DOOM Eternal is the latest entry to Bethesda and id Software’s DOOM franchise. It’s going to be an open-world fps guts and gore horror game where players will be able to hack, blast, shred and eviscerate demons in some pretty creative ways at 60fps. While it’s release date hasn’t yet been announced, the developers have been releasing some hints about what fans can expect when it comes to the PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS4, and Stadia platforms.
The Full DOOM Eternal Gameplay Reveal
So far, not much has been revealed beyond the fact that it continues from the events of the 2016 DOOM revival. All we can tell is that the demons have invaded Earth and started corrupting it into what appears to be organic flesh and bones. The preview Earth cities that we’ve seen are completely destroyed and even parts of human strongholds, such as the Protos base, are overrun with demons.
On Earth, we see that Earth’s landscape is seeped in pools of blood and skeletal remains, some of which seem to have been bound and tortured before being killed. Judging from the chipper holographic guide, it seems that the invasion was not unexpected, and that officials had hoped that it would be a lot more peaceful than it was.
Another factor that isn’t clear is just how far the demonic corruption has spread. Are there any humans or animals left alive on the planet, or have they all been eradicated or transformed, aside from those in the military satellites and bases?
It has also been hinted that the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) are still active and ‘evolving.’ However, given that this is DOOM, we can assume that any changes have probably not been for the better.
On a positive note, the developers have promised that everything will be tied to the overall story, as they plan on creating a more cohesive universe and lore-based world for the DOOM franchise. We can assume that this will help to make the RPG experience a little more real and meaningful, rather than just a gory, slasher FPS. However, they did mention that this information can be read through separately, rather than weighing down the DOOM Eternal’s momentum. They have also mentioned that a lot of the story is ‘environmental,’ meaning that if players engage with the world beyond simple slash-and-hack play, they will be able to pick up on the events that transpired prior to the game.
Enemies
Demons can be aerial or flightless. Some can slash, others can shoot. Some can also spring or charge at players, so they need to maintain 360° awareness of their surroundings at all times. Flashes of demon worshipers have also been revealed in the gameplay trailers, so it seems that the Slayer will need to compete with deranged human enemies as well.
Players will be able to use a wide selection of weapons, including a firearm equipped with a ‘meat hook’ that can be shot at enemies and then used as a grappling hook to get the Slayer up close to their foe. There are variations of assault rifles, rocket launchers, knives and swords among others.
Some of the new creative ways that players can slaughter their opponents entails spearing out their hearts and shoving it into their throats or slowly hacking their foes to pieces, in what the developers refer to as ‘destructible demons.’
Modes
The previous DOOM title boasted 18 maps and 12 modes, so we can hope that this version will feature at least that many as well. However, the only modes that have been confirmed so far are:
Single Player Campaign – This provides access to the full story mode campaign, including all difficulty levels such as the ‘Ultra Nightmare Mode,’ where players will be playing the game with only one life.
Invasion – Players will be able to possess demons and invade other players campaigns. Players will also be able to team up with friends with these invasions, meaning that they will get the chance to attack other Slayers as demons either solo or in teams. The good news is that players will be able to toggle the invasion option on and off, so they won’t have to worry about unwanted trolls grieffing them during every campaign.
Locations
The confirmed locations featured so far are:
Hell on Earth – A corrupted Earth saturated with pools of blood swarming with demons and terraformed with structures comprised of exposed innards and bones to help the demons to feel more at home.
Hell – The enemy’s home base.
Mars – Where hell was originally unleashed by the UAC.
Phobos – Mars’ moon.
New Mystery Locations – ‘Places [players] have never been before in a DOOM game.’