The story of Doom Eternal comes to its conclusion with The Ancient Gods Part 2 and in this review we will find out what the latter DLC is like
For all fans, this latest expansion represents a milestone for the Doomguy which has accompanied various generations of gamers for years. In this DLC, in fact, the players will face the definitive clash between the human race and the demons. How did the developers have structured it? We just have to start this review on The Ancient Gods Part 2 and find out if the cycle of Doom Eternal has a worthy conclusion or not.
Nothing we know is real
This sentence may be strange to readers who have not played the DLC and even I would have doubts to understand the meaning if I had not had this luck. Don’t worry, I will not spoil the story. I will limit myself to describing my adventure in the game, but without telling the story lived in this chapter. For those who do not remember however, we were left with the awakening of the Dark Lord, the reincarnation of evil itself.
On this journey our task will be to reach it and then eliminate it. So far it is obviously always the same Doom that we have come to know over the years. A shot here, a grenadine there, a few epic kills and so on. Yet in this new expansion the developers have created a new, more dynamic, and more frenetic game, as far as possible, even more violent and intriguing.
Apart from history, therefore, from which some philosophical writings could be drawn if observed with a critical eye, expansion follows the good line drawn from the base game and from The Ancient Gods Part One before him. However, some mechanics “distance” it from its predecessors. Let’s see what has changed in this DLC.
Many new features for perfect gameplay – Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2 review
All the new gameplay changes deserve a separate paragraph in this review of Doom Eternal’s The Ancient Gods Part 2 DLC. One of the first novelties can be noticed immediately in the UI. In fact, at the center of the interface we notice not only the viewfinder, but also the various icons concerning our arsenal, such as the petrol tank of the chainsaw, the various grenades and so on. This allows us to do not take your eyes off the fight and always know when one of our gadgets is ready for use.
Another important gameplay change that makes the game more complex from the platform side is linked to the introduction of Attachment points. These particular suspended hooks are very useful in our adventure to reach ever higher and more distant points. However, in order to take advantage of it you will need to use the Butcher Hook present on the shotgun. These attachment points are also useful during fights for move quickly from one point to another, to get away from many demons and / or quickly get closer to others.
On the Slayer side, another important novelty concerns the new weapon: the Sentinels’ Hammer. In fact, during the first expansion we found ourselves without the Crucible, the sword obtainable during the base game. Being one standalone story, set a few years after the events of Doom Eternal, it is also normal to “start over” all over again. This new weapon, however, will not allow us to annihilate enemies in one fell swoop as was the case with the Crucible.
The power of the Sentinel Hammer indeed allows us to stun our opponents or prolong their stun effect – as in the case of the Reaper – to be able to defeat them in no time. The effect of the hammer obviously is area, so we can hit multiple enemies at the same time. However, once used we will have to collect the power-up from the ground to be able to reuse it or alternatively perform two epic kills.
In addition to a new UI, Docking Points to a new weapon, Multiple new demons have also been introduced. Don’t expect them to be all giant demons with countless abilities, although they also include the Armored Baron. Some of these in fact are really weak and easy to kill. However, their powers often have effects that pay off the killing almost a “contraindication”. Take lo Zombie Howler. Although he can be taken down in one fell swoop, upon his death this demon empowers all nearby demons, making our life hell.
Few bosses, but lots of wild fights – Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2 review
Yes, there aren’t many bosses to defeat in this DLC. To be fair, there are no bosses at all, except for the Dark Lord of course. This indeed is the only boss that you will encounter during your adventure. Her boss-fight however does not turn out to be very engaging and, in some ways, it may seem like a lot long and repetitive. The Dark Lord will be equipped with a shield and a sword, through which he can recover health. It is also equipped with various ranged attacks that will hardly give you respite in the course of the fight.
It is equipped with 4 screws and its only weak point is when it charges the attack with the green light. However, this does not happen as often as one hopes and taking life away, especially in the last two tranches, will be a difficult undertaking. Plus, the smallest drop in concentration will make us vulnerable to his attacks, allowing him to recover that little bit of stolen life. In the long run it can obviously be really tiring, especially if you consider the fact that even at the minimum difficulty it requires a good dose of skill to break it down.
To improve our adventure, however, as always, there are the fighting with the hordes of monsters that, thanks to the innovations introduced, they are nothing short of perfect. Repeatedly switching weapons depending on the demons we face and running around in the combat area to try and survive will never be as thrilling as in this case. It will be necessary to act with cunning and plan a well-detailed tactic, otherwise we will risk losing even the less demanding fights.
Important introduction under this side concerns the Escalation events. These new fights are split into two waves of increasing difficulty, each of which will give us a reward. With the first wave we will be able to enhance our Sentinel Hammer, while with the second we will have an aesthetic object that can be equipped from the menu. However, it will not be mandatory to fight twice in a row. After defeating the first wave then we can safely continue our adventure.
Answer the call and join the Doomguy
We have reached the end of this review on The Ancient Gods Part 2 of Doom Eternal and therefore it is time to take stock. This second expansion of the game brings with it a lot novelties that go to deeply modify the gameplay of its predecessors, starting with the many demons introduced to ending at the Attachment Points and the Sentinels’ Hammer itself.
All these innovations, contrary to what one might expect, led to even more frenetic and challenging fights. The developers of id Software can therefore be satisfied because they have managed to improve something that was already believed to be excellent. They dared to put a lot of meat on the fire, managing to create an excellent mixed grill that would make even the most refined palates water.
However, the fight with the Dark Lord risks undermining such perfection. The first thing that makes you turn up your nose is there difference in difficulty between the first two phases and the last two. There is no growing difficulty, but a real inexplicable leap. In my opinion, it makes no sense to create four equal phases two by two and with a quantized increase in difficulty as in this case. It would have been better to put four phases each more complex than the others or only two with a lower step.
In short, it is not exactly the fight that we players expected. For this review on Doom Eternal’s The Ancient Gods Part 2 that’s now all. What do you think of this expansion? Have you already played with it or are you close to buying? Let us know yours in the comments. I remind you that you can find the game on offer on Instant Gaming. To not miss further news and reviews from the world of video games, keep following the pages of tuttooteK!
Points in favor
- Lots of news
- Even more frenetic fights
- Good degree of difficulty
Points against
- Boss-fight with the Dark Lord