Doom

Doom is my favourite game of 2016. Full of everything a Hardcore gamer could want. The main character of the game is a totally awesome badass. I was cheering when I was smashing a demon head to pieces. Blasting demons with a shotgun, slicing them with a chainsaw. Oh, it was glorious great fun. Doom has returned, this game is excellent. I highly recommend it for fans of First Person Shooters and Doom fans.

Not even in Hell can the demons escape the wrath of the Doomslayer. He is as ruthless as the game, and I love it.

The first thing to notice, other than its blood-soaked and gory nature, is that it plays just like the old-school arcade shooters, a similar style to the original Doom, but with today's graphics. The implementation is just astonishing, and it's nice to know that Id Software still puts the same passion in the Doom series. Nostalgia will hit those who played the 1993 classic like a truck.

Doom may fall short on story, but the pacing is well-made and the campaign is pretty long compared to the other titles, giving a good 11-12 hours total. Blasting demons never gets old, especially not with the new glory kills. And even though there are very few bosses, the battles with them are epic, lengthy, and challenging. They may not be as daunting as Souls bosses, but you can at least expect a difficulty similar to bosses from the God of War series.

So what about multiplayer? It is a blast. It may not be the best experience in my opinion, but it still got me hooked for some time. Given that it is an arena style, fans of Quake multiplayer will be happy with this. There is a good amount of content to unlock, and even several different demons to play (if you're lucky enough to catch that demon rune before others). Also, it is worth mentioning that all DLC is free now and Doom even has a bot mode, so if no one is online, the bot mode is there. And how can anyone forget about Snapmap, a feature where players can make levels or play other user-generated levels, with coop modes included?

But is the multiplayer better the campaign? No, not exactly. But it is far from a throw-away mode either. The case is similar to the Uncharted series, where the single player campaign is the main reason to play the game, but the multiplayer still serves as a strong supplement, and is a lot of fun, most importantly.

Overall, this is Id Software's best yet, and I am very excited for Doom: Eternal. It is close to perfect though, but not quite, since a stronger story would still have been nice, and it gets pretty repetitive, which is why I give it 9.5/10. This is recommend to anyone who is a fan of the Doom series or violent, action-packed FPS games in general.

No shooter can give you the same rush as the 2016 reboot of DOOM does, at least for me. In an age in where first-person shooter are almost only about the multiplayer, it's a relief to know that when single-player ones are created, they still kick ass. After development hell, a fitting title to a game centred around hell. The combat in the game is fast, and absolutely bloody. Every weapon, excepting the basic Pistol, is powerful enough to be viable in any situation, but are more useful some times than others. Each one of the dozens of demons is unique in its own way, and some, like the Possessed Engineer can be a life-saver in some situations, while others are annoying pests, such as the Summoner, who teleports around the place, spawning enemies to overwhelm you. Other factors heavily, and positively, improve the combat for me, such as the removal of reloading, which saves you from slowing down or glory kills, which is one of the only ways to last on higher difficulties. The soundtrack is one of the most unforgettable in a video game, containing incredibly heavy guitars, strange pedals, in-your-face synths and even a choir when need be. Just to think what the music for this game would've been if Bethesda's idea of no metal in the DOOM soundtrack had gone through. Another thing that the DOOM franchise has been pushing since the first game is graphics, and my god does this game look gorgeous. The locales are all wonderfully textured, and you'd be hard pressed to find anything that looks horrendous in this game. Secrets are littered across the world; and in every level weapons that are introduced in the next level can be found, and also Classic maps, which let you explore older maps from the first two DOOM games, and the jarring difference between the pixelated background and the beautifully rendered demons is almost comedic. The story is nothing much to worry about. It's a normal Science-Fiction story, with humans finding a new type of energy, trying to extract it, not noticing the massive repercussions that are bound to ensue. If you still crave some more out of the game, there are a couple options, although this game's campaign is quite a good-deal long, and extremely re-playable, especially for its miniscule price. SnapMap is a handy feature which allows you to create your very own map, and also explore other player's creations. The game does a good job teaching you, and you can probably read every tutorial in the seven years it takes to load SnapMap. There is also multiplayer, which died quicker than a honeybee. And at least the honeybee was useful. Whereas DOOM's multiplayer wasn't. And if you don't want either, well, kiddo, you're outta options. To recap, DOOM is certainly my favourite shooter to ever be released, with its high-octane combat, unforgettable demons and even less forgettable soundtrack. I'm certainly excited for DOOM Eternal.

'Doom (2016)' is a highly praised revival of the classic 'first-person shooter' series that gives it its name. Its praise is well-deserved; it's one of the most energetic, engaging and enjoyable entries in its genre. The game's focus is firmly on its running and gunning, with its story serving simply to get you from demon-killing set-piece to demon-killing set-piece. The story is serviceable - decent, even - but to pretend that it isn't there to enable the gameplay doesn't do anyone any favours. The gameplay primarily consists of shooting, with a few platforming sequences thrown in to spice things up, so it's a good thing that the shooting is incredibly satisfying. There are a wide variety of weapons, each with customisable secondary fire, and the game never restricts your access to them (once they're initially unlocked, which doesn't take long). They all have a tactile response and every shot does tangible damage to your opponents, often splattering them across the environment. The controls are tight and responsive, allowing you to glide around the stages and blast your foes with ease. Indeed, you hardly ever stand still, with movement being the key to survival in any encounter. There is also a mechanic wherein you regain health by finishing off a weakened foe with a melee execution, incentivising you to keep fighting even when close to death. These so-called 'glory kills' are supremely gratifying, providing just a moment's respite along with a helping of over-the-top gore. The same is true of the chainsaw kills, which refill ammo, and the area-clearing 'BFG' (the 'B' stands for big, the 'G' stands for gun and the 'F'... well, you can guess what the 'F' stands for). The game is surprisingly long for what it is, but it never gets tiresome. By ramping up its difficulty and the number of enemies you have to face, it keeps things feeling just fresh enough to see you through to its conclusion. Plus, it has a good sense of progression thanks to its upgrades and challenges. There are also tons of secrets to find, as is expected with the series. The whole thing feels like a throwback to a simpler time of 'first-person shooters', a time in which the gameplay came first and the spectacle was all player driven. It's highly enjoyable right from the start and, if you can keep up with its lightening-quick pace, it's a hugely satisfying experience. 8/10

Anyone who was even somewhat aware of pop-culture in the 90's knows about "Doom." Developed by id Software, the original 1993 release became an instant icon and an overnight success. One of the earliest examples of a first-person shooter, "Doom" was just a ton of bloody, visceral fun as you took control of an unnamed marine forced to wage war against the forces of Hell itself. Sequels and spin-offs were aplenty, but that original game is still something that gamers of its time continue to cherish. Especially with 2004's "Doom 3"- the last major installment in the series- taking the series in an all- together different direction that favored slower, methodical chills and thrills over the ferocious "rip and tear" combat of prior entries.

But in 2016, "Doom" came back in the most pleasant (and delightfully unpleasant) of ways possible. Teaming with the phenomenal Bethesda Software, id has effectively rebooted the franchise with "Doom" 2016- a sort-of old-fashioned callback to what made the original game so much fun. This latest "Doom" makes no qualms and is very upfront about what it is- an old-school, guns-a-blazing first person shooter experience that aims solely to entertain and enthrall the player with non-stop action and fast-paced gameplay. I'm literally in awe of just how much fun this game is, and how wonderful a continuation of the franchise it turned out to be. This is without doubt the ideal continuation of the classic franchise.

For reference, this review is based on my experience playing several hours of the game on a Playstation 4 Pro. From a first-impression standpoint, the game is quite stunning. The graphics are wildly detailed and very immense, with majestic and open environments that stretch as far as they eye can see with great detail and absolutely exquisite and smooth creatures and enemies that hold up under scrutiny even when viewed up close and personal. The game runs incredibly smooth, and there's no sign of lag or lowered frame rates during even the most intense of encounters with dozens of monsters all at once. The sound design is top-notch and everything from the background music to the voiceovers to the howls of agony as you tear your way through the hordes of Hell is crystal clear and very nicely stylized for maximum impact. Both visually and audibly, the game is near-perfect, and it's one of the more impressive releases of 2016 that I've had the pleasure of witnessing.

The controls are just a dream. Everything is fluid and responsive and you never feel like you're being cheated out of anything or that you're not in complete control. Every single button on the controller is assigned a function that feels optimal for the gameplay, and even the most inexperienced of players will quickly find themselves having memorized and mastered the control-scheme. I myself have some trouble with hand-eye coordination and usually take several hours to fully "comprehend" the controls for most games... but I had it down perfect by the end of the first mission. The game's difficulty is also great, giving you multiple levels to chose from that all seem to function very well for any given player. Even if you're stuck on easy mode, you'll still feel accomplished at the end of each mission because it's not too easy, and feels perfectly balanced for new players.

The game's story seems more like an afterthought, but it's there for those who care about narrative. Cleverly however, the developers have structured the game in such a way that the plot never bogs down the gameplay, so those who want to dive headlong into battle will never feel like they're being held back. You're given snippets of story here and there, but it's doled out in small doses and generally results in immediate combat or the opportunity for our unnamed hero to do something fun and entertaining. Ex. The first real "exposition dump" is delivered via computer monitor, and we hear just enough to understand what's going on before our latest "Doomguy" simply knocks the monitor away and runs into the next room to combat some more demonic creatures. Not only do you get brief and concise story establishment, but it also informs the character of our hero's mentality and attitude.

If I were to point out any flaws, it's that early on in the game, as you get used to the controls, the game can be a bit unforgiving. Especially as button-prompts appear very small (it took me minutes of staring at the screen to figure out that I had to push down the right thumbstick to perform the new "Glory Kill" mechanic, because even on a 60" screen, the button-prompt was barely the size of a dime) and the game doesn't always give you the best context clues as to what you're meant to be doing. Also, the multiplayer mode is pretty weak.

But beyond those minor issues, "Doom" 2016 emerges as one of the most entertaining and enthralling gaming experiences of our time. It successfully re-invigorates the franchise with incredible modern visuals, expert sound design, tight controls and an anemic but fun little storyline. In many ways, it is the ideal way to re-introduce the iconic series to new fans, while never losing focus on what made the original game so magical. This is "Doom", plain and simple. Just on steroids and with a really nice face-lift. There's no other way to say it, for me, it gets a perfect 10 out of 10. Rip and tear!