Then I played a different DOOM 2016 because a lot of the game did not revolve around that. I remember much more exploration than arena segments (except towards the end when it was more arena than exploration).
I don’t mean extremely large circles, I mean you are trapped in a single room circling and platforming around until you finish (to mimic a Quake 3 arena match).
There’s a ton of that, after you destroy the big glowing heart things a bunch of demons portal in and you have to kill them in an arena. Core to DOOM 2016 design.
I don’t know about the proportion, but both arenas and exploration segments were in there.
Doom 2016 was literally designed around “combat skate park” (id’s name for it) levels that encouraged players to zoom around in circles fighting enemies and pulling off “tricks” to manage the crowd.
AKA id’s “We needed good gameplay, so we straight up copied it from Painkiller” design for Doom 2016.
I think maybe what KallDrexx is referring to as “Arena” is Serious Sam, which was, yes, entirely boring and exhausting endless backpeddling in wide-open spaces.
No, I definitely mean going in circle in small spaces, the “combat skate park” aptly defines it. I just didn’t remember that being most of the game (although I felt like it was most of the last few levels).
I loved the closed-off combat skate park sections. As soon as the doors slammed shut and locked behind you, you got to have a bunch of Rorschach “None of you seem to understand. I’m not locked in here with you… you’re locked in here with me!” moments.
The gameplay video looked like playing Quake Champions vs some newbies using demon models. I struggled with motion sickness issues with the last Doom, and i suspect this will be the same so it will be relegated to the sales. Looked pretty cool though. I like a good hell landscape even if it is um… dotted with jump pads.
This looked pretty stunning. The new editions to the campaign like the wall grabs and air dash seem to really encourage traversal, and seeing the return of old favorites like the radiation suit was a nice touch.
Would you say it was visually stunning, MrTibbs?
Just don’t.
I was lukewarm on DOOM 2016 for similar reasons as KallDrexx. I’d much prefer the monsters to be wandering around the levels naturalistically so Hell actually felt like a place, and if there were ever more than 5 or 8 on-screen at a time that’d be even better. When it started getting universal praise I pretty much knew what direction the series would be going in, and someone (wise Spacewalk, first of his name) mentioned over at RPS that the new one looks more like Unreal Tournament than DOOM with all the glowing bonus powerups and aerial dodges. But hey, it’s got a grappling hook and a flamethrower, so I’ll grab it eventually.
I’m thinking that you might be happier with Prey, or something. Doom and its ilk have always pretty much been around throwing a bunch of demons in with you in some random grimdark environment.
I’ve played Prey; it actually had a good reason for teleporting monsters in, and great set dressing to boot. I assume you mean nu-Prey though.
DOOM had a few monster spawners, but it wasn’t not the primary method of delivering mooks like it is in nu-DOOM. And it was grimdark, yeah; I miss that.
Have you played Shadow Warrior/Shadow Warrior 2 (not the Build game). Might be right up your alley.
Technically, old Doom didn’t have monsters wandering naturalistically either. They stood in one place until they saw you. Clever lever designers created small 1-pip holes in walls so the monsters could see you walk by and activate.
I think his point is easily understandable though : original Doom has the levels prefilled with monsters, and you go around and shoot them. There are examples of when new monsters spawn in, and even a few of the doors slamming shut and you/the monsters being trapped in with the monsters/you. But those are the exception rather than the rule.
Whereas nuDoom they were the rule. (And also it never had more than 4 monsters on screen at once, which was pathetic really. That’s definitely am example of graphics winning over gameplay.)
‘Going to battle to Heaven, in addition of Hell’ is a theme that some Doom mods have used.
Asymmetric my dudes.
Have you played Bayonetta? It’s not metal but it’s awesome and badass in a totally different way.
I always fantasised about a Quake set in pristine white palatial arenas, just for that red/white contrast. This may come close!
Yeah, Bayonetta did some decent Heaven monsters.
Only if they were set to be deaf. If not, monsters could be activated by hearing gunshots with sound travelling through windows and tiny tunnels. This was already done by the original level designers.