Doom Eternal review

Well, I just loved Doom Eternal.

It's hard to describe the cathartic bliss of deep, bitter frustration and exhilarating reward this game suspends the player in from beginning to end. It is not an easy game. It is not Dark Souls difficult - it is more forgiving than that, certainly on the Ultra-Violence difficulty which I played during my campaign - but that influence is apparent in Doom Eternal's constant demand for attentive, thoughtful, precise play. 2016's Doom was itself a difficult (and brilliant) game, but with a focus on rhythm combat which felt more akin to the Arkham series - you could get away with button-mashing to a certain degree, so long as you kept yourself moving, dodged heavy fire and glory-killed your way to victory. That game of "combat chess", of positioning and mobility is still ever-present here, but both you and your enemy have far more elaborate means available to control the battlefield, many more threats demanding our attention, many more cool-downs to keep track of.

Yes, there are a lot of cool-downs and a lot of buttons. Not content with 2016's chainsaw-for-ammo glory-kill-for-health contrivance (an acceptable one), Doom Eternal adds a flamethrower which ignites enemies, causing them to drop armor shards. The game does not deign to explain to us that carbonised demon flesh actually forms an incredibly powerful kevlar-like compound or any such nonsense, thankfully. There's also an ice bomb, which freezes enemies, a grappling hook (attached to the super shotgun), eight weapons each with two toggleable alternate fire modes, a insta-kill magic sword, blood punch (it's a super-punch you charge by glory-killing), and a frag grenade (returning from 2016).

At times, it feels like too much, but it's hard to pick an element I'd remove now that I'm enjoying having mastered all of them (enough to beat the game, anyway - I'm not going to be streaming any speedruns anytime soon). Doom Eternal walks a narrow tightrope to keep the player thinking "just one more go, and then I'm torching the Playstation" without them ever quite getting to that point. But I could have, and almost did, and I don't doubt this game will be responsible for some crispy CPUs. The difficulty setting of course offers some consolation to the overwhelmed, but it doesn't change the number of things you have to do or pay attention to, just how often you can afford to overlook them.

There's also platforming. Quite a lot of of it. 2016's Doom used light platforming to spice up play, add mobility, and hide secrets. Doom Eternal makes it a core component of gameplay, both in-combat, and during lengthy, timing-critical jumping sections of level traversal. There is more traversal generally, also; the arena combat of 2016's Doom coupled with interconnecting tidbits of corridor-based gameplay.

It's fair to say that the strength of the arena combat can make those interconnecting tidbits - especially when they drag on as frustratingly as the platforming sections can - feel like you're treading water, waiting impatiently for the next wave. That said, for a game which crams in as many new things as Doom Eternal does over its predecessor, it's astonishing that it doesn't really fail at any of them. At worst, it occasionally over-indulges its lesser successes at the expense of its greater ones.

Doom Eternal is at its core a game of frenetic, adrenaline-pumping, gore-soaked arena combat and I have **never played a game which does that better. Like 2016's Doom, push-forward combat is the name of the game; the key difference here is that one more often "push-forward" in the opposite direction from the Cyberdemon that's just spawned in, not in retreat but rather towards weaker enemies and pickups that replenish your resources before you return to defeat the big bad.

It is incredibly demanding of the player - requiring levels of precision, mindfulness, endurance, and nanosecond-to-nanosecond judgement that very few games could get away with without controllers being hurled at the TV (and it is, by all accounts, somewhat easier with a keyboard and mouse, sadly not an option I had). It does get away with it, though, and the reason is that id Software have been incredibly intelligent with the game's pacing and structure - every encounter functions as a tutorial which prepares you for the next; the entire game functions as a tutorial for the final boss fight, which requires all the skills you've learned up to that point. The first time you face down the Doom Hunter or the Marauder one-on-one - super heavy enemies which require special attention and methods to defeat - you will think "this is impossible". When you eventually prevail it will feel like an accomplishment of herculean proportions. A few hours later, when you find them spawning into combat arenas already filled with countless other threats, you will again think "this is impossible".

But it isn't, and that's the sheer joy of Doom Eternal. People will say this is a game that doesn't hold your hand, but its genius is the extent to which it actually does hold your hand without the player realising it. It constantly puts its players up against seemingly impossible odds and yet - by introducing new elements one layer at a time and punishing you so swiftly and mercilessly for mistakes - it forces you to learn, to become awesome at it, an unstoppable demon-slaying machine against whom "impossible odds" are barely an inconvenience. There are times when it is genuinely transcendent - you hit a blissful flow state, where there is no fear, there is no self, there is only rip and tear. There were at least a couple of occasions where I snapped back to reality with a jolt upon finally completing one of the game's exquisitely hellish slayer gates, realising that I had no memory whatsoever of the battle I'd just fought and somehow won.

Aesthetically, it is absolutely gorgeous. They've doubled-down on 2016's nostalgia, with the addition of many classic Doom enemies and weapons and its returning cast largely remodelled to better resemble their original appearance. The level of detail that has gone into the environment is incredible, particularly given the game's length (and the fact that it is a shooter rather than a walking simulator). There are influences here not just from the original Doom games, but it also draws from classic illustrations from Dante's Inferno and Milton's Paradise Lost (art by Wililam Blake and Gustave Doré respectively) as well as Bruegel's painting The Tower of Babel, to name a few that I spotted. While it is not primarily a story-driven game, the effort id Software have gone to to create a fully realised Doomiverse shines through in every world you explore - and Eternal takes us on a universe-trotting adventure far beyond the familiar landscapes of Hell, Earth, and Mars. The lore of Doom Eternal is much deeper and richer than its predecessor, but it is also mostly optional, told through collectible codex pages which can be read (or ignored) at the player's leisure. There are a few cutscenes where control is briefly taken away from the player, a deviation from 2016's Doom, but never to the degree that I found it annoying (I would have liked to at least pull the trigger on the BFG10K myself, though). It is also utterly and delightfully batshit bananas, leaning fully into its own absurdity and tongue-in-cheek self-seriousness. There's plenty of fan-service here too; not only does Eternal connect itself with the earlier games (albeit, in a way which doesn't make much sense if you dwell on it, but Eternal wisely doesn't) but fans of other 90s shooters may notice subtle allusions to the Heretic and Quake games as well - it's almost as if id Software are teasing a shared universe, avoiding the contrivances that explicitly connecting the dots would require, but providing ample fuel for Reddit fan-theories.

So yeah, it's great. If you liked 2016's Doom you'll love this. It might take a little patience (particularly if you're not a veteran FPS player) and riding of the difficulty slider, and there will be moments of frustration, but the thrill of overcoming those frustrations is well worth the effort. If I'd been a playtester during the final days of development I probably would have suggested they trim back the platforming sections and simplify the upgrade systems a bit, but these are the only real blemishes on an otherwise sublime gaming experience. I can't wait to see where the Doomiverse takes us next.
4.5/5

Covid-19 - Putting facts before apathy & hyperbole

The information ecosystem around Covid-19 (aka Coronavirus) is dense and riddled with both apathy and hyperbole, and attempts by civic authorities to cut through the social media noise and achieve that delicate balance which encourages alertness and preparation without inciting panic have been, at best, only partially successful.  Supermarket shelves are being rapidly emptied by folks preparing their bunker for a 6 month apocalypse (please don’t).  On the flipside, I hear so many people dismissing worries over the virus as a media beatup, it’s “the same as a cold”, or “driven by anti-Asian racism”.

All of this is so very frustrating, and I appreciate it’s hard to know what to believe with all of this flying around, so without telling anyone how worried or not worried they ought to be, I thought it might be helpful to share some of the basic facts as they stand.

There are several key metrics experts use to determine the risk profile of an epidemic. One is its reproduction number – its “R0” value – an estimate of, on average, how many other people will be infected by one carrier of the disease. Measles, for example, has an R0 of between 12 and 18, which is very high. The various forms of Influenza, on the other hand, have an average R0 of between 2 and 3.

There are a number of difficulties involved in reliably determining the R0 of Covid-19 at this point. Firstly, for most infected, the earliest symptoms won’t differ significantly from those associated with a common cold or flu, and some will recover without intervention before it gets any worse than that. Secondly, it’s possible that those without symptoms (yet) can carry the virus and pass it onto others. We can only estimate the R0 based on number of diagnoses, which is unreliable, and only made more difficult by the differences between health systems and reporting practices across different countries. 

Most models place the R0 of Covid-19 at somewhere between 1.4 and 3.8, and it seems to be settling, for now, at around 2.2, similar to flu. This could still change significantly, but there’s good reason to think it’s probably about right – namely, that sequencing of the virus has shown that it’s fairly closely related to the virus which caused the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak, which also has an R0 in that range.

Another key metric is the case mortality rate  – what percentage of people infected with the virus are killed by it. Again, hard to know for sure for the same reasons it’s hard to know the R0. So far though, the best guess is that around 2% of diagnosed cases have resulted in death. That might sound low, but it’s twenty times higher than influenza’s mortality rate of 0.1% – which kills somewhere between about 300,000 and 650,000 people per year, at a similar estimated R0.

If, in the worst case scenario, Covid-19 becomes established globally as a regular seasonal infection.. well, you do the math. Yeah, it ain’t good. While there are at least 20 vaccines in development internationally, this could take months, and the further the virus spreads the more mutations we will see which a single vaccine may not be able to deal with.

Panicking, however, is not going to help. We know that communities that beat pandemics are ones that pull together, share resources and cooperate. When people freak out, spread misinformation, or stampede to stockpile for the apocalypse, they only increase risks for themselves and others. Remember that the vast majority of people, especially healthy adults, who get Covid-19 and seek medical attention early will be absolutely fine. Every one of us can play a role in reducing risk. Practice good hygiene, wash your hands properly and regularly, use sanitiser if you have it, disinfect surfaces like keyboards/mice or food preparation areas regularly, ensure (where possible) that you’re set up to work from home if it becomes necessary or otherwise have a plan if you can’t work for a while (good employers will generally offer paid discretionary leave in such circumstances but if you’re a contractor or casual this can be trickier), minimise use of public transport, avoid densely-crowded spaces and events if you can, make sure you have a week or so’s worth of surplus supplies but DO NOT PANIC BUY (society is not going to come to a standstill and hoarding bunker-loads of stuff is only going to deprive others), and – as should be really freaking obvious – IF YOU ARE SICK, STAY HOME, keep your damn germs to yourself and contact your doctor as soon as possible.

Symptom-wise, Covid-19 will generally give you a gnarly fever and mess with your lungs – causing cough, shortness of breath and/or sore throat. If you have those particular symptoms, it is probably wise to call in advance rather than just showing up to your GPs office. That goes a hundredfold if you’ve been travelling recently (or been in close contact with someone who has).

Keep in mind that as of 3rd March, there has only been one confirmed case in Aotearoa. While the official Ministry of Health advice still ranks the risk of a widespread outbreak as low-moderate, evidence and the experience of other countries suggests that it is likely we’ll see community transmission at some point over the coming days or weeks.

Here's a really good piece from Dr Siouxsie Wiles on how to prepare your household:

https://thespinoff.co.nz/science/28-02-2020/seriously-dont-panic-but-we-must-get-prepared-for-the-arrival-of-coronavirus/

You can also check the WHO website for updates and guidance on how to keep yourself and others safe as poss:

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Night in the Woods - Review

I enjoyed Night in the Woods, a lot. I found myself deeply immersed in its world, its characters, thrilled with a sense of nostalgia and determined to unlock all of its mysteries as I navigated through the same lovingly crafted environments, again, and again, and again; speaking to the same beautifully flawed characters again, and again, and again to ensure I didn’t miss a line of its hyper-realistic and wacky dialogue. And yet, having finished the game at an underwhelming 29% completion, I confess I don’t feel particularly compelled to return to it.

The game plays out one day at a time. Almost every day goes like this: your character (Mae) awakes in her room. She might choose to practice bass, via a Guitar Hero style mini-game which, though enjoyable, never really gives her an opportunity to learn the songs before you mutilate them. She can also check her messages - which are usually some variation on “Hi Mae! I’m bored, come visit me in my shop”. Or, she can play Demontower on her computer, a remarkably well-constructed hack and slash roguelike game-within-a-game. She then goes downstairs, talks with her Mom, goes out, and wanders about the town speaking to the townsfolk, eventually meeting up with either of her two closest friends (or occasional another) to perform an activity. Hijinks, minigames, bonding and character development ensure. Returning home, she talks with her Dad, goes upstairs to her room and to sleep, exploring a strange dreamscape where she must find four musicians who are scattered about, her dream ending with her cowering at the appearance of a terrifying, gigantic creature. It’s fun, and the character interactions are great, but as alluded to above it’s more than a little repetitive and frustrating exploring the same areas over and over to see if anything’s changed.

The game goes on like this for some time, building up the relationships between characters before the real story begins to unfold - a tale of long-dead miners, ghosts, strange cthonic beings from beyond. It’s also a tale of Mae’s slowly deteriorating mental health; as someone who suffers from depression and anxiety, it’s all-too-relatable at times.

The writing is hands-down some of the best I’ve seen in a video game, at least as far as individual scenes and dialogue is concerned. Unfortunately the wider narrative arc is unfocused and unevenly paced; it spends its first two-thirds or so being a nostalgic and sweet coming-of-age tale about the trials and tribulations of life as a millenial under late capitalism, then rapidly becomes a conspiracy/mystery/supernatural drama which reaches its climax and conclusion rather quickly, leaving many of the previously setup character threads dangling - of course one would not expect a story which leans so heavily on existential themes and millenial malaise to give its characters a “happily ever after” conclusion, but after the game has spent so much time developing its characters, and then put them through such ferocious adversity, you might expect to see a little more change, growth as a result.

While Night in the Woods tends to get lumped in with narrative-driven games like Dear Esther, Gone Home, What Remains of Edith Finch?, and so on due to its emphasis on storytelling and exploration, it has somewhat more actual gameplay than these - some light platforming, low-stakes minigames and puzzle-solving. None of these are at all difficult, some of it is optional and the game pretty much tells you exactly what you need to do in each case. It’s a grab-bag of various gameplay elements all of which are enjoyable and well constructed - enough so that I found myself wanting more of it. Mae’s movement feels great and the animation is gorgeous as she jumps from rooftop to powerline to rooftop; I can’t help but feel that the developers could have capitalised on this more.

It’s always a treat to find games like this - games which put narrative and aesthetics first, which embrace the medium as an artform rather than as mere entertainment. For me personally, as an anxious, mental-health challenged millenial creative struggling under late capitalism with the constant dread of impending civilisational collapse bearing down, as someone who particularly enjoys supernatural/horror/mystery themes particularly against the backdrop of small town Americana - of course I absolutely adore this game, it’s a  beautiful tantalising gem which lured me in from its opening scene and wouldn’t let go until the credits. It’s tempting therefore to say nothing but nice things about it. But as a critic, it has to be said that the jumble of ideas the developers fed into this game aren’t as cohesive or well fleshed-out as they might be, with the result that the whole ends up being less than the sum of its otherwise excellent parts.  I recommend Night of the Woods, I only wish that its grasp had come nearer to its reach.