4/5 ★ – stephenhill777's review of DOOM VFR.

Doom VFR is a rock solid transposition of Doom 2016's gameplay in a virtual reality space. Shooting feels exactly as impactful as it did in that game, neither more nor less. Movement is regulated to either scooting in one of four directions, or the new teleportation mechanic. This lets you slow down time, select your destination via a marker and instantly teleport there. It feels natural and keeps the action appropriately frenetic. It even replaces the oft lauded glory kill mechanic, allowing you to teleport into weakened enemies for an explosion of blood and gore, the kind that would have satanic panic housewives clutching at their pearls. The experience is slightly stripped back, but appropriately so for this shorter experience. To avoid relying too heavily on the BFG, it has been converted into grenade charges instead, severely limiting how many you can carry. The most memorable enemies show up, with the spider-demon being the only notable absence. Every one of the eight levels has at least one arena that forces you to move constantly, dodge attacks and kill the demons before they kill you. It never feels unfair and is breathlessly fun when operating on this level. Viewed as an arcade-y arena shooter as opposed to a linear campaign, it's a masterclass. There is a very odd bug that will occasionally force you to revert to the previous checkpoint, usually when you get to the upgrade stations. These are rare however, and the checkpoint system is similarly generous. Like Doom 2016, it starts a little easy but ramps up considerably around the halfway mark. The game can easily be beaten in an afternoon, but collecting the Doom Guy dolls reveals a fun little secret; each one unlocks a classic Doom level that can be played in VR. This isn't the nostalgic euphoria it should be however. While the levels are faithfully recreated, classic enemies and guns are replaced with the modern iterations. This presents something of a disconnect, preventing it from being the joyful call-back it's aiming for. Similarly, as each level is a contained experience, there is no save option. This isn't an issue for the early levels, but when you've been blown to pieces after a 15 minute run, it makes turning the console off a much more enticing option than starting all over again. Short, simple, and an easy recommendation.