They are rage, brutal, without mercy. But you, you will be worse. Rip and tear, until it is done!
I've also finished Doom recently and forgot to write about it. Well, not so much forgot as I'm not a reviewer, my English sucks and I can't form coherent sentences even in Russian most of the time. But I'll try. This shit's worth a post.
So, DOOM.
First, let's make one thing perfectly clear: it's not Final Doom or Doom II. It's very much a modern shooter in many respects. It also took the “trap the player in an arena till they kill all the monsters” thing form Painkiller, so the levels aren't structured like they were in the old games. This one features a set of arenas per level + some secrets and — sometimes — some plot. Some arenas are even optional. I know, right? Optional content in 2016? Madness.
That aside, it does feel a lot like an oldie shooter. At the start, you get an inspirational quote, a gun and some posessed humans to kill. Right into the action you go. Then you get your armour. Less than a minute after that — a shotgun and your first Imp. Then — your first proper arena. Things start to speed up from there and if you don't run around the level searching for secrets and collectibles, it will very rarely stop to give you some plot or show you something cool. You choose the pace though. Don't want to jump from arena to arena? The game won't force you.
I really like the guns. The plasma gun can fuck right off, but all the other guns have a very nice punch to them. I feel like actually doing some motherfucking damage! FPS devs, look at Doom for how guns should feel. Look at the double-barrel. Oh my sweet, sweet super shotgun, how have I missed you.
The automap is very nice once you spend a minute with it. Again, other developers, look at it and take notes. Really good 3d map.
Glory kills... I really feared they would break the flow of combat, but they really don't. In fact, once you start playing on Nightmare (and hey, if you're not playing Doom on Nightmare, I don't want to know you), glory kills become essential. The flow is like this: Run like hell, deal damage, dodge as much of it as you can, compensate the lost health and armour with a glory kill — which are pretty fun to use btw, they are crisp and so, so violent — deal some more damage, refill ammo with the chainsaw, repeat till you've finished the arena.
The Doom Slayer's character — yes, he actually has a personality this time around — is conveyed exclusively through action, which is both rare and fits the game perfectly. He hates demons, clearly dislikes Hayden and really likes tearing demons apart. But he's also smart and can think for himself — and not just about violence.
The background lore is rich, but vague enough to leave you guessing the details. I recommend actually reading the pieces of lore you find, they are pretty cool, with a healthy dose of humour sprinkled in there.
The most important thing though is the core gameplay. And it does not disappoint one little bit. The arenas are just as long as they need to be, the fights are fast and brutal, the demons aren't bullet sponges, but neither are you, so think fast and use your head a bit. And — I repeat — play on Nightmare. It's the only way.
In conclusion, the game makes me smile. And I don't mean just a smirk, no! I've caught myself grinning from ear to ear more times than I care to count. It's beatiful, fast, brutal and violent. It's Doom, baby. Doom!