DOOM Reviews: 10 Early Reactions You Need To Know
With a lack of media coverage, we soak up what's left.
Doom 4 (now simply called DOOM, because losing the numbers is the 'in thing' right now) is finally out - but you'd barely know, because for some bizarre reason, Bethesda have decided to restrict all review copies until launch day.
Going off the beta, I can at least confirm it plays extremely well, what with the unrelenting 60fps frame rate, buckets of gore and viscera flying your way every few seconds, and the fact the beta let you start with a rocket launcher.
For the full game, iD Software have been touting a full campaign replete with contextual finishers including vertical drops and fatality-style near-death finishers. It's set up to be a resoundingly brutal experience from start to end, but now it's out and people have got their hands on the finished version, is that the case?
Well...
10. The Story Campaign Is Phenomenal
"One of the most surprisingly good single-player FPS campaigns that - so far - I've played in quite some time" - Totalbiscuit
Combat is challenging and very fluent with emphasis on speed, which they've certainly cranked up. Stopping is death. Glory kills are satisfying, can be a ammo saver, and really don't hinder game flow at all, and can even be upgraded to perform faster (or toggled off in the options). - Bareback Bandito (Steam Review)
Some of the earliest footage for DOOM in action came from the single-player, showing the character of 'Doomguy' slicing through droves of enemies with effective chainsaw swipes and dropping off ledges to finish other enemies with a quick boot-stomp to the face.
Youtuber Totalbiscuit remarks that this idea of freneticism is given an even bigger boost, thanks to movement speed and framerate that is markedly higher than the competition. He notes that it is "surprising" how much this aspect stands out, putting a weapon in your hands "within five seconds" and simply letting you get stuck in.
DOOM has always existed as a bastion of action gunplay, so a return to that ideology by way of ensuring you can hop straight into the action is both nostalgic, and refreshing when you consider the narrative-stuffed competition it's going up against.