DOOM-The Ancient Gods Pt. 2-Review

Part Two of anything is always dramatic. This DLC is no exception. This DLC is where DOOM really sheds it’s trappings as “Space Rambo” and goes full “Space Superman.” At least lore wise. Gameplay wise it’s actually a little easier and less long winded. Either way, it’s a solid conclusion to Doom Eternal’s story. When I first played Doom Eternal, I didn’t really imagine we’d end up where we do in this DLC, with the stakes so high. But Doom Eternal is always pretty good at surprising you. And The Ancient Gods Part 2 has the some of the biggest surprises in the franchise.

After the dramatics of The Ancient Gods Part 1, you feel like it can’t get crazier from here. And you’re sort of right. The first two levels of this DLC are relatively subdued. Just like the last DLC, there’s new mechanics introduced, new enemies, some of whom are really annoying, and we see some new locations as well. It all wraps up in a riveting conclusion that brings back the bombast of the previous DLC one last time to cap off Doom Eternal. Similar to it’s predecessor, I have some nitpicks, sure, but ultimately, this DLC works pretty well.

Doom Eternal’s combat system is like no other and the base game provided you with so many cool abilities and mechanics to make violence feel like a fine art, but the DLC’s both add a lot of finishing touches. This DLC, in my opinion, has slightly better additions in my mind. It adds things that just feel a little more intuitive as opposed to The Ancient Gods Part 1. As opposed to the first DLC, which had me often complaining about how often they crammed in these new mechanics, here, I almost feel they are underused.

The first mission here is The World Spear. “The World Spear” is a mini-odyssey in scale, a journey that takes you from place, to place, to another place, and the best part is you really have no idea why, but it’s important. Your mission begins in a Sentinel village on Argent D’Nur. That’s a lot of words, but basically, you’re in a medieval village, wood, cottages and cobblestone, the works. It’s a new setting, but honestly I didn’t love it that much. The combat is okay but it does fall into the DLC “new mechanics” trap of introducing new mechanics too soon, so you spend a few opening arenas awkwardly trying to implement this new thing and then the whole time the combat is pretty relentless.

I also, admittedly, just am not the biggest fan of the more pastoral medieval environment we see here. It’s a nice change-up, but it didn’t hit for me personally, probably because I just play so much Dark Souls I see those all the time. In terms of new mechanics, I love the Meathook grappling hook function. I honestly wish it had been in the base game. No matter how much it’s used here, it always feel underused. Then there’s the new enemies- the Stone Imps and the Armored Barons. I’m divided on these. I like that the Stone Imps (imps which are covered in stone) make you use the automatic shotgun mod, which is never used and is actually really good. The Armored Baron (Baron of Hell covered in metal plating) is a cool addition overall, but I felt like we already had enough quick-time “Snipe the Glowing Green thing” enemies in the game. But then there’s the Sentinel Hammer, which is overall a very smart and balanced add to the game. It replaces the Crucible from the main game and instead of instant killing enemies, it simply stuns them, which is probably better from a balance perspective.

Anywho, we continue through this medieval village and then a fucking dragon (yes, a DRAGON) carries us to a mountain. And then you’re just fighting on this mountain. This section is actually a little better in my opinion. The arenas are a little cooler and the pacing feels more natural. I think at this point, they’ve given you enough time to settle in and you can really start cooking. It’s also nice because the lingering of threat of one of those mod-specific enemies makes you play a little differently and use weapons you probably didn’t use as much before. After you finally fight through this mountain, you have to reckon with a tricky little platforming sequence that..all things considered, I could have done without. But it’s fine and we move on.

The next level, Reclaimed Earth is a little bit of a breather. It’s still kind of long and has some tough segments, but compared to the previous four missions in these two DLC packs, it feels surprisingly fair. There’s still packed arenas, tough encounters and the occasional platforming elements, but it’s much more manageable than the previous level. It’s also a little shorter, which, in this series of mini-marathons, is badly needed. This is a change of pace level and provides a nice dip in the intensity that continues into the next level. It felt like they remembered with this DLC that this shit is supposed to be more fun than hard. I like the hard stuff, but this is good too.

Reclaimed Earth has an interesting though understated, aesthetic. Normally, the “Hell on Earth” levels tend to be very industrial, hellish and fiery, with ruins. This one is different. It’s green and lush, overgrown even. Humans are reclaiming Earth, but more importantly, nature is. It’s a small piece of “less-is-more” environmental storytelling that reminds you that you really don’t understand the scope of this conflict, despite the fact that, in the main game you decided it. The Doom Slayer shows up at the tail end of Hell’s invasion and defeats them in about a day or so. But there was so much before that and there will be so much afterwards. And all we see is the violence that births this future. Even in this mission, while the Demons have returned, they seem to be mostly on the back foot and less powerful. It feels like you’re cleaning up rather saving Earth.

Then there’s the final full level of the DLC, Immora. This level is even shorter than Reclaimed Earth and honestly I don’t mind it. The setting and situation permits a small level, Basically, after you wake up the Dark Lord (the Devil), you have to go fight him in this specific location, his city of Immora, which is like the Washington D.C. of Hell. Compared to the fire and brimstone, rocks and runs, lava and spires of almost every other Hell environment in DOOM, this one is unique. It’s like a super advanced space city, a demonic Coruscant. And you land here in the middle of a full scale invasion. Yes, that’s right, you’ve got backup. Major backup. An army of Sentinels with Atlans (mechs) and space ships coming flying in like it’s the end of a Star Wars movie. This is cool, but again, like many things in the second half Doom Eternal onward, you don’t quite understand who these people are or what they want. There is some strong history suggested between the Doom Slayer and the Sentinels, but the problem is it just feels strange that they would just pop up now. It’s convenient and it works, it’s just a little odd.

The level itself flows smoothly and is pretty cinematic. You go from the rocky outskirts of the battle, fire yourself from a crossbow through the walls, and then from there you fight your way to the heart of the city, dispatching of demons and Immora soldiers on the way. The Immora soldiers are cool looking but very easy to kill. It does, however, answer the question of “What would the Doom Slayer do against human combatants?” Answer: He basically vaporizes them. One punch and they shatter into bits. It’s brutal but also kind of funny. These soldiers, stationed here for millennia to prepare for the Dark Lord’s return…get destroyed by a button press or a stray bullet.

Finally there’s the boss fight. And…I don’t really like it. Parrying is cool but it feels like it’s over used at this point. Specifically waiting around for him to do a move you can parry. It’s a five phase fight and the first three phases are pretty easy. The last two feel unfair and annoying because he keeps summoning in these holographic demons and they harass you while all you’re really doing is waiting for him to do his one parry-able move so you can attack him with the Sentinel Hammer. It’s drawn out while also being dry. Yeah, I don’t like this fight.

But, overall, I think this DLC is fine. It’s probably not as good level for level as the first DLC, but it’s pacing is a little better and the difficult and tedium is more manageable. I think the new additions are little over stressed at the outset, but when you consider the structure and pace of this DLC, that does make some sense. I still don’t love all of the decisions made here but I always have fun when I play this DLC, it’s just…slightly less fun than other parts of the game. But that’s okay. I wouldn’t call this a miss. It’s got, at it’s core, all the DOOM goodness I love. None of these games are perfect but I love them all.

I think this DLC wraps up Doom Eternal quite well. There’s spectacle, bad-assery, grandiosity, admittedly some baffling shit, and at it’s core, gameplay that is always fun (except for the final boss). Not without it’s faults, but this is a must play for all DOOM fan in my opinion. It isn’t just putting a bow on Doom Eternal, it’s transitioning the series to it’s next phase, which is clearly like a space opera type thing. Either way, rip and tear. It’s good for your health.