DOOM (2016) (PC) (id Software)
0The greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus famously said that you can't step into the same river twice - the river is not the same anymore, and neither are you - and that just might have been a reference to Doom 2016. The irony of id Software's return to its FPS roots is that by designing the new game as an explicit reaction to specific trends and elements which define most modern shooters, Doom 2016 doesn't really play like the original Doom series at all. For better and worse, D2016 is faster and more focused than either the corridor shooters of old or the scripted rollercoasters of Call of Duty. While D1993 is certainly more fast-paced than many cutscene-heavy contemporary FPSs, working your way through its massive labyrinthine levels was a tense and methodical experience whereas D2016 is truly a "twitch shooter" with emphasis on mobility and fast kills.
My first impressions are that I enjoy the movement speed and also appreciate that regaining health is based more on dispatching enemies than picking up items in the environment (since the former encourages risk-taking and helps keep the pace up). The weapons feel good but I don't like having to bother with the upgrade system. The rather generic and Doom 3-esque visual design of the early levels is somewhat disappointing, and was there *really* a need to include any kind of dialogue and plot whatsoever?