Doom

A incredible return to form for both the DOOM franchise after so long and id software as they prove once again that they are the kings of first person shooters. At its core is the same excellent base that is the original DOOM yet has been updated to fit today's industry perfectly without sacrificing it's identity and compromises every mechanic in place to work in tandem with one another, rather than cluster it together trying to be like everything else that sells, because it knows that its DOOM and it knows exactly what people want from it so it doesn't try to be anything and instead offers a fully realised campaign of pure carnage, mayhem and gore over 10-15 hours with every moment feeling intense and exciting. Well paced as well with simple puzzles that don't break up the action heavily and are spared enough to not become annoying, guns and combat feel incredible with the sound design and control being light and responsive, beautiful environments and monster designs, great OST, Surprisingly strong characterisation with DOOM Guy himself expressed through his actions which are genuinely funny and loads of contents within the single player alone. The only issues within the actual campaign is that there are a few moments where the game does stop you for a cut-scene and while they are far apart and generally quick they can be slow for DOOM and the Glory Kill system in place, while its done extremely well here for what it is as it does also lend itself to a great risk and reward system with the health encouraging players to head on to get health rather than hide away, can break the pace slightly as now you have to land the kill otherwise the monsters are fine and that can be annoying.

However with all that said DOOM isn't amazing in every area as then there's the multiplayer which has potential from a game play standpoint overall as its still the basic control and weapons from the single player, but at this moment is horribly unbalanced and plagued by weapon load outs which just don't work in DOOM and its fast paced nature with picking weapons on the fly as now its restricting you to select weapons so it feels unfair as new players with have terrible weapons in comparison to those with higher levels so the multiplayer needs a lot of work, but like stated the core is fine its the mechanics around it that ruins it.

Finally there's the Snap map feature which is alright for a easy map creator but is NO match for the legacy of Original DOOM Mods. It is very simple to pick it up and design a level from a base standpoint and people have done some interesting levels but its horribly restricted in comparison to the amount of ridiculous fun that people have had modding the original as it was open for anything while DOOM 2016 is more restricted overall with what players can accomplish. Not bad for what it is and has potential like the multiplayer but is still restricted.

But overall despite the Snap Map and multiplayer being weaker, the single player campaign is so solid and em-composes everything that is DOOM so well that i can rate it highly on the campaign alone, as there is so much to do and find with secrets and challenges (id as well have been saying that they would fix the multiplayer soon as well and already adding more content to the Snap Map). A amazing return to form for DOOM and shooters in general.

Pros:

• Chaotic and lightning fast gameplay
• Good level design
• Amazing music
• Good range of weapons and upgrades
• Good variety of enemy types
• SnapMap is a great side mode

Cons:

• Story is forgettable (but who cares...)
• Can get abit repetitive

Verdict: Doom excels as one entity, a demon murdering FPS shooter with super fast in your face gameplay.

8/10.

Doom is my favourite game of 2016. Full of everything a Hardcore gamer could want. The main character of the game is a totally awesome badass. I was cheering when I was smashing a demon head to pieces. Blasting demons with a shotgun, slicing them with a chainsaw. Oh, it was glorious great fun. Doom has returned, this game is excellent. I highly recommend it for fans of First Person Shooters and Doom fans.

Not even in Hell can the demons escape the wrath of the Doomslayer. He is as ruthless as the game, and I love it.

The first thing to notice, other than its blood-soaked and gory nature, is that it plays just like the old-school arcade shooters, a similar style to the original Doom, but with today's graphics. The implementation is just astonishing, and it's nice to know that Id Software still puts the same passion in the Doom series. Nostalgia will hit those who played the 1993 classic like a truck.

Doom may fall short on story, but the pacing is well-made and the campaign is pretty long compared to the other titles, giving a good 11-12 hours total. Blasting demons never gets old, especially not with the new glory kills. And even though there are very few bosses, the battles with them are epic, lengthy, and challenging. They may not be as daunting as Souls bosses, but you can at least expect a difficulty similar to bosses from the God of War series.

So what about multiplayer? It is a blast. It may not be the best experience in my opinion, but it still got me hooked for some time. Given that it is an arena style, fans of Quake multiplayer will be happy with this. There is a good amount of content to unlock, and even several different demons to play (if you're lucky enough to catch that demon rune before others). Also, it is worth mentioning that all DLC is free now and Doom even has a bot mode, so if no one is online, the bot mode is there. And how can anyone forget about Snapmap, a feature where players can make levels or play other user-generated levels, with coop modes included?

But is the multiplayer better the campaign? No, not exactly. But it is far from a throw-away mode either. The case is similar to the Uncharted series, where the single player campaign is the main reason to play the game, but the multiplayer still serves as a strong supplement, and is a lot of fun, most importantly.

Overall, this is Id Software's best yet, and I am very excited for Doom: Eternal. It is close to perfect though, but not quite, since a stronger story would still have been nice, and it gets pretty repetitive, which is why I give it 9.5/10. This is recommend to anyone who is a fan of the Doom series or violent, action-packed FPS games in general.

'Doom (2016)' is a highly praised revival of the classic 'first-person shooter' series that gives it its name. Its praise is well-deserved; it's one of the most energetic, engaging and enjoyable entries in its genre. The game's focus is firmly on its running and gunning, with its story serving simply to get you from demon-killing set-piece to demon-killing set-piece. The story is serviceable - decent, even - but to pretend that it isn't there to enable the gameplay doesn't do anyone any favours. The gameplay primarily consists of shooting, with a few platforming sequences thrown in to spice things up, so it's a good thing that the shooting is incredibly satisfying. There are a wide variety of weapons, each with customisable secondary fire, and the game never restricts your access to them (once they're initially unlocked, which doesn't take long). They all have a tactile response and every shot does tangible damage to your opponents, often splattering them across the environment. The controls are tight and responsive, allowing you to glide around the stages and blast your foes with ease. Indeed, you hardly ever stand still, with movement being the key to survival in any encounter. There is also a mechanic wherein you regain health by finishing off a weakened foe with a melee execution, incentivising you to keep fighting even when close to death. These so-called 'glory kills' are supremely gratifying, providing just a moment's respite along with a helping of over-the-top gore. The same is true of the chainsaw kills, which refill ammo, and the area-clearing 'BFG' (the 'B' stands for big, the 'G' stands for gun and the 'F'... well, you can guess what the 'F' stands for). The game is surprisingly long for what it is, but it never gets tiresome. By ramping up its difficulty and the number of enemies you have to face, it keeps things feeling just fresh enough to see you through to its conclusion. Plus, it has a good sense of progression thanks to its upgrades and challenges. There are also tons of secrets to find, as is expected with the series. The whole thing feels like a throwback to a simpler time of 'first-person shooters', a time in which the gameplay came first and the spectacle was all player driven. It's highly enjoyable right from the start and, if you can keep up with its lightening-quick pace, it's a hugely satisfying experience. 8/10