DOOM Eternal Is the Best Game That id Software Has Ever Made, according to Lead Programmer

[Tsing]

id Software is a legendary game developer that has been responsible for myriad classics (e.g., DOOM, Quake, Wolfenstein 3D), but one employee claims that the company has managed to best the entirety of its previous catalog. Lead engine programmer Billy Khan took to Twitter and boasted that DOOM Eternal "is the best game we have ever made," calling it a "brilliant" experience that "runs butter smooth."

There's the possibility that id is merely trying to get a few more pre-orders in, but yesterday's newly released DOOM Eternal trailer shows quite a bit to help Khan's case. "Official Trailer 2" alludes to a DOOM experience that dwarfs the 2016 original in terms of both scope and gameplay, offering combat that's "fluid as silk."

During E3 2019, executive producer Marty Stratton claimed that id "doubled the demon count" for DOOM Eternal, so that level of refined shooting will certainly be welcome. The game will also offer a 2v1 multiplayer component called BATTLEMODE, which pits two player-controlled demons against the DOOM Slayer.

DOOM Eternal will be released for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020. Those who pre-order will receive a free copy of what was once a Nintendo 64 exclusive, DOOM 64.

 

[primetime]

I wish more for a Doom 3 remaster.

 

[Niner51]

I'm looking forward to this one.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

The last one set the bar pretty high for IQ and performance. It was also one of the few Vulkan games you could play with an NVIDIA card and it ran just as good as DirectX. I'm also looking forward to this.

 

[SeymourGore]

This should be a good'er, and likely a day one purchase for me.

 

[Burticus]

2016 Doom looks very nice and runs pretty well on potatos too. But it hurt my head badly.

I would like to see a Quake 5 or Team Areana 2 or something with the new idtech 7.

 

[Grimlakin]

I want to see a shooter that lets you play cautiously or guns out blazing as you see fit. Wolfenstine back in the day was one of my favorites for the ability to snipe and sneak and take on the enemy base reducing their numbers slowly before triggering an alarm and getting into an extended gun fight.

I want that kind of experience again but I don't know if ID is the studio to do it. Or even if that team is the team to do it any more. They are focused on oodles of action and explosions. And as a gamer... I'm getting past that unless it's a racing game.

 

[SeymourGore]

I want to see a shooter that lets you play cautiously or guns out blazing as you see fit. Wolfenstine back in the day was one of my favorites for the ability to snipe and sneak and take on the enemy base reducing their numbers slowly before triggering an alarm and getting into an extended gun fight.

I want that kind of experience again but I don't know if ID is the studio to do it. Or even if that team is the team to do it any more. They are focused on oodles of action and explosions. And as a gamer... I'm getting past that unless it's a racing game.

That seems similar to the latest Wolfensteins. Seems like you could play the newest series pretty stealthy and cautiously if you'd prefer.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

I want to see a shooter that lets you play cautiously or guns out blazing as you see fit.

Crysis 3 was a lot of fun with that. Use the bow for stealth snipe and then switch over to guns for run and blast everything moments.

 

[Peter_Brosdahl]

That seems similar to the latest Wolfensteins.

Can't seem to pull the trigger on the latest but they just added RT/DLSS for shadows. Still not enough to get me to get it yet. Once the price drops enough I probably will.

 

[Eduardo_Domingot]

Crysis 3 was a lot of fun with that. Use the bow for stealth snipe and then switch over to guns for run and blast everything moments.

I didnt play Crysis 3 but I remember the OG Crysis being amazing for that exact reason. Same with the first Far Cry although many of their games (FC4, FC5) allow the same style of gameplay.

 

[JosiahBradley]

I broke my pre-order rule for this one. Collectors edition on the way. Something so pure about the adrenaline rush this game gives me.

 

[DrezKill]

Doom Eternal hands-on: can id's next game possibly live up to expectations?

Three hours of solid play with a preview build of Doom Eternal? I just couldn't couldn't pass up the opportunity. For m…

www.eurogamer.net

"It's possible to adjust just about every element of the HUD and controls."

"Rather than focusing on a single location, Eternal allows players to visit different areas around the planet. This is accessed from a central hub location - basically a flying space spire inhabited by the Doom Slayer, which he uses to travel around. It's a fun idea and thankfully, doesn't slow down the gameplay. More to the point, it means that each stage can offer a unique look and feel without any big sudden changes feeling out of place or jarring."

"...interesting puzzling and platforming sections providing something very different from what you might expect. I also enjoyed a sequence where you take control of a Revenant temporarily to reach an item. It completely changes up your move set and leads to a unique battle sequence that is a lot of fun to play. I guess the point is that there seems to be a ton of variety in the game this time..."

"The good news is that the core gameplay loop of the reboot is still in pace, but there are some changes. Firstly, the pistol has been eliminated - the default weapon is now the shotgun, while ammo and health are scarce and both drop quickly. The focus, therefore, is more strategic than before."

"This is enhanced by an increased focus on momentum and parkour. The Slayer can swing from hanging bars, climb walls and generally move more rapidly. The stages are built more vertically as well, resulting in lots of fast-paced platforming which integrates beautifully with the combat. In a way, it feels like some perfect fusion of id's multiplayer and single-player sensibilities - the high flying antics of Quake 3 live on in single-player form here. Basically, this is the antithesis of your typical modern day shooter."

"Once in-game, the first thing that really stood out to me is map complexity. The sheer amount of geometry pushed here is greatly expanded compared to the previous game. Detail is everywhere - edges are smoothed over; debris fills every nook and cranny and nearly every surface is filled with geometric flourishes."

"Doom Eternal doesn't use motion capture extensively, instead relying on carefully hand-crafted animation. This was already a strong point in Doom 2016 and it's further improved here - the variety, weight and speed of the animation is fantastic and the game blends smoothly between different animation states."

"With id Tech 7, the studio has completed the transition away from Megatextures. While the 'virtual texturing' idea first developed for Rage was interesting, it has a lot of drawbacks - specifically with problems streaming in high resolution art. The new approach sees Doom Eternal delivering much more detailed surfaces with support for elements like tiling and multiple layers. It's more of a return to a traditional model but the materials and fidelity of the textures are greatly improved, and there is no visible pop-in either."