Masters of Mechanics: How 'Doom Eternal' revitalised the first-person shooter

Every beat of id Software's 2020 masterpiece pushes the player to "get good" at their playstyle

Promotional art for 'Doom Eternal'. Bethesda/id Software

As a monkey bar dropped me into an arena, I switched to the plasma rifle and scoped out the area. But, before I could properly map out my surroundings, a horde of demons stormed my position - a dread knight, two prowlers, and a couple of revenants backed by two mancubi.

I dashed back to space things out properly and disposed of the dread knight with a quick lock-on burst from the rocket launcher and frag grenade, causing the other demons to falter. Taking advantage of the opening, I sprayed plasma to charge the heat and blasted it from close range to stagger the mancubi.

The game was bent on ending my ultra-nightmare run and spawned two barons of hell to chase me down and two pain elementals to pose deadly aerial threats. Before I could decide which enemy to focus on, I lost my footing and was bounced around like a tennis ball. The prowlers had completely slipped my mind. To make matters ugly, the barons began charging at me.

In a panic, I whipped out a blood-punch and hurled an ice bomb. Suddenly, the words "buff totem nearby" popped up on my screen, sending me into a frenzied search for the entity, strengthening each enemy's attacks as a crowd of demons descended.

I swapped to my shotgun and blasted away at the swarm, combining it with the ballista base fire before launching myself to the second floor. The totem was quietly sitting behind a wall, spreading its evil influence. Just as I was about to destroy it, a cyber-mancubus tore through my shields, and a baron slashed me with its flame blades, bringing my health dangerously low. I ran, scanning for fodder demons to kill for health and ammo.

But I had wasted too much time trying to play it safe, and suddenly a marauder was in the mix. Thankfully, I had already mastered taking them down quickly. I waited for it to lunge, and when it did, I ballista-super shotgunned it while dropping a grenade to leave it stuck in a stagger, then hurled two volleys of lock-on bursts to take him down and get my confidence up. I turned around and saw the barons charging, two revenants locking on to me and the pain elementals preparing lost souls to blow me up. Taking a deep breath, I took out the BFG and shot it over the crowd.

Doom Eternal is a lot, in the best of ways. It's one of the few games that can deliver the unparalleled rush of true mastery. The skills players acquire throughout conquering id Software's 2020 masterpiece don't just apply to the game itself but provide excellent training for other first-person shooters. The game continuously rewards players for switching weapons to deal damage more effectively, combining their arsenal in innovative ways, and developing specific strategies against particular enemies on the fly.

Where most modern mainstream shooters have opted for drawn-out cinematic shootouts, encouraging the use of cover and stealth, Doom Eternal only lets players breathe when they've decided to rush up to an enemy for a melee kill that rewards them with precious ammo, shield, and health. Even taking a rest requires active input, keeping the adrenaline pumping.

The game thrives on its blistering pace, immense focus, verticality and weapon mods, perfecting these methods in concert rather than going out of the way to innovate. Finding ways to take down each enemy type during playthroughs swiftly makes players want to go the extra mile to look cool and express their ability while slaying demons.

Isolating heavy and super-heavy enemies in an arena with multiple floors and jump pads, choosing the best weapons to effectively execute them while keeping ammo and shields in check despite being flooded by fodder imps and gargoyles – it can be overwhelming. And, especially at the start, it can be tough. But the payoff is very much worth it.

When the game came out in March 2020, there were many complaints among players about the game being too complicated. It is several notches up from the 2016 Doom entry in terms of pace and enemy encounters, but the player is always equipped to take it on, provided they are ready to face a challenge.

OPEN-ENDED GAMEPLAY

The 2016 Doom reboot was well received but allowed players to blaze through the game once they got the overpowered super shotgun. Once the weapon was upgraded, challenges were few and far between for those who had a grasp on the mechanics.

However, Eternal spiced things up with low ammo capacity to keep players constantly thinking about resource management, pushing wilful players to learn effective executions. This meant a player had everything they needed, from equipment to conditions, to get better at the game and all first-person shooters.

And there was more than one way to do so. With the addition of shoulder-mounted flame belch, grenade launchers, and the new enemy falter system, each weapon offers different kill combos. Integrating these combos with the quick weapon-switching raises the ceiling of possibility.

For example, a doom hunter is armed to the teeth to give players a hard time with its fast sledge, regenerative shield and lock-on missiles. But studying the super-heavy demon closely reveals a blood-punch severely damages his sledge - the source of his power. With that knowledge, a player can dash forward to close in, blood-punch him, dash back and super shotgun-ballista combo the sledge to disable it. Alternatively, launching an ice grenade before unloading a whole auto shotgun barrage into the sledge to destroy it quickly allows players to jab them with a blood-punch before using lock-on rockets to take the enemy out in seconds.

The critical thing to notice is how swapping between guns allows players to preserve ammo for all weapons. The weapon combos range from lightning fast, hard to execute, and easy to master. id Software wanted players to try their signature ways of removing every enemy. It can all contribute seamlessly to what players need - chainsaw fodders to get ammo, flame-belch any enemy for shields, and glory kill them for health.

Understandably, in an arena filled with a deadly mix of heavy and super heavy demons in waves, it's challenging to maintain the cerebral coordination needed to execute the most effective methods. Still, with time, contemplation and practice, it becomes muscle memory. The game never encourages thoughtlessly charging into enemy encounters. Even the alpha-cycle combo, the consecutive combination of the rocket launcher-super shotgun-ballista, can take out the toughest of the Slayer's foes but is hard to pull off when smaller foes are swarming the player. .

The marauders forced me to learn to swap weapons quickly, just to survive. But, even with their speed and attacks at different ranges, marauders can be dealt with using several approaches. A player can distract one by lobbing grenades behind his back and then blasting him with lock-on rockets or faltering him by remotely detonating a rocket above him before blood-punching for another stagger to take him down with super shotgun-ballista combos. Waiting for marauders to swing their axe and countering with two well-timed ballista-super shotgun-ballista combos while managing space with other demons can also help players get rid of these corrupted night sentinels. I used to dread facing them, but now I relish the challenge of facing one of these fallen brothers of the Slayer.

The variety of enemies and encounters is hugely satisfying, and, combined with verticality, gives players the edge over their enemies if used correctly in effective combination, even in cramped spaces.

SUPERWEAPONS

The destructive capabilities of the BFG 9000 and Unmaykr, as Dr Samuel Hayden put it, are "staggering". The BFG is a get-out-of-jail-free card but must be unleashed correctly to melt the demons causing most issues for a player into pulp. The Unmaykr, on the other hand, is a bit more tactical because it uses BFG ammo but is released in smaller volleys.

The BFG will not take down more challenging foes like tyrants or an archvile with its tendrils, so it is better to freeze them with an ice-bomb, and then blast them away with the Unmaykr when they cause more trouble on higher difficulties. When an arena spawns BFG ammo, it is clear that the fights there will require it.

Although BFG offers more one-shot destructive potential, the window of time it takes to charge up might break up the flow of battle for some who whirl around the battleground. But the Unmaykr offers better combo potentials with other weapons.

VERTICALITY AND SPEED

The air control rune in Doom Eternal has been embedded in one of the three available slots since I came across it long ago. The platforming and jumps, including the integrated double jump ability, allow players to move, dodge and aim while in the air with much more precision. And the runes offering speed boost after glory kills and faster glory kills now let me rip and tear through an arena while leaving the demons dazed.

Being in the air isn't a pathway to safety. Projectiles constantly fly in from all directions, but players can assess the arena, leave crowds behind, glory kill cacodemons and pain elementals in style as they soar. The monkey bars, jump pads and meathook allow players to break out into space for a brief moment almost instantly.

Are you crowded by pinkies and tyrants in a corner? Aim for someone farther away and meathook your way out of the mess. Are you running around with dread knights and hell knights hot on your tail? Find a monkey bar or jump pad to swerve into a vantage point and prepare for the killing blows.

ENGAGEMENT AND MASTERY

I remember finishing my first playthrough, and as soon as I was done, I itched to retry all the campaign challenges while putting my newfound skills to the test on a higher difficulty.

The game demands a player's full attention and complete engagement to master over time. But endlessly practising variations on precision bolt-rocket-ballista-super shotgun combo are their own reward as every successful hand-eye coordinated move exercises the mental and physical reflexes. And when id Software dropped the Ancient Gods - Part One DLC, it was clear that the base campaign was only a tutorial of doom, pun intended.

Progressing from the introductory Hell on Earth to the fringed Cultist Base to the soul spire of Nekravol and the heavenly Urdak, the entire journey is masterfully crafted to set players on a path to mastery with intense replay value.

As I work on an ultra-nightmare run of the Ancient Gods DLCs, I've found playing other shooters like Shadow Warrior 3, Hush and Ultrakill much easier to cope with.

TO CONCLUDE

Doom Eternal isn't without its flaws, but the overwhelming nature of its technical achievements deserves celebration.

The game was designed to help players improve their first-person shooter skills and it manages the task with aplomb. I got a grasp on the mechanics in my first playthrough two years ago, but a few days ago I managed to clear the game on the ultra-nightmare difficulty, where the game ends if you die once. I was still left craving more.

The rip-roaring trip through the game was fascinating as I mastered the ins and outs and delighted in their intricacy. Eternal puts the player through a cerebral exercise and makes them feel empowered when they pull off their plans like few other games can.

And id Software did not stop there. The Ancient Gods - Part One ramped up the difficulty even higher to bolster the fun factor with enhanced versions of existing enemies and new innovative ones to test players' mettle. Unfortunately, the second DLC, Ancient Gods - Part Two, lowered the difficulty in a bid for greater accessibility.

It was a disappointment to the game's competitive nature, which constantly pushes you to learn and adapt, to think and re-think your approach. To truly become a master of Doom.

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.