When you first include Doom sample 2016, they subconsciously expect some kind of trick, another attempt of the developers to re-invent the genre of first-person shooters and vague experiments with game mechanics. But instead you seemed transported back to a time when the head of all stood the furious action and not overloaded with unnecessary details of the gameplay. When nothing prevents you to shred hordes of demons battered time a chainsaw and cut them to shreds from BFG. Fast, ferocious, incredibly violent game throws you into the thick of the war with the inhabitants of hell, flooded the Martian research base. Just such a shooter we all so greatly lacked.
From the legendary Studio id Software, gave the players of Wolfenstein 3D, the original Doom and Quake, almost nothing was heard much from 2011. Then they released their previous game Rage, which, however, received very mixed reviews from critics and players. Visually it looked great (thanks to the id Tech 5 engine and MegaTexture technology), and the gameplay was very good, but still something she lacked. It is not up to their previous Studio projects, which falled in love with from the first minute. In parallel with the creation of Rage, id Software was developing further his most famous shooter Doom 4. Over time, this game was transformed into a complete reboot of the series and became known as simply Doom. The process was long and incredibly painful. Several times the project was on the verge of complete abolition. Game designer John Carmack, unable to endure such pressure, Packed up and went to work at Oculus VR.
Fans were seriously excited about this state of Affairs. Of the developers of the very first games in the series, id Software has almost nobody left and the release date of the new Doom Bethesda representatives to call stubbornly refused. The head of the Studio id Software Tim Willits, speaking to fans at the festival Quakecon 2013, expressed his opinion about the new game: “every game has a soul. Every game has its own spirit. When you play Rage – you feel the spirit. In a new Doom just haven’t.” The developers tried hard to create unique game, which would not be similar to other modern shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield, while remaining true to the vision, laid the first Doom in 1993. That’s why the design lasted so long, and the game had to redo it from scratch. In the end, the new Doom still saw the light may 13, 2016, and gives me great pleasure to say that in front of us just a great shooter.
It should be noted that the game before us, is most similar to the first two series of the franchise. If you are keen on Doom 3 – the risk of disappointment, because the developers moved away from the concept of horror, returning the game to the category of furious shooters. No, the game has a very dark and even frightening moments, but to scare the player – now not its main task. It was developed to ensure that we could with a huge gun ready to shoot the crowd of demons naturally or tear them with their bare hands into large pieces. Here in this new Doom is just gorgeous! Actually, I don’t really have anything to compare this game, since I cannot recall in recent years were even remotely similar to the new Doom shooters. It wonderfully combines the beauty of modern designs and classical mechanics of shooters of the early 90s.
Nostalgia covers you even in the main menu of the game, when familiar music in a new energetic arrangement you choose the level of difficulty. Your choice here there are options for “I am too young to die”, “Do me it hurt”, “Ultra-violence”, “Nightmare”, and, for the refined masochists, initially blocked by the complexity of the “Absolute nightmare”. The last option offers the player in the literal and figurative sense to visit the real hell, as on all the passage of Doom you have only one life. Dying in the game, you have to start it all from the beginning. But from my own experience, I want to tell you that it is virtually impossible. What can I say, even if none of the team could not make my own game on this difficulty? But something tells me that among the fans of the franchise certainly there is a desperate madman.
The events of the new Doom traditionally takes place on Mars. Humans have colonized the Red planet with only one purpose – to draw from its depths a priceless Argent-energy, and then relay it to Earth. Even when scientists learned that this energy is the connecting link between our world and the underworld, no one is scared. However, long continue this idyll could not, therefore, at one point all covered with a copper basin. From the depths of hell on a Martian plain Ellada rushed a Horde of various demons, and most of the 60-strong contingent of stations either ripped to shreds or turned into obedient minions. The main character wakes up chained to the mysterious altar inside a research laboratory owned by the United aerospace Corporation (hereinafter KLA). He is freed from the chains, and in the next room, discovers an ancient artifact — the Praetorian armor. All! The required minimum to start the game you already have. You can begin the merciless genocide of the demons.
Of course, as you progress through the story campaign will tell you what really happened on Mars, how the demons escaped to freedom, who is really the main character and much, much more. But to be honest, all this Doom is so secondary that could be done and even without a plot. Here it is important only that, how would juicier discharge in the face of the enemy or shotgun, severing his hand, the same hand to beat him to death. Game mechanics is striking in its simplicity and intuitiveness, the game is incredibly fast and shooting monsters awakens in you wildest excitement. By the way, the game has no run button (the character and agile enough without it), and it is impossible to recharge the weapon. All of these elements, the developers have thrown overboard, considering optional, but I can’t say that the game suffered from this.
One of the innovations of the gameplay was the appearance of Doom “Brutal murders”. Isrelative demon weapons, you stun it, after which it begins to illuminate in blue. At this point you can shoot him again and end his miserable existence or to carry out an incredibly brutal finishing moves with your bare hands. But don’t procrastinate, because after a few moments, the demon will come again in itself, and will resist the main character. The animation of the finishing moves depend on the specific type of enemy and regardless of which side you attacked him. The protagonist breaks off the demons horns and reveals their throats, squeezes his eyes and pulls out the heart, the neck collapses with a crunch crushes the enemy’s head with his heavy boot. During these finishing moves of defeated enemies drop health packs, regenerative level of life energy of the character, so they are particularly useful in the midst of fierce battle, when every hitpoint counts. On the other hand, finishing a few ruin the dynamic of what is happening on the screen, and eventually grow weary of repeating animations.
The game offers us quite a convenient system modification of weapons and the Praetorian armor of the protagonist. Almost every weapon can be put on additional modifiers that you will be able to have field drones. Thus, you can attach a grenade launcher to your shotgun or assault rifle provide a convenient optical sight. For killing enemies you will earn points to improve weapons, which you can then use to improve the performance of your modifications. Upon reaching the maximum modification level becomes available, another bonus level which can be activated only by fulfilling the necessary requirements. For example, kill 30 enemies of a certain type only shots to the head.
The Praetorian armor is pumped a little differently. In the game you will come across the dead bodies of the guards a space colony, with which it is possible to remove Praetorian badges. After accumulating a certain number of such tokens, you can increase the resistance of your reservation to the environment and explosions, to improve its navigation system (the map will be visible for more places of interest), to improve the system of equipment (increased speed of recharge and amount of ammunition), to improve the efficiency of the various power-UPS and also increase your speed and agility. Also from time to time you will come across spherical cells, full of Argent energy. With their help it is possible to increase the maximum number of hit points, the maximum armor level or amount of ammunition. And as you progress you will acquire more gadgets like boots “Delta-V” that will allow you to perform double jumps.
During battles try to carefully explore the battle arena, because it is possible to find one of the most powerful artifacts that will give you a huge advantage in battle. For example, you may at some time become a relentless Berserker who breaks with his bare hands even the most powerful enemies in half, or the damage of your weapon temporarily will increase four times. There is an artifact that increases the speed of your movement and then no demon will simply not be able to catch up. What? Too, it is a useful thing. However, to investigate the levels need not only during combat, but once you deal with all opponents. The developers hid in the game an unbelievable number of various secrets that can help you in the process of passing or just to make you smile.
The number of “Easter eggs” in the new Doom is really amazing. you can skip this paragraph if you are afraid to stumble upon spoilers). Here you have the opportunity to be inside the level from the first Doom, but with slightly more modern graphics, and computer puzzle “3 in a row” with the demons as sprites, and the name of the actor Sean bean in the lists of the dead employees of the Corporation KLA (even in the game his character managed to die), and thumb up, when the main character falls in lava, like the famous character of Arnold Schwarzenegger. In General, at every step the developers are trying to please the player a variety of surprises and surprise him with unexpected discoveries.
At the beginning of each level before you will set three tasks for which performance you will receive a nice bonus. These simple tasks, and run them optional, but this is a good motivation for experimenting with weapons and enemies. For example, you will need to kill two enemies with one shot from a shotgun or take five different finishing moves of the same opponent. The game also has a rune of testing. Sooner or later you are bound to stumble upon a glowing stone with the inscribed ornate signs. Touch him and you immediately find yourself in another dimension, where you will be asked to perform some intricate task. For example, to shoot 15 enemies with an assault rifle before the expiration of a certain time. With this you can move through the level only within 3 seconds after the death of the last enemy you killed. For the victory you will be awarded a magical rune that can be installed in a special slot to your armor. Rune “the Cleaner”, for example, attracts to you ammo and health from a greater distance, and rune “Fury” speeds up the execution time of finishing moves. Again, these tasks are completely optional, but the bonuses from them are very useful.
Visually, the game looks great Doom. The engine id Tech 6-generation shows itself in all its glory. In the settings you can at any time to adjust the strength of blur images in motion, if you experience discomfort from high speed gameplay, as well as to enable or disable the effect of the chromatic aberration. The game shows a surprisingly stable framerate. On the PlayStation 4 is 60 fps without any noticeable subsidence. The resolution in the game dynamic, but in the vast majority of scenes I’ve watched honest 1080p. Of course, the maximum pumped from the picture will be able to enjoy only the owners of powerful computers, while the console version for PS4 and Xbox One too, Oh how good! As for console controls, the developers have done everything possible to ensure that players to have a fun shoot vermin with a gamepad in hand. Any discomfort I personally have in the process of passing arose.
A few words need to put in a good word about music. Australian composer Mick Gordon in a careful attitude to the music from the original game, while making it more intense and brutal. He used in the recording process of the soundtrack 9-string guitar and arched the resulting material is a healthy dose of dark electronics. Riffs from the original game in such a rigid arrangement sound much more impressive and fresh. Even I, a person very far from “heavy” genres of music, enjoyed listening to the OST of the game and was very impressed. Let me remind you that the hand of Mick Gordon’s soundtrack belong to the fighting game Killer Instinct for the Xbox One, as well as the last two games of the series Wolfenstein. The sound in the game is also at a very decent level. All dialogues were voiced with the participation of Russian actors, although I was a little disappointed in the game options there is no option to include the original voice acting.
Now it’s time to talk about the shortcomings. And they, of course, games are available. Frankly a weakness of Doom can be considered a multiplayer component. Yes, this is the classic duels in the arenas. Yes, you can play team or capture points. Yes, you can even transform into different demons and crush other players in his new role. But there is no multiplayer mode in you those vivid emotions, which gives the story campaign. He does not make you “wow-effect”. And it’s not just my opinion. Many reputable Western gaming journalists respond similarly disappointed about the multiplayer component of the game. Don’t get me wrong. It was not bad, but not even close to lying with the story campaign. I’m sure a considerable number of players will get from the online modes a lot of fun, but to me this number is not passed.
This problem of the games not over, but that’s tiny flaws like too small font in the game menu or always fleeing ahead of the engine of the subtitles that you don’t have time to read. In the console version, I’m a little upset too slow programas textures that appear on the three-dimensional models gradually. I naively believed that such technical defects can be long considered a relic of the gaming industry. Download the levels themselves also take a lot of time. Of course, in the PC version it is handled by using SSDS, but console gamers will have to wait patiently until after each of their deaths filled round interest scale. Special bugs in the game I didn’t notice, but once in the heat of a fierce battle I somehow managed to fall through the texture and sink into eternity. But it was an isolated incident, so to blame the developers for it, I will not.
Whatever it was the situation with the shortcomings of the game, its undeniable advantages take precedence. Doom forces the player to literally fly through the level, not allowing him to stop even for a second. Here you will not be able to sit in the woods, as in other modern shooters. The demons will get you out of any hole and unceremoniously punched in the face, so constant movement is the secret to your longevity and well-being. And so what the game has great bosses! Yes, for some of these bosses, you can safely throw the game an extra point. Each of them requires an individual approach. You did not come stupidly to suppress the enemy with heavy fire. Will have to monitor his behaviour and to develop individual tactics of warfare. Just like in the good old toys from the 90’s. But if you suddenly seem that the game has too little content, it will be possible to sign up SnapMap and download one from a huge multitude of levels created by fans of the series. You can also design your own levels in a convenient editor, and then upload it to official server id Software, where it will be able to find and test other players.
Pros:
- We have the same Doom that we all love so well.
- The brutality of the game and the coolness of the protagonist is through the roof.
- The game boasts modern graphics and a stable frame rate.
- Music Mick Gordon only emphasizes the unique nature of the game.
- Game mechanics will please all without an exception of fans of shooters.
- Excellent Arsenal of weapons, including the legendary gun BFG and the chainsaw.
- Game levels carefully designed and thoroughly thought through.
- The runic system tests perfectly diversifies the gameplay.
- Doom integrated a very convenient system of various modifications.
- The humor of the developers and a mountain of Easter eggs will not let you get bored.
- Games bosses want us to remember about how it was cool in the 90s.
- The level editor will allow each player to briefly become a Carmack.
Cons:
- Finishing off enemies with time become routine.
- The multiplayer component of the game I am not impressed.
- There are problems with the loading speed of textures.
Years of waiting for this game-protracted definitely was worth it, because it is thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the old school. While technically the game looks great and will be enjoyed by connoisseurs of high-quality graphics and modern effects. Great game mechanics, supplemented by advanced system modifications and a range of exciting tests, it just makes the game more attractive. Doom is so brutal in his good old alternately that after all the other violent games seem to be the only children’s entertainment. The developers at id Software found a wonderful way to give the franchise new life. We must admit that we all really missed this series, and finally, our expectations were rewarded in full. Updated Doom has become for many an incredibly pleasant and unexpected surprise may. Put the game 9 points out of 10.
Review game Doom: the good old ultra violence
Sergey Grey