When DOOM (2016) hit, I was hooked from start to finish with its visceral and gory action. Traversing through its levels was a breeze as the Doom Slayer went from combat encounter to combat encounter, all without any tricky puzzle-platforming. When DOOM Eternal was announced, and it was revealed that dashing, double-jumping, and battle arenas featuring monkey-bars were new additions, I knew innovations would have to materialize to further improve on some of the best combat in gaming.

What I wasn’t expecting, however, were sequences in the campaign incorporating wall-climbing, double-dashing (Yes, that too), and more, all to get from point A to point B. This has been a detractor for a lot of Eternal players wanting nothing but nonstop violence. I have no problems with this, however. I never felt “stuck” or that my platforming skill was limited by the mechanics of the game. No consulting a walkthrough, no menial spending 5+ minutes on a traversal, etc.

For Eternal to add this to the mix is healthy, and necessary. While I loved what 2016 had to offer, I would not have condoned a copy/paste job for its sequel. That’s what Eternal does so well – it builds off of what made its predecessor so memorable without fixing what isn’t broken. Blending the lite puzzle-platforming uses the trigger-happy players’ critical-thinking side of their brain to keep them on their toes while not killing any demons in the process.

DOOM Eternal needed some more time in the oven. Its original November release date was pushed to March, and I know that this was for the best, as it is one of the most optimized and enjoyable games I have played in my lifetime. There isn’t a thing I would change about my experience with its campaign, and I am eager to start mastering its multiplayer Battlemode to keep my heart racing for dozens of hours to come!

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