Game:

Doom (2016)

Duration: 2:03

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DOOM Action & Aggression - Bit Ideas

Initial impressions on DOOM, the new FPS game by id Software. This video focuses on how its game mechanics come together make the player feel like a badass action hero. Power fantasy is nothing new in the realm of video games, but the cool thing about DOOM is the means by which it delivers this experience.

This video is not meant to be a comprehensive review. All it does provide an opinion on one aspect of the gameplay of DOOM 4/DOOM 2016 that I personally found interesting after a few hours of play time.

Full Transcript of the video:

So I've been playing a little DOOM recently. The new one. And one thing it does very well is provide the experience
of being a badass action hero through its high intensity gameplay, and that's due to the unification of various factors.
For one, the aesthetic is clear. Blood, guts, gore, and an unsubtle story about slaughtering evil demons means the player can taking action rather than thinking about the implications of the unfolding events.

But the gameplay is what I find most interesting. First of all, DOOM doesn't just offer a high level of mobility. It encourages the player to make use of it. You can jump and climb onto various platforms which are scattered through the level, and often contain health, ammo, and armor pick ups, but you have to move around to grab them

Speaking of moving around, DOOM offers a very fast movement speed. So fast that the player can dodge enemy projectiles and get to different parts of the map relatively quickly, which is also made possible by the openness of the level design. There are always a few different ways to go so the the player is never hemmed in or stuck in a particular position. On the flip side, this means that hunkering down in a safe area doesn't work. Very different from most modern FPS games which emphasize the use of cover and positioning, DOOM tries to keep the player on their toes at all times.

In addition to movement, the game also encourages aggression
Melee takedowns on weakened foes provide health drops, so it actually makes sense to charge into the thick of battle. Which, again, is possible because of the high level of mobility. Plus, slain enemies drop health when the player is low on hp. This gives you a reason to respond with aggression rather than backing off in a tough situation. And going back to the badass action hero metaphor, it makes sense. After all, a real action hero
charges in with reckless valour. They don't run away when things get tough.

Overall, it's easy to see how the different design decisions behind DOOM come together to create a memorable style of high intensity, action oriented gameplay.

What is DOOM:

Doom (stylized as DOOM) is a horror first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is a reboot of the Doom series and is the first major installment in the series since the release of Doom 3 in 2004 and the fourth title in the main series of games.

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