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DOOM can be summed up in short: Blood, guts, gore and extreme violence. It was originally released in 2016 on PS4, PC and Xbox One. I finished the game back then and absolutely loved it. Here, I have the Switch version where part of my review will discuss how it holds up in comparison.
For those who don’t know, DOOM is a first person shooter where you tackle an insane amount of ungodly evil enemies to try and restore whatever clarity there was in the land. The story – although this isn’t something that you will focus on – centres around Samuel Hayden entering Hell and trying to close the portal. Along the way, he meets some odd characters who go through some funny transformations but, considering Hayden has already had a brain transplant, you can imagine things to get a little weird.
Graphically, this game is best played on the PC. Then you have the PS4, then Xbox One, then Switch. However, the difference is nowhere near as bad as some people would have expected and the graphics still look amazing even if you are playing handheld. The key differences are that the images are slightly blurrier, have less effects and less detail in general. They are still really good, and unless you have played either of the other three versions, you really won’t have a clue that you are not playing the optimum version. The colour scheme is very red and dark, and this runs through the whole game. Saying that, it IS mainly set in Hell!
Within all the different environments you travel, you’ll be impressed with the level design and how they managed to vary areas, which at times are very similar. Although, even after two run-throughs I have never got used to the map and find myself having to look at walkthroughs just to find out where to go. All the different guns have their own separate style design and the enemies – as well as the bosses – all look cool and extremely scary. well, I suppose I should keep my masculinity and say freakish looking!
Being a first-person-shooter, I was interested to see how the game would handle in handheld. Overall, I was extremely surprised with the lack of key differences I could notice. I am sure this game was running slower, but I couldn’t really pinpoint *where*. There were only a couple of times where the game slowed down noticeably and that would be when there are an array of enemies swarming you. Playing in handheld did make it a slightly harder experience, because I found myself not as quick to react. The analogues are a little bit stiffer than on a controller, and you will find yourself altering the sensitivity a fair bit. Compared to any shooter I played on the Vita, DOOM holds up 100 times better.
On to the actual style of game: DOOM stands out from most common shooters because it’s got a lot less faff than most of the others. All action, shotgun ready and chainsaw roaring, the game is a non-stop barrage of enemies throwing Street Fighter balls and recklessly shooting machine guns at you. It rarely messes about with long cut-scenes and plays just as you would expect this fast-paced shooter to do. There are a fair range of weapons upon which you can choose an upgraded secondary mode, as well as upgrading your suit. This won’t change the game drastically, but will strengthen your character for the harder levels.
You can also, at times, pick up the mysterious ball which contains your Rage mode, enabling you to rip into the hellish monsters with your bare hands. However, the most satisfying weapon has to be the chainsaw, allowing you to tear down any enemy by ripping straight through their centre. This has to be the most enjoyable killing streak in which I have ever partaken. Even in the easiest mode, DOOM is not an easy game and will present a fair challenge. With the lack of trophies or achievements on the Switc, I found myself playing in an easier difficulty for the sake of it.
Surprisingly, the online mode plays quite well and I had a few goes on a range of different modes. Don’t expect an experience like Call of Duty, but I found it very similar to some of the early Halo games.
There are no drawbacks with the sound and the atmosphere created through eerie noises and sounds will draw you in to the action. The voice acting is solid and there are no real close-up situations where you can pick up on potential poor sync. I went back to my PS4 version and there was no difference between them. There is nothing spectacularly about the sound, but it does the job.
Overall, DOOM fits in the same bracket as The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim; a very good port which is definitely worth getting if you haven’t played it previously, and also worth playing if you HAVE enjoyed them previously and want to spend a lot of time journeying. The Switch is slowly becoming my favourite console and DOOM is one of the first games I have played all the way through on it. The most impressive thing I can say about this is that there are no real noticeably differences between the PS4 and Switch versions. It is not often I enjoy completing a game more than once, but this is an example of where I enjoyed it just as much the second time as I did the first.
DOOM is out now on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PSVR, Xbox One and PC, and click on the packshot for the full-size version.
Important info:
- Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
- Players: single-player, multiplayer
- HD options: up to 1080p
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GRAPHICS SOUND GAMEPLAY ENJOYMENT |
7 7 8 9 |
| OVERALL | 8 |
I have been a video game player since 1993 and a music fan since I can remember. I studied Film and Journalism at university and ended up becoming a Primary School teacher. Video games changed my life and sent me on the right track and have stayed with me ever since.