Doom Eternal Nintendo Switch Review

I’m almost certain I’ve been to Hell before but since the days of playing DOS Games on an old 286 are well behind me, it’s safe to say any memories of the classic Doom games are lost to the brain explosion. In more modern times, my Facebook feed has been flooded with “Rip and Tear” memes, as well as seeing Animal Crossings fan favorite assistant Isabelle fighting beside Doom Guy and while the game looked fantastic, I simply just didn’t bother getting into it. After a very good friend of mine told me about how great he thought Doom was with its approach to its rip-and-tear gameplay, substance over the story, and the allure of it being just $20 on the Nintendo Eshop Winter sale, it seemed like everything had aligned for me to finally go to Hell…

The story has been fleshed out more in Doom Eternal over its 2016 predecessor, but demons have invaded and conquered Earth, and it’s up to you to cut, shoot, and punch your way through the hordes of Hell to make things right. The story is expanded on in the 2 DLC packs “The Old God” which are paid content sold separately. You don’t have your heavily armoured hand held through tonnes of exposition, within a minute or 2, you have your boots on the ground and are knee-deep in the dead.

Make no mistake here, Panic Button has perfected squeezing every ounce of the Nintendo Switch system’s power to deliver an amazing game that runs fluidly and captures the run and gun pacing that ID Software intended.

Gameplay is fast and fluid, up close, and personal, and makes you feel like a one-man war machine. Shooting is tight and movement responsive as you navigate post-apocalyptic cities, abandoned monasteries, and battlefields land to waste during the invasion. It’s clear ID Software has honed its skills as the grandfather of the 3D shooter genre with well-thought-out design, platforming puzzles that don’t frustrate, and hidden secrets that keep you coming back for more. Weapons and your Praetor suit can be upgraded to unlock new abilities, better stats, and different mechanics such as a flame thrower to “burn armour” which makes enemies drop armour shards so you can increase your own. Enemies have weak spots that can turn the tide of battle too, meaning the player can shoot an Arachnodemons gun off its back, forcing it to move closer into your kill zone, or disarming (literally) a rocket-armed demon to mitigate ranged damage being fired your way. All enemies can be staggered after taking damage which allows you to perform a fatality-like finisher, resulting in more health and ammo being dropped. This unique mechanic gives the game a very visceral and up-close combat feel, which never seems to grow old.

As mentioned before, Panic Button has done an incredible job porting Eternal onto the Switch, and while there may be some compromises in texture resolution, the experience of playing Doom Eternal in the palm of your hand is jaw-dropping. Demons get shredded with holes being punched through them as they charge into your machine gun fire, chunks of parts and flesh fly off when you hit them with a shotgun, and when you perform that well-timed finisher, you can see the light fade from the demon’s eyes. The environments are varied and interesting, and the lighting and weapon effects are top-notch. With all the detail and lighting, I was very surprised to see the game keep up with a consistently smooth frame rate. Enemies are varied and menacing, and while some demons like the arachnospider can cause you some grief, I constantly felt like the demons should be more scared of me than I am of them.

The game also benefits from all the patches and updates including the interesting 2v1 multiplayer mode, seasonal unlocks, and horde mode (which is absolutely baffling why horde mode isn’t multiplayer.) One minor aspect that was frustrating, however, was the need to set up and connect to Bethesda.net in order to play. There are benefits as you unlock further cosmetic rewards and other little bonuses, but on a slower internet connection, I found myself staring at a loading screen waiting to connect. This is by no means a deal breaker, and unlocking different skins and trinkets is also rewarding, including some very creative skins of Doom Guy himself.

I found Doom Eternal’s emphasis on gameplay and gore over story refreshing which was surprising, especially since games have evolved into a form of art with storytelling. Doom Eternal is still art, albeit art you can appreciate from the moment you start the game. I didn’t feel like I missed out much diving into Eternal before the 2016 Doom, but I’m excited to jump into that and see just how connected they are.

Doom Eternal is a seemingly impossible port that looks incredible and plays even better. Panic Button has ported Doom Eternal over in such a way it’s evident they are the masters of their craft. With visceral combat, slick movements, and detailed environments, going to Hell has never been more enjoyable. I only wish I had visited sooner.

So What’s it like?

A return to the classic DOS Doom mixed with the Movement of Unreal Tournament.