WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR:
Doom Eternal is the sequel to Bethesda’s critically praised Doom reboot in 2016. The official release date is yet to be released, but it is expected to drop sometime in the first quarter of 2019, and the Beta should be available in the first few months of the year. Little is known about the sequel other than the fact that it will take its inspiration from the original Doom sequel, Doom II, released 25 years ago.
GAMEPLAY FEATURES THAT LOOK BADASS
10. New Locations
Doom Eternal shows what Earth looks like after a demonic invasion.
Like Doom II from 1994, Doom Eternal is expected to take place in part, if not wholly, on Earth. Demon hordes have overrun the planet, and it is up to you, the Doom Slayer, to exact vengeance on the legions of Hell. Bethesda has also shown new locations in Hell, as well as a few other surprises that delve deep into the Doom Lore and the history of the UAC. When creative director Hugo Marton and game director Marty Stratton revealed Doom Eternal at Quake-Con in 2018, they teased not just expanding on pre-existing ideas, but creating a “Doom Universe.”
9. Killing Badass Demons with Big Guns
A glimpse at some new weapons and old favorites.
When Marty Stratton presented the first gameplay footage of Doom Eternal to salivating fans at Quake-Con 2018, he said the essence of Doom as a franchise was “killing badass demons with big guns.” We couldn’t agree more, and Doom Eternal seems to deliver on some vicious hardware to assist the Doom Slayer in taking down the demons that wrecked his planet.
Super Shotgun
Attached to the bottom of the Super Shotgun, the Meathook packs a powerful punch.
The new and improved super shotgun now comes with the “meat hook”, which not only allows you to breach large gaps, but also lets players hook into enemies, pulling the Doom Slayer in for a lightning quick strike.
Ballista
The Ballista is a chargeable energy weapon.
The Ballista in Doom Eternal can be charged to fire a highly concentrated bolt of plasma at enemies, vaporizing them instantly or sending them running in terror.
Shoulder Mounted Flamethrower
Shoulder Mounted Flamethrower in action.
For those of you who enjoy roasting zombies by the campfire, there is the shoulder mounted flamethrower. In close quarters, it can clear out a room quite nicely.
8. New and Improved Enemies
Mancubus returns with dual rocket launchers and a bad attitude.
Doom Eternal features new versions of classic enemies (such as the Mancubus above), as well as some new, original enemies that have been developed exclusively for the game. The Arachnotron is a smaller version of the Spider Mastermind from Doom (2016). Although meek in size, this hell-spawn can pack a nasty punch with a cannon mounted above the gooey life form inside the mechanical body. Both the Pain Elemental and Archvile return from Doom II with more arms and armor. In total, Doom Eternal boasts over twice as many enemies as Doom (2016). Some of the more interesting enemies include the Archenemy of the Slayer and The Marauder. The latter of the two carries not only a mean looking axe, but also what appears to be a super shotgun as well.
Archenemy of the Slayer
The Marauder
7. Improved Demon Destruction
One of the most exciting new features that debuted during Doom Eternal’s presentation at Quake-Con was the introduction of “Destructible Demons.” This awesome feature uses an internal mechanic that allows the Doom Slayer to rip the demons apart one bloody piece at a time.
6. Wall Climbing
Buildings are not as insurmountable as before with the new wall climbing feature.
Because no hero is a true badass unless he can climb up a wall. Doom Eternal allows players to traverse any terrain, no matter how high it may be stacked, with a wall climbing ability. And because the Doom Slayer is the badass of all badasses, he does it with his hands!
5. “Invasion Mode”
With Invasion Mode, no Doom Slayer is safe from pesky online players.
In the new multiplayer mode called Invasion, players will be able to form squads of demons to hunt down the Doom Slayer in a separate campaign mode. According to developers at Bethesda, this will essentially allow online gamers to jump into each other’s campaign and wreak havoc. The concept of playing as a demon is intriguing enough, but the idea of invading someone else’s campaign is truly revolutionary. Expect friendships to be strained when this mode launches!
4. Lives system
Extra lives will be available throughout the game.
One of the “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” moments of the Doom Eternal presentation was the introduction of the extra life notification. Marty Stratton later explained that the “extra life” functions as a mobile checkpoint. If you are in the heat of a fire fight and die, your extra life kicks in and restores you at that moment rather than forcing you to go all the way back to your previous checkpoint.
3. Crucible Blade
The Crucible Blade is fine weapon to take down an Archvile.
As you mow down legions of demons with the wide and wonderful arsenal of weapons at your disposal, you may come to a point where you run out of ammo. Fortunately for the Doom Slayer, he has a handy sword called the Crucible Blade, which can hack through enemies like a fine knife through butter. Bloody, creamy, sweet butter. What makes this weapon even more badass is that it shoots out of the hilt like a lightsaber with a severe case of the pissed offs.
2. Wrist Blade
For those times when simply punching your enemy is not good enough.
For up close and personal encounters, the Doom Slayer has a blade that shoots conveniently from his wrist gauntlet. While this weapon may not be as flashy as the Crucible Sword, it does provide for some gory glory kills when in melee combat, including decapitations and cleaving enemies in two.
1. Glory Kills
The Wrist Blade will provide a variety of ways to dispatch your enemies with style.
Nothing captures the appeal of Doom in its current incarnation like that of the Glory Kill. Unlike other FPS’s that are content to have the player smack an enemy with the butt of a gun, Doom (2016) demonstrated just how to make melee combat truly badass. Ripping off opponent’s limbs, stomping their head into gory oblivion, and sawing them in half with a chainsaw were only some of the delights to be had when fighting demons. Doom Eternal ups the ante by going all out with melee attacks using the wrist gauntlet to impale a demon’s head, or ripping an explosive organ from the body, only to shove it back into the demon’s mouth. Doom Eternal is shaping up to be one of the most intense and visceral gaming experiences of 2019 and I, for one, am ready to rip and tear my way to glory!
