A solid boomer shooter, especially on higher difficulties (my first playthrough was on Ultraviolence). Doom is about frantically keeping up momentum and switching to the right tool for the job: With 8 weapons (each with 2 unlockable alternate fire modes), 3 types of grenades, the BFG, your chainsaw, and your bare hands, you always have a choice to make.

The sci-fi-base-taken-over-by-hell aesthetic is also on point, backed up by Mick Gordon's dynamic soundtrack. That rare attention to detail is vital to the vibe of the game, and makes for a seamless score that keeps up with the lulls and crescendos of your fights.

My one gripe is how much of the game's progression (weapon upgrade points, weapon mastery, rune upgrades) is locked behind contrived secrets and challenges. Considering how well the rest of the game flows, it's unfortunate how arbitrary and flow-breaking most of these things are. I can forgive things like mega healths / big armors / OG Doom levers being tucked away in weird but memorable spots -- part of a Nightmare difficulty run just becomes knowing what's where. But the progression challenges are annoying, encouraging you to farm encounters for safe setups for their contrived conditions.

A solid boomer shooter, especially on higher difficulties (my first playthrough was on Ultraviolence). Doom is about frantically keeping up momentum and switching to the right tool for the job: With 8 weapons (each with 2 unlockable alternate fire modes), 3 types of grenades, the BFG, your chainsaw, and your bare hands, you always have a choice to make. The sci-fi-base-taken-over-by-hell aesthetic is also on point, backed up by Mick Gordon's dynamic soundtrack. That rare attention to detail is vital to the vibe of the game, and makes for a seamless score that keeps up with the lulls and crescendos of your fights. My one gripe is how much of the game's progression (weapon upgrade points, weapon mastery, rune upgrades) is locked behind contrived secrets and challenges. Considering how well the rest of the game flows, it's unfortunate how arbitrary and flow-breaking most of these things are. I can forgive things like mega healths / big armors / OG Doom levers being tucked away in weird but memorable spots -- part of a Nightmare difficulty run just becomes knowing what's where. But the progression challenges are annoying, encouraging you to farm encounters for safe setups for their contrived conditions.