DOOM Eternal Review: 8 Ups & 1 Down

3. That Boundary-Breaking, Immaculate Score

Never let it be said that music does not matter to a video game.

Composer Mick Gordon's work on DOOM doesn't just obliterate that sentiment, but he fundamentally contributes to the art of immersion in ways you can't put into words - you can only hear and feel.

Sure, that sounds cheesy, but we're talking about a game with an audible footprint just as stonkingly brazen, heavy and identifiable as its mechanics. DOOM Eternal knows when to back off and play to the atmosphere, it knows when to build and deliver a hugely infectious riff, and it knows when to fall back into repeating, galloping patterns while you search for that one remaining foe in a room.

The industrial-meets-groove metal riffs and beats Gordon put together in 2016 were unlike anything even the most ardent heavy metal fan had heard, and here he's only expanding on lessons learned.

The above piece of music is essentially the "main theme" for DOOM Eternal like Rip & Tear was before, only this time it's repeatedly backing every bullet, right in the heart of combat.