3.5/5 ★ – AlexCattani's review of DOOM Eternal.

A bigger, louder and longer follow up that makes its 2016 predecessor look woefully thin by comparison. When it’s at its best, Doom Eternal is a heart pounding dance of fury that requires you to juggle each combat mechanic correctly in order to keep the flow of battles (and yourself) alive. When you eventually get the hang of what you’re doing, the combat is exquisite. I recommend giving it a couple of levels before everything starts to click. I was ready to stop playing the game after the second mission because I wasn’t “getting it”, but I’m glad I kept going. Where I feel Doom Eternal stumbles is in its boss encounters, character progression and story. I didn’t think the boss battles were anything notable beyond them looking like moving, breathing (and bleeding) death metal album covers. Furthermore, there are one too many things the game wants you to “Level Up”, which can be overwhelming. While I understood each skill tree, perk slot, weapon upgrade, weapon mastery, etc. over time, character progression still feels a little bloated. Narratively, Doom Eternal is pretty disappointing. I felt as if I was missing massive chunks of exposition throughout. Yes, there are collectable lore drops scattered across the game’s manly levels that greatly flesh out the story, but stopping to read them over and over is tedious and ruins the pacing of the game in my opinion. Another thing that utterly destroys the flow of combat is the Marauder encounters. I understand and appreciate what the devs were going for with this enemy’s inclusion, but I often felt that the very strict method in dealing with said Marauders is at odds of the delicate dance of death the title demands you nail. All in all, Doom: Eternal is a good game. (I did not touch the multiplayer for the record)