Needless to turn around, DOOM Eternal it was one of the most anticipated and most appreciated games of the first part of 2020, with gameplay that managed to improve what we had already enjoyed with the DOOM of 2016 and for this reason the wait for its first stand alone DLC The Ancient Gods Part 1 was great. Will the high expectations of the players and the copious thirst for demonic blood be quenched by this first DOOM Eternal add-on?
The answer is provided by Bethesda and Id Software thanks to a high-level DLC in terms of gameplay and writing, as we will discover in the course of the review.
Where had we stayed?
For those who have already forgotten the recent exploits of the Doomguy or had only just approached the series, here is a small refresh: the Earth, invaded by demonic forces, has seen the extermination of a large part of the population and only thanks to the descent into the field of the Slayer - of which we discover the origins of its inhuman strength through the flashbacks present in DOOM Eternal - has an apparent salvation of mankind.
Of course, plans don't always go as planned and a new threat, created by the chaos generated by recent events, comes to obscure humanity and beyond. The search for the Seraph, a possible ally and the only solution to definitively defeat evil, is the new goal of our hero who, no longer alone, has become an idol for humanity - and it is useless to hide a fleeting thought about what he represents. Master Chief in the Halo series - ready to once again face the demonic forces in his "eternal" fight against evil.
We certainly could not expect substantial news or upheavals in a gameplay that has bordered on near perfection in the FPS field with the main title, but in The Ancient Gods Part 1 a small change is introduced represented by the support runes which complement the very useful runes already selectable from the previous chapter.
Yes, because to fully enjoy this stand alone chapter even for non-owners of the main title, the Slayer will be able to count on all the arsenal already unlocked, with relative upgrades, the Praetor armor complete with all the Sentinel Crystals and, of course, all the runes already appreciated previously. The selection of the support rune, in this case, will give a new passive power to the Doomguy, especially useful in the critical phases of the fight against the copious hordes that we are going to challenge in this DLC.
Repetita iuvant
After all, what could we ask the developers if not more meat for slaughter? In The Ancient Gods Part 1 we will face some new environments in which we will challenge the already known enemies gradually more and more powerful. So it immediately becomes evident that it will be necessary to shake off the rust, if you had already put aside the main title, and re-enter fast-paced gameplay of insane runs, jumps and dismemberments as hordes of enemies try to take out the Slayer with all their demonic arsenal. Also in this situation we find a small but significant novelty in a new passive enemy: the Spirit.
This ethereal entity will take possession of a "colleague" to give him more power and make him much more resistant, as well as immune to the Doomguy's flamethrower and freezing grenade. Once the guest is eliminated, the Spirit will move inside another ally and therefore the only way to defeat him will be to use the "Microwave Ray" of the plasma rifle, the only weapon capable of opposing it, or cleaning up completely the map from hostile forces.
It is a small addition to the already vast corollary of enemies present in DOOM Eternal able to raise the bar of difficulty even higher and making The Ancient Gods Part 1 very challenging, albeit damn fun. The novelties in practice stop here, with underwater exploration that is added to the already known exploration in radioactive areas and depths. The new locations featured in this first DOOM Eternal add-on are a handful, enough for a DLC of this type, and it will take about 3 to 5 hours of gameplay to complete everything - a variable timing based on your skill and the chosen difficulty level.
Do not miss really challenging stages where the constant spawn of new enemies makes the battle long and exhausting, however, giving us several moments of great gaming satisfaction. Certainly the short duration can turn up one's nose on a price of 19,99 EUR which will probably be replicated in the course of 2021 when The Ancient Gods Part 2 arrives. Here then is that the Year One Pass becomes recommended, and almost a must, if you do not have the deluxe version of DOOM Eternal, a purchase that we certainly feel we can recommend to everyone.
Graphically The Ancient Gods Part 1 adds nothing new to the high level of detail and fluidity appreciated in the main title while the change of helmsman to the musical direction of the title may arouse some curiosity, after the surprising divorce announced between Bethesda and Mick Gordon and the handing over of the baton to the duo Andrew Hulshult and David Levy with Chad Mossholder at the mix.
There's no denying the news of Gordon's departure was unfortunate The Ancient Gods Part 1 contains a good soundtrack, equal to the previous one and able to give a concrete continuity with the main title thanks to songs ranging from metal to electronic techno and perfect to accompany the excited phases of the game.
From DOOM Eternal we could only expect a first DLC like The Ancient Gods Part 1, able to enclose all the positive aspects already seen in the main title and add some small new and interesting elements. The fact that this first content is stand alone is a considerable and appreciable surplus, even if the price of this short but intense new Slayer experience is quite high. We just have to wait until 2021 to find out what Bethesda and Id Software have in store to accompany the Doomguy in its insane eternal fight against the demonic forces.
