Over the weekend I was given the immense pleasure to experience the Doom multiplayer Beta on the PlayStation 4. Like many, I found out about the Doom reboot back at E3 2015, and like many, I was bubbling to the brim with eagerness to get my hands on a copy of the game. All my excitement was focused on the single-player but it completely slipped my mind that id Software was even working on a multiplayer version of the game. Honestly, I paid no mind to it because I’ve not always been that enticed by the multiplayer aspects of a videogame. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy battling or co-operating with others online, it’s just that when I think of a videogame, my primary concern about its quality is how it delivers its solo campaigns (this does not count for games like Titanfall and what not). However, after my playthrough of the Doom multiplayer, that perspective has changed quite a bit.
Before getting into the actual gameplay itself, l would like to address the customization features of the multiplayer. It’s great to see that they’ve integrated this modern-multiplayer feature into their game, especially given the fact that it was meant to be more Quake-centered. The customization options are diverse; from head to legs, you can tailor your character to your liking. Even the guns can be heavily cosmetically modified. However, the cosmetic changes were in terms of color and patterns on the weapon itself, you could not change the gun’s body. One can get immensely colorful with their character and weapon customization, in a morbidly fun way it contrasts perfectly with the gory and sordid undertones of Doom.
[column size=one_half position=first ]Before a match begins, you have the choice to either use a default loadout or a custom loudout. As you level up your character, you receive more custom loudout brackets, thus more options to choose from. The really intriguing bit came in the form of Hack Modules. These are modules you receive throughout your multiplayer experience, and essentially, these are meant to give you an advantage for a limited time every time you respawn. Thus, before entering the match, you get to choose which modules you want with you before entering the match. Everytime you respawn, you have the option to not use the module, since after all they are limited. Modules can vary – some let you respawn with the ability to see the position of the person who killed you, while others offer extra XP for a limited time.[/column]
[column size=one_half position=last ]”It was a refreshing departure from the generics play styles we see in most modern-shooters”[/column]
The gameplay is where the beta showed the most potential. The gameplay is pure run-and-gun style, there hardly is a moment to stand still and try to line up a shot perfectly. It was a refreshing departure from the generics play styles we see in most modern-shooters. This play style is emulated in some weapons as well; such as the Static Cannon which only charges up if the player is moving. The feel of each weapon is unique, it doesn’t just feel like a re-skin. You and your opponents do not go down easy, you will find yourself unloading a good portion of your clip into an opponent before they go down. This adds a level of tension as well as exhilaration to the gun battles. If an opponent’s health is down and if you time your melee attack, you can pull-off a glory kill – which is just another way of saying cinematic finishing move. The map is littered with health-pickups and ammunition, so you’re never at a loss for bullets or bandages for the gaping wound in your skull. After a point, you even start learning the position of these pickups, and it’s vital because finding that health pack could be the turning point for a one-on-one gun battle with another opponent.
[column size=one_half position=first ]”Every time you run over a demon pickup, your character turns into that demon for a limited time.”[/column]
[column size=one_half position=last ]From years and years of being conditioned by modern shooters, the L2 trigger is instinctually seen as the ‘aim down the crosshair’ button, but not in Doom. For some weapons, it aims down the scope. For others it is an alternative fire. Such as for the rocket launcher, pressing L2 after firing a missile lets you detonate it in mid-air. Thus, it changes the way we use each weapon – some can double as crowd-control, while others can provide a strategic advantage.[/column]
The Doom multiplayer still retains many of its Quake roots, such as power-up pickups. One type of pickup is in the form of special weapons while the other is in the form of Demon possession. The latter is where it truly gets interesting. As mentioned earlier, before beginning a match, you get to choose your loadout, and along with that you pick your demon. Thus, every time you run over a demon pickup, your character turns into that demon for a limited time. It adds a whole new dimension to the game, as you become this lethal killing machine but at the same time you attract the attention of everyone else on the map. There were plenty times where getting the demon pickup changed the tide of a match.
In all honesty, the multiplayer did not feel complex, and that’s a good thing. It did not bombard me with a multitude of features and options; it kept it simple. Doom excelled at taking multiplayer back to its roots. I did find a few faults during my runthrough, the main issue being the way the weapons function. The rocket launcher felt as powerful as the machine gun, which makes no sense at all. It took me almost 3-4 rockets to kill most of my opponents, but there would be the off chance I would kill an opponent with one shot. The power levels of the weapons felt random and not actually thought through. Match-fixing was also buggy on the rare occasion – such as when for a whole game, I and two others went against a team of seven players. The beta offered Team Deathmatch and Warpath. The latter was a unique spin on capture the point, the only difference being that the point is constantly moving. I found myself playing Team Deathmatch the most because Warpath did not feel properly calculated. By this I mean, the maps themselves did not accommodate for that time for gameplay. Many times, my team would be capturing a point but then we would reach this one part of the map that favored the opposition completely with no way of putting forward a proper defense.
It felt nostalgically amazing to be taken back to the quake style of multiplayer but at the same time it did not feel dated. There are a few kinks the developers should address, nonetheless, the Doom multiplayer is something anyone can pick up and play. It’s a breath of fresh air to those satiated by modern shooters, and it is a warm welcome to those accustomed to the old-school FPS. Doom multiplayer has a lot of room to grow; and if it is done right, it could have the potential to be the next big eSport.
