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Doom Eternal is exhausting to play

Just the ammo situation killed it for me, doom is supposed to be visceral, if I need to worry about my ammo all the time in the middle of combat the game is ruined for me... Like it's a garbage level game.

So I looked around for infinite ammo codes and I found that I needed to play longer to get them... I just uninstalled the game (mind you I didn't do it because I died a lot, I just was not enjoying my time with it).
 
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zcaa0g

Banned
Besides the Mario BS, I didn't like how the action was overly non-stop where you could never truly admire the architecture of the maps. DOOM 2016 is the modern day version of the original DOOM. DOOM Eternal is "Mario Goes to Hell".
 

manfestival

Member
Doom Eternal has a bunch of really cool places that I feel I can briefly enjoy because I literally feel swarmed and spooked by all of the enemies. ESPECIALLY the DLC. Holy cow I started it the other day and it really needs to be completed in short stints because every section of a level is a ton of stress with every possible baddie including that douchebag the Marauder
 

Scotty W

Member
Just the ammo situation killed it for me, doom is supposed to be visceral, if I need to worry about my ammo all the time in the middle of combat the game is ruined for me... Like it's a garbage level game.

So I looked around for infinite ammo codes and I found that I needed to play longer to get them... I just uninstalled the game (mind you I didn't do it because I died a lot, I just was not enjoying my time with it).
I just finished Eternal, so I am going to piggyback off your comment to give my thoughts.

In the first half I did not enjoy it as Doom 2016, in the second half I liked it better. I think what changed is my understanding of the chainsaw.

At first, I was using it like in 2016, on strong enemies. Once I figured out that you are supposed to use it on weaker enemies, I never had any more problems with ammo, which was always frustrating in the first half. I don’t think the chainsaw was implemented perfectly, but once I understood it was a minor issue.

A lot of people complain about the jumping puzzles. I liked them, however, id put the most difficult platforming section too early in the game.

The other thing is that they throw so much ui at you right at the start with the gun and suit upgrade systems. It was overwhelming at first, but in the latter half, you don’t have to worry about it so much, allowing you to concentrate on the game.

I would say it is slightly better than 2016- but I can’t imagine going back to life without gyro controls.
 

SkylineRKR

Member
To me its not that exhausting to play, unless you play it on higher than Normal. Eternal, especially in the beginning, is incredibly frustrating on Hard with pad controls. To be frank I found 2016 to be more exhausting. Because 2016 almost solely centers around arena battles, with enemy tiers constantly improving the more you slaughter. It gets a bit tedious past the halfway point. Eternal adds more puzzles, platforming and downtime inbetween and I felt the skirmishes were shorter in general. The game, on Hurt me Plenty at least, never really pits 2 barons at you or anything. The weak fodder enemies make the fights look bigger than they actually might be.

What brings Eternal down for me is the excessive amount of platforming and the gimmick battles like the Totems and goo surface. But I'm pretty sure the showdowns are shorter. The Marauder also sucks. I know how to beat him and I can do it in a master level with minions in the mix, but he feels out of place.

About the ammo, I still don't see how this game benefits from it. With more ammo I would also switch up since its more effective to do so. Shields you want to blast with Plasma for free AoE damage, caco's can be quickly glory killed by lobbing an explosive, Spiders are less of a threat if you quickscope their machinegun off, same goes for those fatties. The difference is that I constantly felt forced to retreat to some fodder just to get a few rounds of ammo. The worst offender is the final boss, most I did was running around slicing enemies, shoot about 10 times, repeat.
 

Apocryphon

Member
Replaying Quake just shows how much unnecessary shit was added to Eternal. The game only really works if you play it the way they want you to, constantly flame belching, executing enemies while switching between your grenades, and quick switching to enemy specific weapons. It's a lot. It certainly has a place and if that's what Doom is now then ok, but I really don't want this stuff in their next non-Doom game. Double jump I can take, but I don't think I'd like the dash, punch, or execute in a Quake game.

Doom 2016 is a wonder given the development hell they went though. I wish we had gotten DLC for that game instead of Doom Eternal.
 

Alphagear

Member
Doom Eternal was better than Doom imho.

Remember the first game having the same predictable enemy spawning again and again. Felt like a chore to play and just wanted to the game to end.
 

Yams

Member
I tried this game out on Xbox Gamepass and loved it. Recently finished the game and DLC on Nightmare. Eternal is the first single-player shooter I've played that gives you that same rush you get from a multiplayer game like Quake 3. It's pure adrenaline.
 
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Jebron

Member
The way they force you to have to use all the tricks in gameplay by severely limiting your ammo doesn't sit well with me. A fully upgraded shotgun only giving you 12 double barrel shots in a doom game is terrible.
Yeah, but, you can get more ammo instantly... for (almost) any weapon... whenever you want.
 
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Jigsaah

Gold Member
I recently completed the game on Ultra Violence difficulty about a week or so ago. They give you all these introductions to new ways to play and challenges and multiplayer.

I never uninstalled a game so fast in my life.

Great game, but I agree with OP...the campaign was more than enough for me.
 

Danknugz

Member
personally it’s the arena style combat that I cannot stand. For me, it kind of sabotages the whole discovery / free roam adventure aspect of doom and feels kind of like a crutch the developers use for lack of effort in making maps that are actually fun to play and don’t feel like a chore.
 

Mexen

Member
Funny, I now play all my games like that. One or two levels/missions a day. I can't remember the last time I sat for more 2 hours playing a game.
 

Yams

Member
Doom Eternal is a terrible game and not a patch on the excellent Doom 2016

Yet another game that is emblematic of Bethesda’s decline in standards I’m sorry to say.
The game is fantastic and far better than Doom 2016. You obviously disagree, but Eternal is not the result of any sort of "decline." They are just two very different games that cater to different styles. The developers have said as much.
 

MrMephistoX

Member
What i like about Doom Eternal is that it teaches you how to become good in the game through failing and trying again.
Of course this is only possible because the game has rules.
Anyways i love Doom Eternal.
I love it too especially like midway through when you’ve learned all the skills then every battle turns into a puzzle kind of like a good Zelda boss battle. Maybe it’s for the best I didn’t play through DOOM the reboot because I had zero expectations and loved it.
 

Apocryphon

Member
I love it too especially like midway through when you’ve learned all the skills then every battle turns into a puzzle kind of like a good Zelda boss battle. Maybe it’s for the best I didn’t play through DOOM the reboot because I had zero expectations and loved it.

And now you can go play the superior game 😉
 

THE DUCK

voted poster of the decade by bots
Just the ammo situation killed it for me, doom is supposed to be visceral, if I need to worry about my ammo all the time in the middle of combat the game is ruined for me... Like it's a garbage level game.

So I looked around for infinite ammo codes and I found that I needed to play longer to get them... I just uninstalled the game (mind you I didn't do it because I died a lot, I just was not enjoying my time with it).

Imagine having to use just a little bit of strategy to advance, crazy. I feel like there's a whole group of people just straight up too lazy to play the game while thinking. Someday someone will have to explain to me why picking up random boxes is 10 times better than occasionally using the chainsaw.
 

eNT1TY

Member
TC's assessment of Doom eternal mirrors mine in so many ways, at this point I'm left wondering if its the short-comings of the player on display or the game's. Too many people i know that tried this game have similar sentiments. We can't all suck can we?
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
This game is amazing once you git gud. Best fps ever designed. You need to learn all the different systems and then it just flows so seamlessly.

Way better than the first.

It is very taxing though. It's called an adrenaline dump. I usually only played for 15-20 minutes at a time until I beat it.
 
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Kev Kev

Member
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it breaks my heart how much i hated this game

i just have no words. it was such an easy 10/10 in my mind. but then they decided to turn the gameplay inside out and... *sigh* ive already said all this, and we see this type of thread come up every couple months so its all been said at this point. heres to hoping the next game brings the game back to form.
 
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MrFunSocks

Banned
Yeah, but, you can get more ammo instantly... for (almost) any weapon... whenever you want.
How exactly? The only way that I can remember were by unlocking the barrel skill, upgrading the shotgun to get shotgun ammo, and by chainsawing?
 
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Yes, it is.
I played and finished Doom 2016 on Hurt Me Plenty, but Eternal? That’s another story.
The levels are ridiculously long right from the start.
You have to be constantly moving or you’re already dead, and even while moving you’re getting hit by something you don’t even know it’s there.
You have to switch weapons all the time because of seriously limited ammo and an endless variety of sub-weapons that the devs absolutely wanted you to use. They’re not optional, at all.
Enemy weak points are anything but simple to aim at on console, and if you don’t get rid of them asap, you’re already dead.
Most encounters are at least 2x longer than in Doom 2016, right from the first level.

Like other people have noticed, Eternal is a game that wants to be played in a certain way. There’s very little room for personal strategy, and it’s so fast and relentless, it’s exhausting.
I dropped it without looking back.
Installed the game last week. Played for like 10 minutes and then quit and uninstalled immediately. From the get-go everything is going at 100mph. My brain can't keep up with the shit flying at you from all over the place on the very first level with the difficulty on the medium setting.
I was like 'Nah Fuck This' and deleted the thing.
 

Marty-McFly

Banned
Installed the game last week. Played for like 10 minutes and then quit and uninstalled immediately. From the get-go everything is going at 100mph. My brain can't keep up with the shit flying at you from all over the place on the very first level with the difficulty on the medium setting.
I was like 'Nah Fuck This' and deleted the thing.
10 minutes is not nearly enough for me to make a call on a game.

Sometimes I hate a game but after a couple hours it just clicks and it's pure gaming zen.

Eternal is a good example of this.
 

MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
Gameplay loop is very repetitive. That's kinda the problem. Wasn't a fan of the constant mobility and reliance on blowing ammo to blow the saw and juggling your CDs on your punch and your flamethrower.

Doom 2016 was more enjoyable due to it's simplicity IMO.
 
10 minutes is not nearly enough for me to make a call on a game.

Sometimes I hate a game but after a couple hours it just clicks and it's pure gaming zen.

Eternal is a good example of this.
In that 10 minutes I got my ass handed to me on medium difficulty. I enjoyed Doom 2016 more and actually played a decent chunk of that campaign. This Eternal is something else though and I've heard others having issues with it.

It's just not enjoyable if I'm getting teabagged so early on the the first level 😂
 

Beechos

Member
I feel doom eternal is also better than doom in every way. It was super hard at 1st but once i learned the mechanics it becomes so much easier. You stop moving, you are dead, low on ammo, chainsaw a imp for ammo, each enemy has a weakness to a certain gun so you really do have to use all your weapons. I feel like some people are playing this like a tradition fps which is why its so hard for them. Yes the game wants you to play by its rules, but so do alot of other games. Youre not going to go guns blazin in rainbow 6, just like youre not going to go slow and tactical in cod.
 
Imagine having to use just a little bit of strategy to advance, crazy. I feel like there's a whole group of people just straight up too lazy to play the game while thinking. Someday someone will have to explain to me why picking up random boxes is 10 times better than occasionally using the chainsaw.
Me gaming:
Homer Simpson Reaction GIF


I honestly don't like the gaming loop they created, I don't play Doom for this type of challenge. It's NOT FUN.
 
I can smoke the game on Ultra Nightmare consistently across the base game and the DLC, I occasionally stream it. I have played the base game on Nightmare through in 1 sitting and done the same for the DLCs. The higher difficulties are really meant to be for people who are good at moving, resource management and effective weapon selection including quick switching. Don't bother trying to play NM for fun if you are going to just try to run and gun like a regular shooter. This game has a combat system and the better you get the more fun the game is.
 
Surprised this topic is still getting replies lol.
The game is fantastic and far better than Doom 2016. You obviously disagree, but Eternal is not the result of any sort of "decline." They are just two very different games that cater to different styles. The developers have said as much.
Definitely disagree with this. Bethesda as a studio and publisher is definitely declining. They shelved Dishonored, made two back-to-back awful Wolfenstein games, a Doom sequel that has less content than its predecessor... Mind you, they haven’t made an ES mainline game in a decade almost and the last couple of Fallout games barely function. I would call that a decline🤷🏿‍♂️
Imagine having to use just a little bit of strategy to advance, crazy. I feel like there's a whole group of people just straight up too lazy to play the game while thinking. Someday someone will have to explain to me why picking up random boxes is 10 times better than occasionally using the chainsaw.
There is a clear dominant “strategy” to playing this game. It nukes creativity and turns the levels into a chore. For all the talks of freedom, it really isn’t all that open. It’s closer to something like Mass Effect 2 and not something like Crysis.
TC's assessment of Doom eternal mirrors mine in so many ways, at this point I'm left wondering if its the short-comings of the player on display or the game's. Too many people i know that tried this game have similar sentiments. We can't all suck can we?
I’ll admit I’m no wiz kid, but the game isn’t so challenging that most people can’t complete it. Not to mention how op some of the abilities are.
 

eNT1TY

Member
I’ll admit I’m no wiz kid, but the game isn’t so challenging that most people can’t complete it. Not to mention how op some of the abilities are.
It's challenge comes from lack of flexibility and an unnecessary layer of resource management. You have to play the "intended' way or you won't progress smoothly. I don't know if most people don't complete it but the few i know that did myself included (Hurt me Plenty only) found it a chore. Eternal's loop for me is not fun, can only take it in small doses. Even Doom 3 had more diversity in encounter approach.
 
It's challenge comes from lack of flexibility and an unnecessary layer of resource management. You have to play the "intended' way or you won't progress smoothly. I don't know if most people don't complete it but the few i know that did myself included (Hurt me Plenty only) found it a chore. Eternal's loop for me is not fun, can only take it in small doses. Even Doom 3 had more diversity in encounter approach.
The fact that the challenge comes from the lack of flexibility and resource management is such a flimsy way of making it seem like it’s deeper than it truly is. Hell, I played the first couple of levels of Doom 3 on Normal and that game is INTENSE.
 
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Quick switching is mandatory if you want to pump out damage at the fastest rate. The hidden benefit of this is cutting cool down times between each weapon. It takes the combat system of the game which is already refined and gives you more ways to kill demons quickly and that's the key. In higher difficulties you need to kill demons fast if you want to survive. Mobility and movement is everything and less time shooting each demon will thin the herd quicker.
 

Justin9mm

Member
Just the ammo situation killed it for me, doom is supposed to be visceral, if I need to worry about my ammo all the time in the middle of combat the game is ruined for me... Like it's a garbage level game.

So I looked around for infinite ammo codes and I found that I needed to play longer to get them... I just uninstalled the game (mind you I didn't do it because I died a lot, I just was not enjoying my time with it).
Time and time again we here the ammo issue but it is literally a button press on enemy fodder to get it. No different to ammo being somewhere on the map and you pressing a button to pick it up except you are chainsawing an enemy. The use of the chainsaw is completely different to Doom 2016. You had to select the chainsaw in Doom 2016 and then use it, this is one button press and not a weapon swap. All they did was put the ammo in the enemy and make you press a button that way to get. Seriously how easy do you want a game to be? It's an arena shooter, it's meant to make you think and be challenged. If you don't like it that's fine but it's not the game that is the problem. The game is actually very well designed, blaming the game and calling it garbage is ridiculous.

I'm shit at Returnal, I can't do it for the life of me, I had to sell my copy because it was not for me and no matter how many hours or times I tried, I can't stay alive, but I don't go and complain about the mechanics of no save points, unforgiving enemies and and dying over and over because I was not enjoying my time with it.. I can see the bigger picture and no it's still very well designed and quite an awesome game whether I could do it or not.

I've said this so much but Doom 2016 is way too easy, you can pretty much do the whole game with 1 weapon. It should not be that way to be honest.
 

SkylineRKR

Member
Yes you can replenish, but you need to go through the chainsaw animation time and time again. It did get a bit tedious for me, as its on top of the glory kills. And you don't get that many since there is a low cap on the weapons. 2016 can be completed with SS (which is in fact like classic Doom), but I feel they already fixed that in Eternal by making grenades effective on Cacodemons, parts to shoot off with Scope, etc.

My first stance was that I disliked Eternals platforming, story beats and lots of gimmicks thrown in. But when I revisited it in 120hz I liked it much better. Though I don't replay levels that often since there is quite a bit of platforming etc involved.
 

nemiroff

Gold Member
Interestingly enough since my harsh criticism I've kinda changed my mind about the game to the point that I ended up generally very much enjoying the experience (and I had no ammo issues btw), and even completed it, lol. Still think the departure from 2016 didn't have to be quite as divisive as it was though.
 

zombrex

Member
Game is fucking amazing but I agree with OP 100%.
I never played such an intense game in my life.
Was literally sweating and shaking after some game sessions.
Had to knock it down to the lowest difficulty about half way through and
had to break it up into sessions but it was well worth, an extremely fun and memorable game experience.
 
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