If anything can dethrone Mario 3, it's this one. Basically perfect, no notes here - just top tier, intuitive platforming with colorful, gorgeous 16-bit sprite work, a great soundtrack, and stellar level design that rewards exploration and doing things "just because". If there is a nook, there is likely something there to explore. And if there is a cranny, there is absolutely some coins to jump and get or a power up that could save your ass. It's a perfect blend of everything you love about Mario games in one swoop.

And of course, the introduction of Yoshi, who changed the game in various ways but mainly in how he gives Mario new tools to play with in his arsenal. And the same goes for the cape, which is easily one of the best powerups the series has had for it's versatility. While my heart belongs to Mario 3 and it's sheer ambition for the system it was on and the variety in it's levels and powers, Mario World probably has my brain. It's one of Mario's most exciting, replayable, and charming outings, and a must play for anybody wanting to get into the plumbers adventures.

After being dissapointed by DOOM (2016) and its fairly hollow execution, I wasn't expecting DOOM Eternal (2020) and its DLC, The Ancient Gods, to blood punch me in the face and put me through over ten hours of what I can confidently say is the most intense, stylish, and layered first person shooting I've ever played. It has impacted me so much that I've decided to allow myself to review games that I haven't platinumed (as I currently don't have the funds to buy Playstation Plus for the online trophies), as well as allowing myself to give ratings (mainly five stars) to pieces of media I feel strongly about.

From the moment I opened the menu I knew the game was going to be something else. I love the menu music, the green and orange buttons, and the scenic background behind what is the coolest looking interpretation of the DOOM Slayer himself. The art direction as a whole makes up for every single orange tinted UAC base from the 2016 game. There isn't a single setting I didn't love, and every one of them, with their varied colour palletes and tones, had me stopping when I could to take in the scenery, which in a fast paced series such as DOOM seems pretty unheard of. I read someone compare the game's settings to a plethora of different metal album covers, and I think that hits the nail on the head. Even more so, the soundtrack somehow one ups the previous. Its a shame id Software messed up the whole soundtrack business, otherwise I'd be eating the soundtrack up like I'd never eaten before.

Alongside the settings, the enemy variety is plentiful, only complimenting the game's art direction. Not only have they refined the designs from the 2016 entry, but they've also added tons and tons of new enemies, doing what the beloved DOOM II (1994) did for the original DOOM (1993) tenfold. Even throughout both parts of The Ancient Gods, the enemy variety only increases, shaking up every combat situation and making it absolutely impossible to expect even the unexpected. You have to be on your toes at all times, which brings back that same trial and error gameplay I'd missed from the classic DOOM titles. It didn't feel mindless at all, and instead felt stimulating from start to finish.

The demons are as much fun to shoot as they are to look at with the array of weapons and mechanics you have to play with throughout the game. I was frustrated by DOOM (2016) and its overabundance of upgrades which made it a cakewalk even on Ultra-Violence mode, so I started DOOM Eternal on Nightmare mode expecting it to be the same. I was very wrong, Nightmare mode caused me to drop the game for a few weeks, reconsidering if it was a smart choice. Upon returning to it, I decided to knock it down to Ultra-Violence, which felt like the perfect challenge I was looking for. DOOM Eternal does bombard you with upgrades, guns, and extra equipment to help you manage your health, armour, and ammo, but it doesn't make it easier. I was pleasently surprised by how hard the game gets, and I was even more pleasently surprised by how painfully difficult The Ancient Gods Part One was, which had me biting my teeth upon every death. Despite that, by managing the mechanics the game had given me I was able to balance everything and by the end of the game I had pretty much mastered it. That's the beauty of the game, when you really get a hold of its horns you end up pulling off the most satisfying clutches, destroying several of the same types of enemies that a few hours ago were kicking your ass by their lonesome. It also helps that your arsenel is so well rounded with them thankfully removing the pointless pistol, tweaking certain guns to feel chunkier and well balanced, as well as bringing back DOOM 64's (1997) wonderful Unmaker, now called the Unmaykr. That alone shows the love id Software put into this game, and the diversity of the DOOM Slayer's weaponry had me using every single gun in every single fight.

In my review for DOOM (2016), I complained about how unsatisfying the ending was, but DOOM Eternal has both scratched the itch that game left and removed that itch entirely, leading me to reflect on and actually appreciate DOOM (2016) and its ending more than I previously did. Yes, the story is simple, but the presentation, the set pieces, and the fights elevate it to literal God-like heights.

I'm more than happy with my experience with this game. After thinking I'd simply fallen out of love with DOOM after DOOM (2016), DOOM Eternal pulled me right back in with the meat hook, plagueing my thoughts and dreams with visions of flying around demonic arenas and glory killing giant foes. Even when I thought the game might start to get old, the DLC introduced new weapons and enemies that tossed up what I had learnt and pushed me to try something new. I can't imagine how you could improve upon this, I honestly don't think its possible.

I'll say approximately the same things that I said about Doom 2016.

Really dynamic gameplay, the game looks amazing, tons of cool weapons.
There are some minor details that bothered me a bit tho.

You need to use your chainsaw all the time in order to refill ammo, and you need to do glory kills as much as possible to refill HP. I think those features gave less freedom to the player, because you need to fight more meticulously & carefully.

I also felt like the game was harder than Doom 2016. Some parts made me struggle a lot, especially the Kahn Maykr boss fight.

The game was still an amazing experience, and I'll probably play both Doom games again in the future.

----------Playtime & Completion----------

[Played in mid-June 2022]
Playtime: 13 hours
Main story complete.