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Doom - a game series with ups and downs for 30 years now and there aren't that many games that can look back on such a long history.
With Doom Eternal and the two expansions The Ancient Goods Parts 1 and 2, the story also finds its (“worthy”) end for the time being.

Wait, Doom has a story?

Yes indeed. However, this wasn't even thought about until Doom 2016, and it's even more complex than many people might think. Anyone who has carefully followed the monologue in Doom (2016) and read all the codex entries already knows this story and has enough background information to be able to enjoy Doom Eternal to the fullest.

Anyone who hasn't played the predecessor should definitely do so before Eternal and anyone who is willing to absorb the information provided in the game will then know the story.
For those who are interested, I posted a summary of the story in the comments due to its length.

Doom Eternal – a celebration for those who need it tougher

Eternal begins shortly after the events of Doom (2016). However, this time difference is not precisely defined. The Slayer has moved into the Fortress of Doom in space, which serves as his main base. How this happened remains as much a mystery as what happened in the meantime. With the support of the AI VEGA from the predecessor, the Slayer is now hunting the hell priests who are the masterminds of the demon invasion on earth. But that won't be the only thing that will keep the Slayer busy on his way because as the game progresses he will repeatedly be confronted with his past as well as his first battle in which the Doom Marine became the Slayer we know and the famous sentence “Rip and Tear, until it is done” comes from.
In addition, Eternal, unlike its predecessor, relies on more cutscenes in which the Slayer himself is actively staged and the principle of an active story telling is applied. This reveals more background information about the actions of the demons and the circumstances and the player is confronted with stories and explanations that primarily serve to give the whole thing a framework for the actions that are about to take place. There is also a lot to read. For those who have no real interest in the story and don't want to read every codex entry, you will find out the most important things in the various cutscenes and the messages from the characters.

Jump jump hooray

In this game, the formula of its predecessor has been expanded again. The double jump is available from the start and the Slayer also receives a dash that is not just intended for reaching secrets or game passages. This will become a good friend and offer even more mobility in battle. In addition, the Glory Kill mechanics and the chainsaw continue to celebrate many broken bones on the battlefield.
Especially when it comes to the double jump and the dash, there is an incredible, unique and fluid combat feeling in which long-range fire and brutal close combat alternate. Covering or retreating is completely pointless here. If something like ammunition or armor is missing, there is only one right path: moving forward inexorably.
Thanks to the new movements and swinging on poles, the arenas now offer significantly more vertical action because the fighting areas are often crossed by high platforms or take place on a large cliff where you fight your way from top to bottom. Many of these elements can be used to outmaneuver the demons and attack them from the side, behind or above. What's pretty cool is that there are several runes that either improve movement in the air or slow everything down when you press the alternative fire button, which leads to really spectacular slow-motion maneuvers when jumping.
The range of facets of the carnage are almost endless thanks to explosive or frost grenades and the alternative fire modes that are unlocked as upgrade boxes in the areas and can be swapped out at the touch of a button, adding to the already great weapons.

But not only the challenging combat but also the level design and the variety can score even more here compared to its predecessor.
https://steamoss.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2932253724
The locations are just visually great and really offer something to look at in a wide variety of settings.
https://steamoss.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3107620412
The game isn't dark, in fact it's brightly colored, which is really great because it covers the same grey-brown soup with colors that don't harm the hellish design in any way.
The Fortress of Doom is also fantastically designed and, in addition to storing the unlocked secrets, also offers enough excitement to explore. You can also use the collected Sentinel batteries to unlock upgrades for weapons and the Preator suit, and there are skins for the suit like the super cool outfit of the Marine from Doom (1993)

A big difference to Doom (2016), which was missing towards the end, is the variation in the gameplay. While in the predecessor you ran from arena to arena, Eternal also requires more skill. Since you can climb special walls here and the double jump and dash are ideal for overcoming large abysses, there are sections in which the game plays almost like a classic action adventure. Boxes have to be moved, switches have to be activated, simple environmental puzzles have to be solved and tricky jumping passages have to be completed. And that's damn cool, but unfortunately in some cases it's sometimes too much of a good thing.
At least for my taste because in some passages you don't know how to jump until you get to the next platform, which then - oh wonder - falls into the lava after a while. But when what feels like the hundredth jump-and-run passage comes along, then at some point it's enough.

But this slows down the quick arena shooting a bit, giving you time to breathe and concentrate on finding secrets. In addition to collecting items, soundtracks or cheat codes, there are also valuable upgrade points or crystals for the suit, the locations of which are automatically displayed on the clear and freely rotatable map so that you can easily return to the secrets you have not found.

Whether you think Doom is good or bad. The games all have one thing in common. They always run perfectly, the controls are precise and the weapons feel really good. And here, if you belong to the Slayers Club, you will be rewarded with various things for playing. The Slayer, the Hud and everything that has to do with it can be adapted to your own wishes and you will literally be showered with free cosmetics. When it comes to this, some other game developers could take a good look at this, because everything is available here at no additional cost.
In addition, the game is always up to date and work is constantly being done on it and that is more than just exemplary.

For me, Doom Eternal is one of the best shooters of this generation with a unique flow in combat, great arenas, extensive weapons, numerous and different enemies, impressive locations and a brutal soundtrack, which takes arena shooters to a new level.

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MY PROS AND CONS:

✔ great level and monster design
✔ great soundtrack
✔ smooth and uncompromising gameplay
✔ clever AI
✔ precise controls
✔ Effective weapon modes and upgrades
✔ interesting mythology
✔ lots of humor
✔ extensive campaign
✔ many hidden secrets
✔ many customization options
✔ Photo mode
✔ tactical and quick battles
✔ optional time trials and battle arenas

✘ Story is told weakly
✘ partly monotonous corridors
✘ too many acrobatics

Revised and reposted: January 15, 2024

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PLAYED WITH: ⌨️ 🖱 🎧

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⮩ VISIT ME IN MY LITTLE WORLD

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https://steamoss.com/steamstore/app/782330/

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Lovecraftian Mars horror without scares or: puzzle fun instead of cosmic horror

In the role of engineer Shane Newehart, we are responsible for maintaining the Trailblaizer Alpha Station on the red planet.
Shane is plagued by terrible visions and nightmares, which create a dark and engaging atmosphere right from the start of the game.
The entire space station is riddled with dark tentacles and hideous growths and ...

... then we wake up from the nightmare ...

Immediately after waking up, we notice the detailed furnished quarters. We learn something about us and the history of the game in which we can read various notes, look at objects and explore the impressive station.
With an arm scanner that we find while exploring the station, we can now scan the environment, show us the route to the next destination and even hack surveillance cameras or other devices later in the game.
Right from the start, the first orders await us where, for example, we have to re-supply the station with electricity, align a solar panel or repair a satellite system. But there is still no sign of other colleagues and there are tons of locked doors.

But in our absence, the result of a secret science project has spread to the space station and the hallucinations are becoming more intense, increasing in frequency and a mysterious witch seems to be terrorizing the space station.
Reality can hardly be distinguished from reality and the references to horror stories by H.P. Lovecraft can be seen more and more clearly...

First-person exploration puzzle walking simulator survival horror game

And from then on we run, sneak or escape from “dark figures”, are surprised by the obligatory jump scares, hide, talk to ourselves, solve various puzzles and delve deeper and deeper into the disturbing story of the game.

Despite the occasional escape passages, Moons of Madness is not really a full-fledged action adventure but rather a manageable horror adventure. You are alone on the Mars station, reading computer logs, looking for key cards, “fighting” with plant research or making short trips to the surface of Mars. And to do this, we put on a helmet in the airlock, supply ourselves with oxygen and can then drive our Mars mobile to a wide variety of locations outside the research station.
https://steamoss.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3117582190&tscn=1703068390
Unfortunately, we can't drive ourselves and our job here is simply to start the vehicle.

The game manages to build and capture an oppressive atmosphere, and in places it may even be reminiscent of Layers of Fear, Soma, Alien: Isolation and perhaps others. But there is no action-packed fight for survival apart from the run-away passages in Moons of Madness. Shane can't shoot or hit and if you get caught, Shane is quickly killed.
https://steamoss.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3117582223&tscn=1703068384
Moons of Madness is somewhere between a walking simulator and an adventure and is therefore quite credible when it comes to the everyday life of an astronaut and perfectly captures the feeling of working on a Mars station and fortunately the developers have decided to change the process to make the second half of the game much more varied. The stories become darker and even if the “Cthulu mysticism” portion looks quite random and jumbled together, it motivates you to keep playing.

A weakness of the game is clearly that it is never really scary or frightening. Apart from a few shocking moments, nothing really threatening happens to Shane, so there's no real fear for his character's life.
Exploring within the station is a linear process of achieving small goals and so the game remains a well-told adventure that makes up for the slow start in the second half with Lovecraftian mysticism.
Moons of Madness is relatively classic with scripted jump scares, but you are quite entertained and the alternation between story, puzzles and the shocking moments is quite balanced.

However, in my opinion there are too many chases in the game and generally not enough variety in the gameplay. Visually, the game looks really great.

A small drawback for me is that you can't freely assign your keys again. Of course this isn't an issue for most people, but for people who don't play with the standard controls, it's always a bit annoying and sometimes a bit fiddly.

The controls themselves are sometimes a bit fiddly and can be a bit annoying. The game saves automatically, but the save points are sometimes quite far apart and depending on the QTE or collecting and crafting tasks, the death of Shane can mean that you have to do the puzzle tasks you have just solved again.
In places the atmosphere also suffers from the fluctuating graphics quality. Some important things are simply worse designed than others. While the interiors are beautiful and detailed, some monsters, caves, or dream sequences, with their poor textures, look worse and less threatening than they could and should be. Unfortunately, the tentacles sometimes look more like misshapen, thick tree roots.

Despite all this, as the plot continues, the developers manage to tell an interesting story that makes you want to keep playing and find out what happens next.

Moons of Madness isn't a bad game, but it's not really a good one either.
It's a shame that so much potential was wasted here.

If you like “horror” games or are a Lovecraft fan, you should still definitely take a look at Moons of Madness, because the great potential of the game flashes every now and then and you can play the game for around 6-10 hours (depending on how often you die or explores the levels).

But wait for a sale or another good offer before you grab it.

There are trading cards and achievements for the game. You get almost all of these Achievements automatically when you play through the game. There is, however, a missable achievement, but you get it if you do something in the game that you logically wouldn't do otherwise.

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MY PROS AND CONS:

✔ good mix of story, puzzles and horror moments
✔ detailed interiors
✔ appealing (tricky) puzzles
✔ Puzzle complexity increases
✔ appropriate soundscape
✔ great astronaut flair
✔ optional details on the edge
✔ interesting side stories

✘ some weak textures
✘ boring monster design
✘ too linear
✘ some bad checkpoints
✘ undemanding QTE
✘ Bugs and design errors
✘ Shock moments predictable
✘no real side tasks or side quests

Review Date: December 20, 2023

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PLAYED WITH: ⌨️ 🖱 🎧

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⮩ VISIT ME IN MY LITTLE WORLD

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https://steamoss.com/steamstore/app/1012840/