that allows you to kill them with your hands. Who needs guns anyway? More than that, the demon's body part you are aiming at and your position relative to it will change what animation gets executed, no easy feat may we add. Although Glory Kills are a small addition to the genre, it has deep implications in the way the game is played as well as how powerful it makes you feel.

Runes

Progression through the game is done primarily by moving through the story. You also get 3 secondary progression systems that will make you more powerful as you play. The first is adding bonuses to your weapons by finding gear drones, completing battles, challenges and finding secret spots on each story chapter. The second is increasing your suit power by finding elite guards and argent cells scattered through the stages. The third is through powerful runes that will add/change specific mechanics of the game by completing rune trials.

Although not a direct gameplay mechanic in itself the animation system created for the game has to be mentioned. Every creature has multiple reactions depending where it was shot at and with varying degree of pain. From simple twitches to full rage reactions for heavy damage, if you keep an eye out for these you will be amazed by the variety and responsiveness of the creatures to your actions.


With outstanding music, well paced fast action gameplay, and an aggressive mechanic DOOM will sure keep you on your toes! More than that, it effectively make you feel like the only one that can possibly stop hell from taking over! A decent multiplayer with user made content will also extend the gameplay if you are into it.

PS: There is much more to the animation system than we could possible mention here. If you are interested you can hear about it first hand from the developers themselves: Bringing Hell to Life: AI and Full Body Animation in DOOM (GDC Vault subscription needed).