Apr
04
2016
0

Recapping the Doom Beta

Last E3, Bethesda unveiled the first public footage of Doom. The overall response was very positive, but there was some curiosity about the final product. One question in particular involved the multiplayer aspect because the majority of footage only showed off the campaign. Well, this past weekend was the multiplayer beta for Doom, and I spent some time running around and attempting to avoid a gruesome death. I was only successful at the former, but I still had a blast.

The first thing I noticed about this beta is that it controls very differently than what I expected. Instead of having weighty characters who take a lot of damage, Doom instead ups the maneuverability and focuses on fast-paced action. You can run, double jump, and climb up almost and surface while traversing the level. Multiple games have been doing this recently, but there was something more enjoyable about Doom’s method. In fact, playing this beta actually made me reminisce about old Quake III matches. Sure, Quake III is even faster with the added bonus of jump pads, but the games still feel similar.

Of course, no shooter is complete without fun levels and even better weapons. Bethesda only made two maps available for the beta; one featured walkways surrounding pits of lava, and the other was a cavern with floating rocks and rivers of blood. Both levels had that fun mixture of corridors for shooting and perils to avoid, much like old Unreal Tournament maps. There was nothing quite like experiencing joy from taking out an enemy and watching that joy change to pain while falling to my death. Both maps also included hidden power orbs and bonus armor to make life–and death–more entertaining. One such power orb granted extra speed and more power while another put you in control of a gigantic demon with extra health, a jet pack, and shoulder-mounted rockets. It was frightening to see one of those crazy demons flying around destroying everyone.

Suicide is a bad thing.

Suicide is a bad thing.

Unlike the maps, Bethesda included multiple weapons with which to destroy others. These guns ranged from the standard machine gun and shotgun to more unique items like a lightning gun and plasma rifle. All worked well, but I had the most success with a plasma rifle as the main and the shotgun as the secondary. I did see many people laying waste to the competition using the pseudo-sniper rifle and the special “glory kills”, which are more brutal melee attacks, but I didn’t have such luck. These glory kills, where you kick players in the head or snap their necks, are definitely worth attempting despite their difficulty. It also helps that you get more experience points from glory kills and can unlock different customization options for both your guns and soldier.

My purple and yellow Vikings-themed rifle

My purple and yellow Vikings-themed rifle

That’s right, Doom includes customizable loadouts and weapons–multicolored guns–similar to other games alongside special celebrations and armor options. Each piece of armor can be switched out for newer versions and painted random colors. Most of the “serious” battles in Doom were played out by soldiers in pink and purple armor, covered in hearts and smiley faces. I preferred the orange and black version, but that’s mostly because I like the Oregon State Beavers. Oh, and Doom also has celebratory dances and victory poses to strike when you defeat your opponent. It was a common site during my time with the beta to see a player brutally murder me and follow it up by making it rain and doing the Carlton dance.

Custom Armor

Custom Armor

So far, Doom’s multiplayer mode is more entertaining than I expected. The maneuverability and faster pace makes the game hectic yet exciting, and the goofy dances make everything else ridiculous. The customizable guns and armor don’t particularly add anything to the experience, but they help break up the yellow hue that permeates the game. Multiplayer should be a solid addition to the game as long as Bethesda includes more levels and keeps those servers running well.

Doom will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 13, 2016.