(Original review posted November 25th, 2020)
Verdict: Recommended after 23.8 hours of playtime. (Currently 32.2 hours.)
The game is good for a fun romp through Hell killing demons along the way. If you’re a fan of Doom in general, give it a go. But it’s not “all great all the time.”
I feel like the game has moved on from Doom 2016 in a not so good way in some areas. It feels like the team tried to make it more “arcade-y” and you have things like extra lives and too many statuses to keep track of. You have your shoulder-mounted flamethrower, your blood punch, your grenades, your chainsaw, your remaining jumps and dashes, and your ammo counts to keep track of. There are times during play that things just feel too hectic. I used to enjoy my Nightmare runs through the classic Dooms and even a few levels in Doom 2016, but I just can’t seem to keep up with anything above easy any more. Sure, call me lame, but I just don’t enjoy some of the on the fly “inventory” management that seems to be required any more.
Don’t let all that detract you from buying, playing, and enjoying the game. Just know what you’re getting into this time first.