Introduction and approach to the new Doom

Doom is back more brutal and brutal than ever And yes I know I always say the same thing with a new Doom but it's always true Get ready to see some savagery on your screen again But behind all this there is also a game with a lot of its own identity very peculiar that must be analyzed in the demo that I was able to get the game officially comes out on May 15th, in 5 days nothing more. So after saying this, I begin.

Design philosophy and game identity

I think that Doom is characterized not so much by trying to always be better than the previous installment, that is more and better, but by being different, having something distinct that gives it its own identity, experimenting with the mechanics and possibilities of its first-person shooting system. In the same way that, for example, From Software gave an identity to the Souls saga and then made variations and experiments with Bloodbor and Seiro, I see the same thing in Doom from Dark Ages.

The reason is that new shield and the way of facing enemies Hware seems to have wanted to get away from that dynamic of arenas in which short distances force you to run frantically around the stage while you think about whether you need health or ammunition and what is the best way to face threats Now it wants you to stand firm, withstand attacks and counter them This new shield does it all It serves to block all types of attacks but it can also be thrown to clear weak enemies or stun the strongest ones You can charge with it to get close to enemies if you are more of a super shotgun person than a long-range weapons person but I think its big attraction is the parry The green attacks and projectiles can be deflected to return damage or counterattack the enemy It also has one of the most generous parry windows I've ever seen so it's there to be used, not to show off your skill at the controls Of course all this can be configured because it has a very extensive difficulty menu so that everyone can find the level of challenge they want.

Back to the franchise's past

As you know, Doom the Darkest is a prequel to the previous ones, but the truth is that it is not only so on a narrative level, it is also a trip to the past of the franchise since it rescues many iconic elements from the original games. You can see how comfortable he feels putting the Slayer's face on screen without shame in strongly highlighting the resources on the map such as ammunition, life, armor, and keys, no matter how unrealistic these highly detailed environments may seem. And he doesn't care because this is Doom.

But even that classic scent is noticeable in the return to a gameplay style where the threat isn't just the enemy moving quickly towards you, attacking you, but also those slow projectiles that you have to dodge as if it were a first-person ballet hell, like the original games did, but with the shield, everything is better implemented.

The story has also improved, and now the game has many cinematics that can be followed from beginning to end, even without prior knowledge of the latest games in the franchise. Of course, don't expect a very elaborate story here, but the truth is that it's not necessary to enjoy the spectacle of these scenes, which is greatly appreciated. In addition, the biggest fans of the franchise and its background, which has been told through the codex, always believe that they will finally be able to see everything they have always imagined. And not only fill in the narrative gaps, but also navigate these scenarios through this architecture that in the previous ones we only saw the ruins of what was the height of a Sentinel civilization that is now in all its splendor.

Special Moments: Atlan and the Dragon

The news doesn't even end here because among the 22 chapters that the campaign lasts, special moments are included on board both the Atlan, that gigantic mecha to fight against colossal demons and the dragon. The first one, well, the truth is, like all the games that include this phase, isn't it good, you feel ultra powerful, it gives variety, but don't expect it to be as well done as controlling the Slayer. Isn't it slower and in its three chapters it ends up being a bit repetitive, the truth is. The dragon, on the other hand, is much better handled, not only does it have a classic air when it comes to controlling this creature, chasing ships in narrow places and navigating huge maps, but also these flight phases alternate with moments on foot.

Changes in the weapons system

The good thing is that there are also more linear maps and you won't miss them at all, plus many open areas take you to places that gradually narrow. The weapons have also undergone changes and I think sometimes necessary and other times the developers have been a bit forced to do so, right? After all, the shield now occupies your right click on the mouse or left trigger on the controller, it's more difficult in all control schemes to have the secondary fire that we had before for weapons in a very long-range button, right? And for that, they have now divided the arsenal into two versions of each weapon. For example, we have the shotgun and the super shotgun or the grenade launcher and the rocket launcher, right? Or the skull crusher, which can be at a more open or more concentrated angle. It's a good idea, but you have to go through that change of weapon, which is slower. And in the frenzy of combat, I think I've missed a little that direct and satisfying secondary fire that we had, for example, in Doom Eternal. Don't I think the most exemplary case is the skull crusher that I'm telling you about? Isn't it simply the muzzle of the weapon that opens or closes and if it had been with a button to quickly open and close that muzzle we would have been able to alternate much better between the two states of the weapon than having to do the whole change.

Performance on PC and consoles

But all this has a clear price especially on PC We are facing a case quite similar to that of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle although that game used the engine eh an advanced version of Idetech 7 Both games have integrated ray tracing so you can only move it with a card that has this capacity while at the same time it makes use of the most advanced techniques of complete path tracing for the most demanding cards From what I've seen this creates a rather peculiar situation because the game behaves very well with older GPUs for example the 20 series but it will demand a lot from your newer GPUs, not those of you who have a high-end one in a Doom I am actually used to having a high refresh rate that perfectly exceeds 120 frames per second but in this Dark Ages it has demanded a lot from my 5080 and I think that is because the graphical options are also somewhat strange instead of having your ray tracing part that you can increase and reduce or the path tracing eh separately that you can deactivate all this is integrated within the game's own options game But the strangest thing is that with this 5080 I have had an average of 80 frames per second in 4K which is good but I really notice that my hardware could give much more in a game like this and the game for whatever reason does not do it It does not matter if I lower all the graphic options from medium to ultra or from ultra to ultra nightmare that really does not change that much there is not that much difference And even if I change the quality of the DSS I do not get an improvement unless I lower the general resolution from 4K to 1440p where things are already behaving much better I think that soon we will see patches and better drivers that will increase performance on high-end PCs because it is not that it is bad it is great but it could clearly be much better Oh and we have also been able to test the PlayStation 5 version and the game runs perfectly There is less detail less sharpness than what you can get in the PC version obviously even some textures that may take a little longer than expected to load but the experience in terms of fluidity and precision is exactly what you expect from a Doom.

My opinion of the game

I have no doubt that Doom Dark is a very well-designed game that knows how to keep refreshing the formula, knows how to remain brutal, and everything works like a charm. With all the weapons and tools the Slayer now has, you'll want to complete the maps 100% to find all the secrets. And it also has its rewards because there are a ton of things to unlock: the weapon, the gauntlet, and the shield. You'll want to find all the gems, find all the gold, and all the runes to complete your arsenal.

So, is this the definitive Doom? Well, I think ID Software itself has been responsible for parrying this question, making each Doom feel different again. The last three Dooms seem very different from each other to me. Deep down, I think that for many it could become their favorite Doom, not especially because of its darker aesthetics and new mechanics, but perhaps others prefer another installment in the saga that is more direct or more closed. And this is precisely what makes all the Doom games special and unique. It allows players to see new facets within the same saga, and at the same time, Software doesn't get bored by simply doing the most and the best because it manages to experiment with everything the franchise has to offer. So the only question that matters is...

Where is the limit?