Doom’s Multiplayer Beta Is Brutal, Zany Fun

The formula for reviving and revitalizing an iconic gaming staple is never by-the-numbers, and when you’re dealing with something as epochal as Doom and its subsequent follow-ups, you’d be goofy not to assume from the get-go that pleasing everyone will be impossible. After spending a solid weekend engrossed in the hectic multiplayer that id Software and Bethesda have summoned from hell’s depths and scheduled for release in about a month, I can already say with certainty that one of gaming’s oldest aphorisms won’t cease to ring true anytime soon. The latest Doom absolutely won’t please everyone.

Lucky for myself and others interested in the evolution of the franchise moreso than the reproduction of what already was, Doom did please me so far in its closed beta. And when it comes to what the series has always stood for outside of perhaps unforeseen genre-definition (namely knocking your socks off in a shower of hellish blood and guts), this rendition of Doom is one that, at the very least, presents an exotic aperitif of new ideas, padded by a familiar main course, and brutal “Glory" Kills for dessert. Mmm, Glory Kills.

Things start off familiar, but not because it’s Doom; spec-ing your character and loadout now resembles Halo's, which results in a streamlined pre-match experience that gets you straight to the action sooner rather than later. Game modes include standard deathmatch and a flag-capturing roller coaster ride known as Warpath. I’ll touch more on Warpath later, and though it was unfortunately not the most highly-visited mode in this weekend’s beta, I did manage a handful of thrilling experiences while playing it. It felt worthwhile.

To me the best of what new Doom brings to the table is off-the-wall shock and surprise, and nothing encapsulates this better than what I find to be a rip-roaring and perhaps comically outrageous new mechanic—acquiring demon runes. Of course, if you’ve been following the game, you’ll likely know this instead as “morphing into a hideous bipedal demon with deadly claws and a jetpack,” and against all odds the experience manages to be as thoroughly entertaining as it sounds.

My favorite thing about demon runes is the resulting layer of strategy. Because they only spawn at a certain point in the match, planning your actions around this event becomes critical. Multiplayer Doom has always been about continuous movement, which hasn’t changed thanks to well-designed maps and ample environmental pickups, but what has changed is the ability to go on autopilot—though good luck with that if you try it. Awareness of when a demon rune will appear, who currently has one, and how best you can snag one when an opponent dies are deeply intertwined with the core experience, and if you write it off as a terrible gimmick, you’ll find yourself constantly re-spawning when you could instead be spawning an infernal incarnation of Jango Fett. The choice is yours.

There are a number of convenience tweaks that have been kindly added by id, and on the whole I found most of them to be positive. You can now swap-up your weapons before re-spawning, while things like double-jumping and climbing ledges have been generously granted to any and all players who participate. I felt a bit superhuman at first, but after familiarizing myself with the ample verticality of the available maps—suddenly—it all made sense.

One thing I’m less thrilled with is the introduction of stats and numbers to the tabernacle of Doom. I looked at them, I digested them, and I did in fact understand that certain guns excelled at some things but paled at others. Despite this, I used the Super Shotgun way more than I should have, even when it wasn’t advantageous, simply because it felt awesome, and the same subliminal rules continued to dominate my loadout customization through the weekend. This may change when the game is out and I play more, and there are options for both preset and custom loadouts, but be it the Plasma Rifle or the Rocket Launcher I find myself questioning the need for player-facing RPG elements, however basic. We'll just have to wait and see.

There is one weapon you can find and pick up in the environment, and that’s the Gauss Cannon, a miniature plasma-loaded rail gun that shouldn’t exist but does. In some ways the Gauss Cannon felt more enjoyable than becoming the Revenant, as it's a superweapon that puts your existing strategy and movement on steroids as opposed to inducing a Final Smash-esque frenzy of destruction. Whatever your preferred way of establishing a competitive edge, the environments in Doom are simply littered with things, be they pickups or game-changers, and the excitement generated as a result is easily a positive.

When an opponent’s health dips below a certain level they’ll take on an amber hue, signaling your chance to barbarically end them with a stylized Glory Kill. Doom does a lot that may not perfectly align with what some fans expect out of the game, and for better or worse the Glory Kill encapsulates all of it. The game has become self-aware. As I smashed opponents' skulls against my knee and sent their entrails flying or their necks crookedly snapping, it became boldly apparent what the latest Doom aims to be. You can’t intentionally define a genre whenever you want, so why think that way? Simultaneously embracing the spirit of horror, comedy, and wanton destruction, from what I’ve seen, works just as well in its stead.

Though it still has some quirks to iron out before its release, I am feeling optimistic about Doom. I’d like to see more purpose behind its RPG elements if they persist, as I’m not thoroughly convinced by the continued depth of demon runes beyond the initial novelty and adjusted strategy. I sure as hell hope that more players decide to play Warpath once this is released. With all of that said, there’s enough weird and wacky here to grab any shooter fan’s interest, so maybe it’ll grab yours come May 13 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Just don’t get ambushed by satanic Jango Fett before it does.