Rip and tear, until it is done
Doom is a timeless franchise, one that has aged ever so gracefully (especially with the recent release of Doom 2016). It's a game that you can easily pick up on a whim, no matter how far separated from the first person shooter genre you are, and just enjoy every last second of demon blasting.
It's also still the best first person shooter on the market.
A bold statement to make, for sure. With various other titles including Call of Duty, Battlefield, Overwatch, Destiny, Far Cry, and even Halo, it's a very cocky claim to say that Doom IS the very best in it's genre. But it is, and here's why.
You see, Doom 2016 really didn't do anything outside of the box. At least, not nearly as boldly as the original designs for Doom 4 suggested. It seemed as though id Software considered going the common route of following the leader, and creating another cookie cutter shooter...but they scrapped all of that, went back to the drawing board, and went back to the series roots.
When a genre becomes defined by regenerating health bars, cliche campaigns, zombie modes, and even up and coming battle royale gimmicky, it's hard not to just tag along with the cool kids. As if to say "hey, everyone else is doing it, why don't you?". Doom didn't have to do that - there was never a need to. The formula is pretty plain and simple - make a solid, clean shooter, and keep the audience engaged throughout their experience. Doom did all of this by staying true to form, and even incorporated a little humor in there as well.
The weapon mechanics were slightly revamped, and the game touts odd collectibles (see Doom Guy above), as well as upgrades and runes - all of which are optional of course. The campaign was built with a fairly linear objective and path in every level, yet the arenas are engaging, well constructed, and full of fun power-ups and various resources to help you slay hordes of demons with style. Numerous secrets are also packed into the map, giving you the incentive to explore and actually dig a little bit. It's an old age formula but guess what? It still works, and it works well.
Unfortunately for other series such as Call of Duty, we're seeing the genre go far off into unoriginal, and dare I say unwanted territory. Loot boxes have plagued the genre horribly in recent years, becoming a trend in popular titles Overwatch, Call of Duty, Star Wars Battlefront II, and many more. It's a disgusting way for developers to try and squeeze extra money out of us, despite charging a premium $60 price tag for games. It's ludicrous, and it's downright distasteful. Why can't the quality of a game itself merit it's value, causing it to earn more money simply because it is indeed a good game? Are we that far away from quality control these days?
Even essential game modes, including death matches, team battle, and free for alls, all are now being interwoven with gimmicky weapon systems, purchasable unlocks, cosmetic bullshit, and much much more. It's completely ridiculous and unacceptable for a game to throw a half baked, shortened single player campaign in with a fleshed out multiplayer experience that you can't even have full access to unless you purchase additional content, including weapons, maps, and other necessities that should come with the game in the first bloody place. In the case of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, there is no campaign to be found - yet nobody says a word about it. Oh, but there is of course a new battle royale mode akin to the success of fucking PUBG and Fortnite.
And yet, I look right back at Doom 2016. A game coming from a franchise with a history of quality. Hell, even the simplistic multiplayer is fair, it's consistent, and all of it's content is available for players to access FOR FREE. id Software and even Bethesda have done right by keeping the game simple, and sticking to it's roots. I'd rather run rampant playing Doom's multiplayer than jump back into Destiny's lackluster, uninspired shitstorm of DLC reliant campaigns and wasted efforts of recycled assets and bosses that have been used over and over again to the point that you don't even care what you're doing anymore, you just shoot the damn gun at the bad guy.
Pathetic.
I'm so very grateful that Doom and shooters like it still exist, and that they still have a fairly strong support system. The campaign alone is timeless, and it's just a jolly good romp. Smashing demons seldom gets exhausting, and when it does, I can still jump into an online multiplayer match with ease. It grasps the essence of truly enjoying a first person shooter by providing modern day nuances and style to a classical formula, one that refuses to stray from the elements that make the genre so damn fun in the first place.
Grateful, indeed.
