SUPERMEGALONFAN
2005
A little disappointed with my replay of Ultimate Spider-Man, but I still like this game.
The best part about it is definitely the art direction. The comic book style is so nice to look at and made this game age much better in comparison to other open world games that released at around the same time period. The soundtrack is great too, it's got this electronic dnb feel that I kinda wish was used more in Spider-Man media.
Spider-Man as a game character is a mixed bag for me. Despite it being somewhat cut down from Spider-Man 2, the swinging in this game is still very fun. It's momentum-based and you can die if you fall too high, so I'm very much a fan. It also has some nice additions like web climbing, which is a mechanic that I wish more Spider-Man games used. However, the combat is where it starts to fall apart for me. It's very mindless and button mashy. There being fewer moves is not a problem on its own; plenty of action games still manage to be incredibly fun and engaging with as many or even less options to use (For example, Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action!). It's not about how many buttons you press or how many moves you can do, but what you do with those moves. And unfortunately, Spidey's combat really falls short on this regard. You essentially punch and kick until the enemy starts blocking or attack, and then you jump and punch and kick. Even if there are cool things like being able to bounce off walls or hanging bad guys off street lamps with your webbing, it's not enough to give it more actual depth. Although one thing I'll give credit is how you make sure the enemies you fight stay down; once they're knocked out, you have to web them up to make sure they don't get back up. I think that is a really nice mechanic that fits Spidey!
The other playable character in this game, Venom, is actually pretty fun to play as! It's essentially [PROTOTYPE] before [PROTOTYPE] came out, where you go around destroying cars and eating people. Even if again, you don't have that many moves to use (With the light punch also being pretty much useless compared to the tendril attacks), it's still a pretty good time overall! When it comes to combat, I actually much prefer Venom than Spider-Man in this game. What can I say, throwing cars at helicopters and breaking people's backs is much more fun than what Spidey's got going on in this game.
The main missions are another mixed bag for me, unfortunately. There are some really good highlights, like the Rhino mission early on in the game that has you switching from chasing him, saving the civilians caught in the crossfire, and even kicking some thugs' asses until you eventually get to fight him. It's pretty much the best of this game's main missions in one. However, not all missions of this game are like that. Some are incredibly repetitive and shallow, others are strangely short. There is one Venom mission in particular that has such an annoying lack of checkpoints that made it more irritating than fun to beat.
The Boss fights can range from pretty good to really lame. The best bosses of this game are probably Rhino and Carnage, with how much they keep spicing things up. On the other hand, the worst bosses have very repetitive attacks and don't really bother to have proper phases, so you just punch and kick them until they go down. The first Beetle and Silver Sable fights are particularly bad instances of this. You just pretty much mash the attack button until they go down, maybe dodge every now and then, without any interesting change.
The side missions are actually pretty fun! The race missions are great, especially the ones with Johnny Storm. The combat tours are fine, and the crime events are a ton of fun! They can range from purse snatching, car chases, someone about to fall off a building, and even a fight with the Shocker! Even if some of this content is held back by the mediocre combat, it's still very commendable! As for the collectable... They're fine I suppose? I never really cared much for that sorta stuff in these games, so...
The story is overall very nice. I'm not the biggest fan of Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man run, but his work here was quite solid. How he handled Venom was shockingly good. He pretty much had a whole arc of going from a terrifying starving monster to something more akin to the Lethal Protector we all know and love. In fact, this Venom is so good that it really makes you wonder just why the actual Ultimate comics' Venom had such an intense downfall, but I digress.
Overall, I respect this game. I think it did a lot of interesting and cool stuff, but there are some really big flaws that I just can't look past. I wish Treyarch got more time to develop this game, cause if they did this could've been an amazing (Dare I say Ultimate hahahahaha) Spider-Man experience, but as it stands right now? It's alright.
The best part about it is definitely the art direction. The comic book style is so nice to look at and made this game age much better in comparison to other open world games that released at around the same time period. The soundtrack is great too, it's got this electronic dnb feel that I kinda wish was used more in Spider-Man media.
Spider-Man as a game character is a mixed bag for me. Despite it being somewhat cut down from Spider-Man 2, the swinging in this game is still very fun. It's momentum-based and you can die if you fall too high, so I'm very much a fan. It also has some nice additions like web climbing, which is a mechanic that I wish more Spider-Man games used. However, the combat is where it starts to fall apart for me. It's very mindless and button mashy. There being fewer moves is not a problem on its own; plenty of action games still manage to be incredibly fun and engaging with as many or even less options to use (For example, Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action!). It's not about how many buttons you press or how many moves you can do, but what you do with those moves. And unfortunately, Spidey's combat really falls short on this regard. You essentially punch and kick until the enemy starts blocking or attack, and then you jump and punch and kick. Even if there are cool things like being able to bounce off walls or hanging bad guys off street lamps with your webbing, it's not enough to give it more actual depth. Although one thing I'll give credit is how you make sure the enemies you fight stay down; once they're knocked out, you have to web them up to make sure they don't get back up. I think that is a really nice mechanic that fits Spidey!
The other playable character in this game, Venom, is actually pretty fun to play as! It's essentially [PROTOTYPE] before [PROTOTYPE] came out, where you go around destroying cars and eating people. Even if again, you don't have that many moves to use (With the light punch also being pretty much useless compared to the tendril attacks), it's still a pretty good time overall! When it comes to combat, I actually much prefer Venom than Spider-Man in this game. What can I say, throwing cars at helicopters and breaking people's backs is much more fun than what Spidey's got going on in this game.
The main missions are another mixed bag for me, unfortunately. There are some really good highlights, like the Rhino mission early on in the game that has you switching from chasing him, saving the civilians caught in the crossfire, and even kicking some thugs' asses until you eventually get to fight him. It's pretty much the best of this game's main missions in one. However, not all missions of this game are like that. Some are incredibly repetitive and shallow, others are strangely short. There is one Venom mission in particular that has such an annoying lack of checkpoints that made it more irritating than fun to beat.
The Boss fights can range from pretty good to really lame. The best bosses of this game are probably Rhino and Carnage, with how much they keep spicing things up. On the other hand, the worst bosses have very repetitive attacks and don't really bother to have proper phases, so you just punch and kick them until they go down. The first Beetle and Silver Sable fights are particularly bad instances of this. You just pretty much mash the attack button until they go down, maybe dodge every now and then, without any interesting change.
The side missions are actually pretty fun! The race missions are great, especially the ones with Johnny Storm. The combat tours are fine, and the crime events are a ton of fun! They can range from purse snatching, car chases, someone about to fall off a building, and even a fight with the Shocker! Even if some of this content is held back by the mediocre combat, it's still very commendable! As for the collectable... They're fine I suppose? I never really cared much for that sorta stuff in these games, so...
The story is overall very nice. I'm not the biggest fan of Brian Michael Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man run, but his work here was quite solid. How he handled Venom was shockingly good. He pretty much had a whole arc of going from a terrifying starving monster to something more akin to the Lethal Protector we all know and love. In fact, this Venom is so good that it really makes you wonder just why the actual Ultimate comics' Venom had such an intense downfall, but I digress.
Overall, I respect this game. I think it did a lot of interesting and cool stuff, but there are some really big flaws that I just can't look past. I wish Treyarch got more time to develop this game, cause if they did this could've been an amazing (Dare I say Ultimate hahahahaha) Spider-Man experience, but as it stands right now? It's alright.
2005
pure peak
anyone who would rank this lower than a 4/5 are foolish
anyone who would rank this lower than a 4/5 are foolish
I stumbled upon Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action while looking for fun, arcadey Beat ’Em Ups on Steam. Didn’t think much of it at first until I looked at the gameplay. It not only reminded me of many games I really enjoy such as Bayonetta, God Hand, and Devil May Cry, but it also felt… Unique. Like something I haven’t really seen before. You could also punch enemies so hard they bounce around the arena like pinballs, which definitely helped peak my interest. Jump to now, where I have over 110 hours in the game by the time of writing this review, and now I can safely say that not only were my expectations met, but exceeded. This is one of my favorite Arcade games in recent memory, and here I’m going to explain why, or at least try to.
Let’s start with the best part of this game: the gameplay (Shocker, I know)! Its deceptively easy to pick up controls may fool you into thinking this game will be full of mindless button-mashing, but I can assure you when things get tough (Which it will), it’s anything but. The aerial movement, the build-up and use of the Wild Meter to either deal massive damage or heal yourself, the insane dodging of a huge barrage of enemy attacks, the unpredictable factor of the Piñata Ninjas (Yes, those are a thing) keeping every fight fresh, kicking and punching destructible objects, platforms and even enemies towards each other, it all combines into this insanely fun and special combat system. There is a lot of quick thinking, and if you make a wrong or, god forbid, mindless move you can very easily get pummeled. It’s a difficult game, but in a fun way!
Now, of course, you can’t make a great combat system without a fun enemy roster to make it truly shine, otherwise you’d just be punching meat dummies. Thankfully, Aces Wild also delivers in that area! There’s some nice variety in how the enemies behave: some of them prefer to stay on the ground, others can keep up with you midair. Some are very up close and personal, while others like to keep a distance or be a little more sneaky in their approach. There’s ninjas, underground-burrowing dogs, missile-firing drones, flying buff women with giant swords, a giant guy with a metal claw thing for a hand. And they all REALLY want to kill you! Even the fodder ninja enemies can catch you off guard if you’re not careful. While the escalating difficulty of the game can frustrate you a bit, I never found an enemy to be insanely annoying to deal with. The one I like the least are the Foxtail, and those don’t even come close to “I would rather eat the rotten asshole of a road killed skunk and down it with beer than fight this guy” levels of annoying that, say, most enemies in BUTCHER easily reach.
And thankfully, this quality in the enemy roster also carries over to the boss fights! All 7 of them have their own unique gimmicks that set them apart, Like Rena Serena’s umbrellas and quick slash attacks, Leslie and Herman Ruter being a duo boss fight, Joan Heart being focused on aerial movement and combat, and so on. One thing I really appreciate about these bosses is that they all stand out from regular enemy combat; they have their own rules, none of them resort to making a fight just “Here are some regular enemies for you to fight and also there’s the boss I guess”. The closest we do get to that are with the Barkley Bones and Fancy Beast fights, and even those use enemies in a way that compliments the fight instead of detracting from it. My personal favorite Boss in Aces Wild is probably Gene Drifter. That guy does NOT fuck around, he can demolish you very quickly if you get distracted for even a moment.
The levels are nice, too. The first 3 stages don’t feel all that different from each other (Although they do still feel unique due to the new enemies they introduce in said stages), but after that things get a lot more interesting. I particularly enjoy Stage 4 due to its gimmick of you being on top of speeding trucks. Not only is it really cool, it also gives you the unique hazard of scraping your face on the asphalt if you’re not careful, which is something you can also use to your advantage of course. And while the game isn’t exactly a hyper detailed graphical masterpiece, I find the visuals very charming and cute. There is a lot of great visual and audio feedback to your moves. When you use all of your Wild Meter to send an enemy flying, the game makes sure to really sell the impact with its sound design and visual effects! One particular detail I really like is how whoever you're playing as shares the same defeat animation as the bosses', I think it's a really great touch.
The OST is quite good, too! It's got a lot of nice electronic tunes to jam to, and it fits quite well with the game. The final boss music and main theme in particular are actually really good. My only complaint is that I wish all the bosses other than the final one had unique tracks. The boss track is good, I just wish they were different from each other.
The story is silly. You obviously don’t boot up this game to experience a thrilling Shakesperian tale, so the game doesn’t really waste much of your time with it. What is there is fun though, particularly the main character’s reason for doing what he’s doing. My man just wants that cash money, I gotta respect it.
The last main thing I want to talk about is the Extra Content. There are 2 other playable characters other than Ace Wilder, which are Gene Drifter (Who is also a boss fight as previously mentioned), and Eagle Morris. While I haven’t played around with them nearly as much as I did with Ace, they do have some neat differences. Gene is more based on heavy attacks and Morris on dodging. They all also have palette swaps, which I always appreciate. There are also some extra difficulty modes for those extra pro players that can go up to “Maximus!!!”, and a boss rush mode that is pretty much what you expect. This game has some really nice replayability, and this content just gives it even more value in that front. One thing I really want to mention though is how you do not have to unlock any of it. The characters, difficulty modes, palette swaps, and even levels are all unlocked the moment you boot up the game. Some people may find that stupid, but I personally think it perfectly fits this game. This isn’t a game you want to grind for coins to unlock a red skin for your character, this is an ARCADE game. It encourages you to play less to unlock stuff or get coins or whatever, and more for the score and the fun of it, which is what an arcade game is all about.
Overall, Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action is a great game! I gave it 4/5 stars here but I can very easily change my mind in the future and give it a higher rating. It’s just such a fun, exhilarating time that I keep coming back just to get that fast-paced dopamine rush. It’s the shit, man. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Let’s start with the best part of this game: the gameplay (Shocker, I know)! Its deceptively easy to pick up controls may fool you into thinking this game will be full of mindless button-mashing, but I can assure you when things get tough (Which it will), it’s anything but. The aerial movement, the build-up and use of the Wild Meter to either deal massive damage or heal yourself, the insane dodging of a huge barrage of enemy attacks, the unpredictable factor of the Piñata Ninjas (Yes, those are a thing) keeping every fight fresh, kicking and punching destructible objects, platforms and even enemies towards each other, it all combines into this insanely fun and special combat system. There is a lot of quick thinking, and if you make a wrong or, god forbid, mindless move you can very easily get pummeled. It’s a difficult game, but in a fun way!
Now, of course, you can’t make a great combat system without a fun enemy roster to make it truly shine, otherwise you’d just be punching meat dummies. Thankfully, Aces Wild also delivers in that area! There’s some nice variety in how the enemies behave: some of them prefer to stay on the ground, others can keep up with you midair. Some are very up close and personal, while others like to keep a distance or be a little more sneaky in their approach. There’s ninjas, underground-burrowing dogs, missile-firing drones, flying buff women with giant swords, a giant guy with a metal claw thing for a hand. And they all REALLY want to kill you! Even the fodder ninja enemies can catch you off guard if you’re not careful. While the escalating difficulty of the game can frustrate you a bit, I never found an enemy to be insanely annoying to deal with. The one I like the least are the Foxtail, and those don’t even come close to “I would rather eat the rotten asshole of a road killed skunk and down it with beer than fight this guy” levels of annoying that, say, most enemies in BUTCHER easily reach.
And thankfully, this quality in the enemy roster also carries over to the boss fights! All 7 of them have their own unique gimmicks that set them apart, Like Rena Serena’s umbrellas and quick slash attacks, Leslie and Herman Ruter being a duo boss fight, Joan Heart being focused on aerial movement and combat, and so on. One thing I really appreciate about these bosses is that they all stand out from regular enemy combat; they have their own rules, none of them resort to making a fight just “Here are some regular enemies for you to fight and also there’s the boss I guess”. The closest we do get to that are with the Barkley Bones and Fancy Beast fights, and even those use enemies in a way that compliments the fight instead of detracting from it. My personal favorite Boss in Aces Wild is probably Gene Drifter. That guy does NOT fuck around, he can demolish you very quickly if you get distracted for even a moment.
The levels are nice, too. The first 3 stages don’t feel all that different from each other (Although they do still feel unique due to the new enemies they introduce in said stages), but after that things get a lot more interesting. I particularly enjoy Stage 4 due to its gimmick of you being on top of speeding trucks. Not only is it really cool, it also gives you the unique hazard of scraping your face on the asphalt if you’re not careful, which is something you can also use to your advantage of course. And while the game isn’t exactly a hyper detailed graphical masterpiece, I find the visuals very charming and cute. There is a lot of great visual and audio feedback to your moves. When you use all of your Wild Meter to send an enemy flying, the game makes sure to really sell the impact with its sound design and visual effects! One particular detail I really like is how whoever you're playing as shares the same defeat animation as the bosses', I think it's a really great touch.
The OST is quite good, too! It's got a lot of nice electronic tunes to jam to, and it fits quite well with the game. The final boss music and main theme in particular are actually really good. My only complaint is that I wish all the bosses other than the final one had unique tracks. The boss track is good, I just wish they were different from each other.
The story is silly. You obviously don’t boot up this game to experience a thrilling Shakesperian tale, so the game doesn’t really waste much of your time with it. What is there is fun though, particularly the main character’s reason for doing what he’s doing. My man just wants that cash money, I gotta respect it.
The last main thing I want to talk about is the Extra Content. There are 2 other playable characters other than Ace Wilder, which are Gene Drifter (Who is also a boss fight as previously mentioned), and Eagle Morris. While I haven’t played around with them nearly as much as I did with Ace, they do have some neat differences. Gene is more based on heavy attacks and Morris on dodging. They all also have palette swaps, which I always appreciate. There are also some extra difficulty modes for those extra pro players that can go up to “Maximus!!!”, and a boss rush mode that is pretty much what you expect. This game has some really nice replayability, and this content just gives it even more value in that front. One thing I really want to mention though is how you do not have to unlock any of it. The characters, difficulty modes, palette swaps, and even levels are all unlocked the moment you boot up the game. Some people may find that stupid, but I personally think it perfectly fits this game. This isn’t a game you want to grind for coins to unlock a red skin for your character, this is an ARCADE game. It encourages you to play less to unlock stuff or get coins or whatever, and more for the score and the fun of it, which is what an arcade game is all about.
Overall, Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action is a great game! I gave it 4/5 stars here but I can very easily change my mind in the future and give it a higher rating. It’s just such a fun, exhilarating time that I keep coming back just to get that fast-paced dopamine rush. It’s the shit, man. I HIGHLY recommend it!
2020
This review contains spoilers
Doom Eternal is a very good game, no doubt about it. The fact that it's a thing at all in the landscape of shitty AAA games, something so focused on delivering a fun, action-packed experience, is an actual miracle. Of course it's not without its flaws, but despite its weirdness it is absolutely worth your time if you enjoy fast-paced first person shooters.
Now that the tl;dr part is out of the way, let's start with the gameplay, shall we? It's fucking phenomenal. the flow of using the chainsaw to get ammo, using the flamethrower to get armor, the glory kill for health, and of course, your weapons to absolutely annihilate the demons in front of you, is such a blast to experience, and it's only enhanced by the Destructible Demons system. Seeing huge chunks of flesh fly off from the demons you damage really does sell you on the power trip of being the Doom Slayer. And the new mobility options are very good too. I've always been a huge fan of dash mechanics, so when I saw its reveal in the E3 gameplay showcase, it made me VERY excited. the Meathook is a very fun traversal option too, and I'm sure there's plenty of other tricks that I can't even hope to pull of. If anything, I wish I was even FASTER lol
My only complaints with the gunplay and mobility is that certain weapons are a little useless, like the Combat Shotgun's Full Auto, the Crucible and the Frag Grenade, for example. It might be just me not experimenting with those options enough, though. The chainsaw detection can also be a bit awkward, with many frustrating moments where it either does not detect the fodder in front of me, or it prioritizes the wrong demon. And also, I feel like the dash only being usable again when both dashes are recharged is kind of dumb.
The levels are mostly pretty nice, too. I love the environments in it, they are a joy to look at and are very nicely varied. Layout-wise, it's decent. Sometimes it gets a little too mazey for my tastes, but it's nothing outrageous. The platforming sections are kind of disappointing, though. This is a MOBILITY shooter, and the best you got is just climbing a bunch of walls and dashing to floating platforms? It's not exactly terrible, but I do think those sections had a lot of missed potential. The wall climbing and swimming are especially a drag, with them being very clunky methods of travel that the game honestly would've been much better without. The arenas are very well designed and dynamic. The one that really stuck in my mind is the big one in the Super Gore Nest level, lot of open spaces and options for you to take, with monkey poles and everything! It's a very fun arena, and so are most of this game's. Although due to the levels' average length, I do wish there was some sort of way to select certain sections of the level to start from, kind of like how the Halo games do it with its also pretty long levels. I don't really feel like playing all of Final Sin JUST to kill John Romero again, y'know?
The enemy roster is solid. There is no insanely annoying enemy to deal with in this game, worst-case scenario an enemy is just kind of boring to fight, but not exactly painful. And the best case scenario? Enemies that are incredibly engaging and fun to fight, that really puts your skills to the test. The weak point is a great concept that is mostly executed very well, adding even more dynamic elements to its gameplay loop, with them being very effective (maybe a little too much for some demons) against the tougher demons you come across. I really like how aggressive the demons are in this game; if you're not careful, you'll get your ass handed to you in a matter of seconds, especially with how fast they catch up to you. Every enemy group is well defined, with the brawlers, ranged guys, fodder, all that. Only complaint I have other than the one I already mentioned is that some enemies are kind of redundant, like they don't really bring anything new to the Doom Dance. And this is just a nitpick, but i found a certain enemy, the Cacodemon, far too easy to kill. It's way, WAY too easy to just make them swallow a grenade and open them up for a quick glory kill, even if it is funny to pull off. And my most nitpicky complaint is that sometimes the enemies' glory kills can become quite repetitive, particularly the chainsaw and berserk animations.
The boss fights are a mixed bag, to be honest. There are some very good ones like the Gladiator and the Doom Hunter, with very fun mechanics and exciting setpieces, but there are also more disappointing bosses, like the far too easy Khan Maykr that I defeated in one try, and the strangely underwhelming Icon of Sin boss fight that didn't really feel like a proper FINAL boss to me. The Icon of Sin especially disappoints me, because it's not only the comeback of one of the most memorable demons in Classic Doom, but also a pay-off to Doom 2016's lore, with the Slayer defeating a Titan all by himself. The boss fight could've been a chance to experience that, but instead it's more a fight with the demons than the Icon, despite him actually doing some attacks every now and then. The music was perfect, something we'll get to later, but other than that the boss fight didn't really sell me on its scale and stakes. A more cinematic and exciting set piece could've helped, like you climbing the titan or destroying it from within, something like that. It's an improvement from the Doom 2 boss fight for sure, but it left me wanting more.
The soundtrack, as expected, is godlike. Mick Gordon really brought his best to these tracks (despite being treated like shit by Marty), with some of the rawest god damn songs I've ever heard in my life. Cultist Base, the DOOM Hunter, The Only Thing They Fear Is You, The Gladiator, songs like these coupled with the already energetic gameplay and you got yourself a god damn adrenaline generator. Although I find the more ambient tracks a somewhat underrated side of the OST, like the slow guitar in the Exultia track, or the angelic chants in Urdak, it's all very nice ambience.
The HUD/UI of this game is surprisingly... Garbage? It's very ugly and unappealing, even when you tweak it with the options the game gives you (Which are very appreciated, by the way. Great job on that front). It's just far too cluttered, with the dash having its icon, the 2 bars around it, the very tiny number on the top right, AND the key it's binded to on top. That is just one example of how unnecessarily cluttered the HUD is overall. And while I'm at it, I should bring up how bad the tutorial pop-ups are. Yes, I'm aware it's kind of beating a dead horse at this point, but Doom Eternal really likes to stop you in your tracks and shove in walls of text about every single enemy in your face the moment you encounter them. I get that the game is trying to be straight forward with you, but there is a difference between "loud and clear" and "loud and obnoxious". A better way of implementing little texts like this can be seen in ULTRAKILL, where the text is significantly shorter and more straight forward with you, doesn't pause the game for you to read it, and doesn't give everything about the enemy away. If you want more details on an enemy or a mechanic, you can read up on it in the game's codex, simple as that.
The narrative and lore of this game is quite terrible, to be honest. It tries to be this epic, deep universe but it falls apart on actually telling an interesting story and, y'know, making sense? The way the game treats its actually fun and interesting characters and mysteries from 2016 is insulting, with Samuel Hayden just being a giant expository machine, which to make matters worse turns out to be the Seraphim that gave the Doom Slayer his powers, the Doomslayer turning out to be the classic Doomguy from the classic Doom games, which harms both the Slayer and Classic Doomguy's characters and only characterizes him as a piece of cardboard that is completely detached from what's actually going on in the story 99% of the time, VEGA being mostly a fine if not boring AI companion that for some reason ends up being the Doom universe's current equivalent to God (WHAT?????), and the already established Crucible only being used as a power source as you look for a new one for some reason? You get the gist. The cutscenes are not only strangely lacking for the story it's trying to tell, but the ones that ARE there rarely try to have actually fun moments or character development in favor of boring expository dialogue and flashbacks, and some of the more funny haha scenes that are there don't always land (the mortally challenged joke is so pathetic and it only gets worse as the holograms constantly spam it). All the interactions with the Slayer boil down to one of the 3: "slayer is so scary", generic bad guy dialogue, or "slayer is so cool i want to suck him off", and it gets very repetitive very fast. It is frankly unacceptable how terrible this game's narrative is, even in action game standards, which aren't even that low. We have gotten so many great stories in action games, like Devil May Cry 3's, Katana Zero's, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's, Halo 2's, and many others. Or at the very least you could make a very ridiculously fun story like Resident Evil 4's. It's truly a shame because a game this good deserves an equally amazing story and lore, but it sadly did not get that at all. Not even close.
Now that the main game's content is out of the way, I would like to talk about some of the extra content the game offers.
The Slayer Gates are really nice! Essentially, they're challenge arenas hidden in certain levels that require a key to access. Now I'll admit, I probably should've played through these before I beat the game, especially the earlier ones. With my full arsenal, they feel really easy since it was probably balanced for the weapons you had in a first playthrough of that mission. Regardless, I did have a good time with them! There's a bunch of exclusive arenas made solely for the Slayer Gates, and they do their job of being harder than the rest of the level quite well. My only complaint is that getting the keys to these can be a little boring, especially with how much backtracking you do with certain ones. But despite that, I think Slayer Gates are great additions to the game! And while I'm at it, I'll talk about the Master Levels here. I don't think there's much to be said since they're remixes of already existing campaign levels, but that doesn't mean I don't like them at all. In fact, I think they're some of the best content this game has to offer! I really like how it spices up a lot of arenas you're familiar with, usually making them WAY harder than before; putting a Tyrant here, a Doom Hunter there, it really changes things in a pretty exciting way! I really do appreciate their inclusion, even if I'm not good enough to beat most of them.
Battlemode is... Unfortunate. I do appreciate that Id tried doing something more experimental, and the idea does sound fun in concept; an asymmetrical gamemode where 2 players are demons and have to take down a Slayer? Interesting concept! But sadly, I don't think it lives up to its potential. A lot of the matches feel very one-sided, either to the Slayer or the Demons. I could never find that one exciting match that feels like both sides stood an equal chance, most I got close to it had one of the Demon players AFK in the middle of it, so... Yeah. I find this gamemode a bit of a shame cause a lot of resources were put into it. Many updates, tweaks, skins, etc that could've gone into a multiplayer gamemode that people actually cared about. We could've had Deathmatch, Co-op, even SnapMap 2.0 (Which would fit Doom Eternal perfectly, hell if it was good enough people could MAKE battlemode in it, along with many other exciting gamemodes). It's not the worst multiplayer I've ever played through, but it's definitely not a part of the game I have any excitement towards.
Horde Mode is the most recently added gamemode out of all these, being a somewhat late update to the game. It's a mode pretty much everyone and their grandma wanted, so there was a lot of high expectations. When it did come out though, reception was pretty split. Some people really liked it, while others hated it, thinking it was a worthless addition. I believe that both sides have valid reasons to feel so positively or negatively towards Horde Mode. There is a lot of great stuff added, but I believe this split was caused by it not being as straight-to-the-point as people expected. Most of your time in this gamemode won't be with your full arsenal, with you instead having to earn each weapon one by one. This is a problem made worse by the fact that you don't obtain your weapons in a set order, with it instead being randomized. So, if you don't obtain a plasma rifle by the time you encounter the Spirits? Tough luck, now you'll have a way harder time due to something completely out of your control. I understand that the intent is to spice things up, force players to try out different playstyles, but I don't think this fits Horde Mode at all. I would personally rather have weapons obtained in a set order, and in a much faster pace. Hell, just give me everything from the get-go. This IS a more arcadey mode, after all. The expectations isn't to slowly build towards your peak, it's to start from it and go even higher! That being said, there is a lot of genuinely great mechanics to appreciate here. I really enjoy how score-based this mode is, even giving a mechanic I don't really care about, that being the Extra Lifes, a whole new purpose here; since dying here has the huge consequence of making you start over (With Horde Mode runs usually lasting over an hour), the Extra Lifes make it so that it's not nearly as frustrating when you do. That being said, the more unspent Extra Lifes you have, the more points you earn by the end of Horde Mode. I think it's a nice balance! It makes the mode less punishing than it'd be otherwise, but doesn't exactly make it easier or more mindless. Although my favorite thing from Horde Mode is a mechanic exclusive to it; The Bounty Demons. The way they change the dynamic immediately is really good, since the sooner you kill these demons, the more powerful is the power-up you get from them, not to mention the point bonus. And these power-ups can be game changers, especially when you use them in the right moment to deal an insane amount of damage. It's honestly such a fun mechanic that part of me wishes it was used outside of Horde Mode! I do think there is a lot to appreciate from this gamemode, it's just that the one major flaw of taking too long to give your arsenal is quite crippling to the enjoyment of it overall. Despite that though, I still think Horde Mode is some nice fun.
Well, that definitely was quite the text wall! This review went through multiple iterations and tweaks, it honestly grew to be way bigger than I expected. Ultimately, my verdict is that despite its massive, sometimes distracting flaws, Doom Eternal is a great game that I'm very glad exists; its combat is very fast-paced and polished, it looks nice, its soundtrack is excellent, its arenas are well designed, etc. This game is a very fun one, and I'm looking forward to Id software's next project, whatever it may end up being!
Now that the tl;dr part is out of the way, let's start with the gameplay, shall we? It's fucking phenomenal. the flow of using the chainsaw to get ammo, using the flamethrower to get armor, the glory kill for health, and of course, your weapons to absolutely annihilate the demons in front of you, is such a blast to experience, and it's only enhanced by the Destructible Demons system. Seeing huge chunks of flesh fly off from the demons you damage really does sell you on the power trip of being the Doom Slayer. And the new mobility options are very good too. I've always been a huge fan of dash mechanics, so when I saw its reveal in the E3 gameplay showcase, it made me VERY excited. the Meathook is a very fun traversal option too, and I'm sure there's plenty of other tricks that I can't even hope to pull of. If anything, I wish I was even FASTER lol
My only complaints with the gunplay and mobility is that certain weapons are a little useless, like the Combat Shotgun's Full Auto, the Crucible and the Frag Grenade, for example. It might be just me not experimenting with those options enough, though. The chainsaw detection can also be a bit awkward, with many frustrating moments where it either does not detect the fodder in front of me, or it prioritizes the wrong demon. And also, I feel like the dash only being usable again when both dashes are recharged is kind of dumb.
The levels are mostly pretty nice, too. I love the environments in it, they are a joy to look at and are very nicely varied. Layout-wise, it's decent. Sometimes it gets a little too mazey for my tastes, but it's nothing outrageous. The platforming sections are kind of disappointing, though. This is a MOBILITY shooter, and the best you got is just climbing a bunch of walls and dashing to floating platforms? It's not exactly terrible, but I do think those sections had a lot of missed potential. The wall climbing and swimming are especially a drag, with them being very clunky methods of travel that the game honestly would've been much better without. The arenas are very well designed and dynamic. The one that really stuck in my mind is the big one in the Super Gore Nest level, lot of open spaces and options for you to take, with monkey poles and everything! It's a very fun arena, and so are most of this game's. Although due to the levels' average length, I do wish there was some sort of way to select certain sections of the level to start from, kind of like how the Halo games do it with its also pretty long levels. I don't really feel like playing all of Final Sin JUST to kill John Romero again, y'know?
The enemy roster is solid. There is no insanely annoying enemy to deal with in this game, worst-case scenario an enemy is just kind of boring to fight, but not exactly painful. And the best case scenario? Enemies that are incredibly engaging and fun to fight, that really puts your skills to the test. The weak point is a great concept that is mostly executed very well, adding even more dynamic elements to its gameplay loop, with them being very effective (maybe a little too much for some demons) against the tougher demons you come across. I really like how aggressive the demons are in this game; if you're not careful, you'll get your ass handed to you in a matter of seconds, especially with how fast they catch up to you. Every enemy group is well defined, with the brawlers, ranged guys, fodder, all that. Only complaint I have other than the one I already mentioned is that some enemies are kind of redundant, like they don't really bring anything new to the Doom Dance. And this is just a nitpick, but i found a certain enemy, the Cacodemon, far too easy to kill. It's way, WAY too easy to just make them swallow a grenade and open them up for a quick glory kill, even if it is funny to pull off. And my most nitpicky complaint is that sometimes the enemies' glory kills can become quite repetitive, particularly the chainsaw and berserk animations.
The boss fights are a mixed bag, to be honest. There are some very good ones like the Gladiator and the Doom Hunter, with very fun mechanics and exciting setpieces, but there are also more disappointing bosses, like the far too easy Khan Maykr that I defeated in one try, and the strangely underwhelming Icon of Sin boss fight that didn't really feel like a proper FINAL boss to me. The Icon of Sin especially disappoints me, because it's not only the comeback of one of the most memorable demons in Classic Doom, but also a pay-off to Doom 2016's lore, with the Slayer defeating a Titan all by himself. The boss fight could've been a chance to experience that, but instead it's more a fight with the demons than the Icon, despite him actually doing some attacks every now and then. The music was perfect, something we'll get to later, but other than that the boss fight didn't really sell me on its scale and stakes. A more cinematic and exciting set piece could've helped, like you climbing the titan or destroying it from within, something like that. It's an improvement from the Doom 2 boss fight for sure, but it left me wanting more.
The soundtrack, as expected, is godlike. Mick Gordon really brought his best to these tracks (despite being treated like shit by Marty), with some of the rawest god damn songs I've ever heard in my life. Cultist Base, the DOOM Hunter, The Only Thing They Fear Is You, The Gladiator, songs like these coupled with the already energetic gameplay and you got yourself a god damn adrenaline generator. Although I find the more ambient tracks a somewhat underrated side of the OST, like the slow guitar in the Exultia track, or the angelic chants in Urdak, it's all very nice ambience.
The HUD/UI of this game is surprisingly... Garbage? It's very ugly and unappealing, even when you tweak it with the options the game gives you (Which are very appreciated, by the way. Great job on that front). It's just far too cluttered, with the dash having its icon, the 2 bars around it, the very tiny number on the top right, AND the key it's binded to on top. That is just one example of how unnecessarily cluttered the HUD is overall. And while I'm at it, I should bring up how bad the tutorial pop-ups are. Yes, I'm aware it's kind of beating a dead horse at this point, but Doom Eternal really likes to stop you in your tracks and shove in walls of text about every single enemy in your face the moment you encounter them. I get that the game is trying to be straight forward with you, but there is a difference between "loud and clear" and "loud and obnoxious". A better way of implementing little texts like this can be seen in ULTRAKILL, where the text is significantly shorter and more straight forward with you, doesn't pause the game for you to read it, and doesn't give everything about the enemy away. If you want more details on an enemy or a mechanic, you can read up on it in the game's codex, simple as that.
The narrative and lore of this game is quite terrible, to be honest. It tries to be this epic, deep universe but it falls apart on actually telling an interesting story and, y'know, making sense? The way the game treats its actually fun and interesting characters and mysteries from 2016 is insulting, with Samuel Hayden just being a giant expository machine, which to make matters worse turns out to be the Seraphim that gave the Doom Slayer his powers, the Doomslayer turning out to be the classic Doomguy from the classic Doom games, which harms both the Slayer and Classic Doomguy's characters and only characterizes him as a piece of cardboard that is completely detached from what's actually going on in the story 99% of the time, VEGA being mostly a fine if not boring AI companion that for some reason ends up being the Doom universe's current equivalent to God (WHAT?????), and the already established Crucible only being used as a power source as you look for a new one for some reason? You get the gist. The cutscenes are not only strangely lacking for the story it's trying to tell, but the ones that ARE there rarely try to have actually fun moments or character development in favor of boring expository dialogue and flashbacks, and some of the more funny haha scenes that are there don't always land (the mortally challenged joke is so pathetic and it only gets worse as the holograms constantly spam it). All the interactions with the Slayer boil down to one of the 3: "slayer is so scary", generic bad guy dialogue, or "slayer is so cool i want to suck him off", and it gets very repetitive very fast. It is frankly unacceptable how terrible this game's narrative is, even in action game standards, which aren't even that low. We have gotten so many great stories in action games, like Devil May Cry 3's, Katana Zero's, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance's, Halo 2's, and many others. Or at the very least you could make a very ridiculously fun story like Resident Evil 4's. It's truly a shame because a game this good deserves an equally amazing story and lore, but it sadly did not get that at all. Not even close.
Now that the main game's content is out of the way, I would like to talk about some of the extra content the game offers.
The Slayer Gates are really nice! Essentially, they're challenge arenas hidden in certain levels that require a key to access. Now I'll admit, I probably should've played through these before I beat the game, especially the earlier ones. With my full arsenal, they feel really easy since it was probably balanced for the weapons you had in a first playthrough of that mission. Regardless, I did have a good time with them! There's a bunch of exclusive arenas made solely for the Slayer Gates, and they do their job of being harder than the rest of the level quite well. My only complaint is that getting the keys to these can be a little boring, especially with how much backtracking you do with certain ones. But despite that, I think Slayer Gates are great additions to the game! And while I'm at it, I'll talk about the Master Levels here. I don't think there's much to be said since they're remixes of already existing campaign levels, but that doesn't mean I don't like them at all. In fact, I think they're some of the best content this game has to offer! I really like how it spices up a lot of arenas you're familiar with, usually making them WAY harder than before; putting a Tyrant here, a Doom Hunter there, it really changes things in a pretty exciting way! I really do appreciate their inclusion, even if I'm not good enough to beat most of them.
Battlemode is... Unfortunate. I do appreciate that Id tried doing something more experimental, and the idea does sound fun in concept; an asymmetrical gamemode where 2 players are demons and have to take down a Slayer? Interesting concept! But sadly, I don't think it lives up to its potential. A lot of the matches feel very one-sided, either to the Slayer or the Demons. I could never find that one exciting match that feels like both sides stood an equal chance, most I got close to it had one of the Demon players AFK in the middle of it, so... Yeah. I find this gamemode a bit of a shame cause a lot of resources were put into it. Many updates, tweaks, skins, etc that could've gone into a multiplayer gamemode that people actually cared about. We could've had Deathmatch, Co-op, even SnapMap 2.0 (Which would fit Doom Eternal perfectly, hell if it was good enough people could MAKE battlemode in it, along with many other exciting gamemodes). It's not the worst multiplayer I've ever played through, but it's definitely not a part of the game I have any excitement towards.
Horde Mode is the most recently added gamemode out of all these, being a somewhat late update to the game. It's a mode pretty much everyone and their grandma wanted, so there was a lot of high expectations. When it did come out though, reception was pretty split. Some people really liked it, while others hated it, thinking it was a worthless addition. I believe that both sides have valid reasons to feel so positively or negatively towards Horde Mode. There is a lot of great stuff added, but I believe this split was caused by it not being as straight-to-the-point as people expected. Most of your time in this gamemode won't be with your full arsenal, with you instead having to earn each weapon one by one. This is a problem made worse by the fact that you don't obtain your weapons in a set order, with it instead being randomized. So, if you don't obtain a plasma rifle by the time you encounter the Spirits? Tough luck, now you'll have a way harder time due to something completely out of your control. I understand that the intent is to spice things up, force players to try out different playstyles, but I don't think this fits Horde Mode at all. I would personally rather have weapons obtained in a set order, and in a much faster pace. Hell, just give me everything from the get-go. This IS a more arcadey mode, after all. The expectations isn't to slowly build towards your peak, it's to start from it and go even higher! That being said, there is a lot of genuinely great mechanics to appreciate here. I really enjoy how score-based this mode is, even giving a mechanic I don't really care about, that being the Extra Lifes, a whole new purpose here; since dying here has the huge consequence of making you start over (With Horde Mode runs usually lasting over an hour), the Extra Lifes make it so that it's not nearly as frustrating when you do. That being said, the more unspent Extra Lifes you have, the more points you earn by the end of Horde Mode. I think it's a nice balance! It makes the mode less punishing than it'd be otherwise, but doesn't exactly make it easier or more mindless. Although my favorite thing from Horde Mode is a mechanic exclusive to it; The Bounty Demons. The way they change the dynamic immediately is really good, since the sooner you kill these demons, the more powerful is the power-up you get from them, not to mention the point bonus. And these power-ups can be game changers, especially when you use them in the right moment to deal an insane amount of damage. It's honestly such a fun mechanic that part of me wishes it was used outside of Horde Mode! I do think there is a lot to appreciate from this gamemode, it's just that the one major flaw of taking too long to give your arsenal is quite crippling to the enjoyment of it overall. Despite that though, I still think Horde Mode is some nice fun.
Well, that definitely was quite the text wall! This review went through multiple iterations and tweaks, it honestly grew to be way bigger than I expected. Ultimately, my verdict is that despite its massive, sometimes distracting flaws, Doom Eternal is a great game that I'm very glad exists; its combat is very fast-paced and polished, it looks nice, its soundtrack is excellent, its arenas are well designed, etc. This game is a very fun one, and I'm looking forward to Id software's next project, whatever it may end up being!
2016
probably one of the worst rpgs ever made!
2002
clunky but fun
2016
This review contains spoilers
Man, this game. It's the very definition of an underappreciated gem. Everything blends in together to form an experience that, while very clearly inspired by Hotline Miami, completely stands on its own two feet.
The soundtrack by Chris Christodoulou is probably his best work on a game so far, which says a lot since he is such a phenomenal composer. Tracks like Now I Am Become Death can be beautifully relaxing while others like Hemolysis REALLY pump you up. It's perfect for the game's atmosphere; this gritty, bizarre place filled with drugged zombies and heartbroken vampires, who all want the same thing; to feel alive again.
The gameplay is pretty spot on too. It is similar to Hotline Miami in the way that you're supposed to go through many rooms filled with enemies, and you die in one hit. However, it does many other different things from it too. The most obvious would be the sidescroller perspective instead of top down, but there are a lot of intricate mechanics like headshots, loadouts, and vents that really give you the freedom to tackle missions in your own way. You could choose to not use vents, play more aggressively, or you could stay in the shadows, catching undeads by surprise through the use of the vents. You could start with a silenced pistol, or a SMG. Due to this, the game is very replayable, with you experimenting with many possible routes. That, on top of the addition of custom levels and a hard mode, make it so that you can sink in a good amount of hours into this game, even despite its short length.
The story is a little more on the background, but it is fascinating nonetheless. The highlight of it all is easily Ibzan and his relationship with The God of Life, the flames. Long story short, Ibzan was a former reaper, just like the protagonist of this game, who wasn't treated very well by the flames. This eventually led to Ibzan taking his own life, turning the former reaper into an undead skeleton. Being a skeleton, Ibzan wakes up with an overwhelming cold, and when he realized the flames that gave him warmth abandoned him, feels an intense amount of regret, and starts planning to travel to the flames' realm using a portal made of flesh, gathering many undead gangs to do so, with the promise of making them feel alive and warm. The flames, while completely abandoning Ibzan in disgust, tries to learn from the past reaper, giving our protagonist things Ibzan did not have during his time as the reaper, like companionship and entertainment in his home. In the end, the reaper has to kill Ibzan, with the flames giving him a well deserved rest. So uh, yeah pretty dope story.
Some VERY small complaints I have with the game is that it can be a little unstable at times, especially with custom maps. Some bugs here and there too, but it's not too bad. Overall, I highly recommend this game to anyone, it has a special place in my heart.
The soundtrack by Chris Christodoulou is probably his best work on a game so far, which says a lot since he is such a phenomenal composer. Tracks like Now I Am Become Death can be beautifully relaxing while others like Hemolysis REALLY pump you up. It's perfect for the game's atmosphere; this gritty, bizarre place filled with drugged zombies and heartbroken vampires, who all want the same thing; to feel alive again.
The gameplay is pretty spot on too. It is similar to Hotline Miami in the way that you're supposed to go through many rooms filled with enemies, and you die in one hit. However, it does many other different things from it too. The most obvious would be the sidescroller perspective instead of top down, but there are a lot of intricate mechanics like headshots, loadouts, and vents that really give you the freedom to tackle missions in your own way. You could choose to not use vents, play more aggressively, or you could stay in the shadows, catching undeads by surprise through the use of the vents. You could start with a silenced pistol, or a SMG. Due to this, the game is very replayable, with you experimenting with many possible routes. That, on top of the addition of custom levels and a hard mode, make it so that you can sink in a good amount of hours into this game, even despite its short length.
The story is a little more on the background, but it is fascinating nonetheless. The highlight of it all is easily Ibzan and his relationship with The God of Life, the flames. Long story short, Ibzan was a former reaper, just like the protagonist of this game, who wasn't treated very well by the flames. This eventually led to Ibzan taking his own life, turning the former reaper into an undead skeleton. Being a skeleton, Ibzan wakes up with an overwhelming cold, and when he realized the flames that gave him warmth abandoned him, feels an intense amount of regret, and starts planning to travel to the flames' realm using a portal made of flesh, gathering many undead gangs to do so, with the promise of making them feel alive and warm. The flames, while completely abandoning Ibzan in disgust, tries to learn from the past reaper, giving our protagonist things Ibzan did not have during his time as the reaper, like companionship and entertainment in his home. In the end, the reaper has to kill Ibzan, with the flames giving him a well deserved rest. So uh, yeah pretty dope story.
Some VERY small complaints I have with the game is that it can be a little unstable at times, especially with custom maps. Some bugs here and there too, but it's not too bad. Overall, I highly recommend this game to anyone, it has a special place in my heart.
It's been interesting to revisit this game. I won't lie, it's definitely due to the new Batman movie that recently came out (Fantastic movie, by the way), and last time I played this game was years ago, when I was a slightly dumber individual. Point is, I really wanted to know if this game held up or not. And in my opinion, yeah. It's still pretty good.
To be honest, I don't find it a masterpiece like many people do, but it is a very authentic Batman experience and overall fun game, so I don't blame people for loving it. The art direction, writing by the fantastic Paul Dini, worldbuilding, characters and music really make this experience feel like it's straight out of the comic books. This game has a good amount of content too, that alongside the fact that it (mostly) doesn't waste your time makes it pretty replayable!
Another thing that makes you want to come back to this game is the amount of side missions and post-game content, it's HUGE! And there's a lot of fun to be had, especially in the Challenge maps. Although, it's not perfect. The Riddler trophies in particular are kind of a chore to collect, although I've never been a huge fan of that kinda stuff so maybe it's just up to taste.
The combat, while decent, does leave a bit to be desired. The way Batman just flies towards an enemy 50 miles away really takes away the possible depth it could have, with you doing that instead of using your gadgets. It's also a little too easy, at least on a first playthrough. The most fun I have with the combat system is when i turn on a LOT of negative modifiers in the challenge maps, to make it more punishing and such. I feel like this game should demand a little more from the player, encouraging them to actually use gadgets, special moves, beatdowns, etc.
I don't really have huge problems with the stealth, though. I actually find it better than the combat! Maybe it's a bit too easy? I don't really mind it, especially when it's so fun to take out goons one by one in increasingly creative ways, slowly terrifying them. Compared to the combat, the stealth sections have a really fun sandbox that makes you want to really experiment with your gadgets. Good stuff!
The navegation with the gliding and grapple gun is actually pretty nice, obviously not as good or revolutionary as something like Spider-Man 2's web swinging but it's simple fun. And since the open world is pretty small and packed, it doesn't really drag out very much.
but yeah, overall a pretty fun game!
To be honest, I don't find it a masterpiece like many people do, but it is a very authentic Batman experience and overall fun game, so I don't blame people for loving it. The art direction, writing by the fantastic Paul Dini, worldbuilding, characters and music really make this experience feel like it's straight out of the comic books. This game has a good amount of content too, that alongside the fact that it (mostly) doesn't waste your time makes it pretty replayable!
Another thing that makes you want to come back to this game is the amount of side missions and post-game content, it's HUGE! And there's a lot of fun to be had, especially in the Challenge maps. Although, it's not perfect. The Riddler trophies in particular are kind of a chore to collect, although I've never been a huge fan of that kinda stuff so maybe it's just up to taste.
The combat, while decent, does leave a bit to be desired. The way Batman just flies towards an enemy 50 miles away really takes away the possible depth it could have, with you doing that instead of using your gadgets. It's also a little too easy, at least on a first playthrough. The most fun I have with the combat system is when i turn on a LOT of negative modifiers in the challenge maps, to make it more punishing and such. I feel like this game should demand a little more from the player, encouraging them to actually use gadgets, special moves, beatdowns, etc.
I don't really have huge problems with the stealth, though. I actually find it better than the combat! Maybe it's a bit too easy? I don't really mind it, especially when it's so fun to take out goons one by one in increasingly creative ways, slowly terrifying them. Compared to the combat, the stealth sections have a really fun sandbox that makes you want to really experiment with your gadgets. Good stuff!
The navegation with the gliding and grapple gun is actually pretty nice, obviously not as good or revolutionary as something like Spider-Man 2's web swinging but it's simple fun. And since the open world is pretty small and packed, it doesn't really drag out very much.
but yeah, overall a pretty fun game!