How Doom Eternal's New Grappling Hook Shotgun Is a Game Changer – IGN

By Tom Marks

Doom Eternal’s QuakeCon gameplay reveal proved it’s doing way over simply extra of the identical. Destructible demons and a deeper story rapidly set it aside from 2016’s Doom reboot, however probably the most thrilling factor for me was its new instruments for even quicker motion.

The Doom Slayer now has a chargeable sprint, can climb some partitions, and even bust via different ones. The crown jewel, nevertheless, is the brand new Tremendous Shotgun, which comes geared up with a grappling hook known as the Meat Hook that allows you to pull your self towards demons. It’s an extremely enjoyable wanting addition to your arsenal, and one developer id Software program tells me is a recreation changer.

“It makes the sport larger,” inventive director Hugo Martin instructed me throughout QuakeCon 2018. “Should you make a quicker race automobile, you gotta construct a much bigger race observe.” The Meat Hook can rapidly get you near a demon, however it could actually additionally used to hook ariel enemies and recover from gaps, which modifications the best way id must design ranges.

Abruptly the Doom Slayer can get locations he usually couldn’t and quicker than earlier than, however government producer Marty Stratton is fast to level out that’s solely the case so long as it includes a demon. The Meat Hook is, basically, a fight software, so that you gained’t be utilizing it only for platforming or secrets and techniques like in a Zelda recreation.

“It’s not simply ‘we added a grapple, and now you’ll be able to grapple your self as much as the highest of a constructing, or to the facet of a constructing and hold there whereas the motion is occurring,” Stratton defined. “That will have been a very completely different recreation.”

Martin stated that the primary aim was “to make the participant really feel extra aggressive, encourage them to play extra aggressively, give them instruments that they will play extra aggressively with.” That’s why you need to hook a demon, and why the power to take action doesn’t make Doom Everlasting abruptly cease feeling like Doom.

“It modifications it, nevertheless it nonetheless matches, and that’s the vital factor,” Stratton stated. “There’s nothing in regards to the Meat Hook that’s counter to issues like a Glory Kill. You should utilize the Meat Hook to grapple in the direction of a man after which Glory Kill him, or change to the chainsaw and chainsaw him.” Stratton reiterated that aggressive motion is among the most vital components of Doom.

“If we did the Meat Hook the place you might grapple away to cover from a man, or these sorts of issues, to make use of it extra as an evasive software versus an aggressive software, then it will have modified the gameplay in a method that’s not in keeping with how individuals like to play Doom proper now.”

Stratton additionally stated that “the issues that it doesn’t can help you do is sort of as vital because the issues that it does can help you do.” I requested if that’s why the Meat Hook was tied to the Tremendous Shotgun quite than a common skill like the brand new Sprint, however Martin stated that’s extra a matter of restraint.

He likened it to the chainsaw, the place if you happen to may simply chainsaw all the pieces on a regular basis you’d get tired of it, however in a restricted capability, it’s a deal with. He additionally in contrast that concept to suspenseful motion pictures, saying “Jaws is compelling as a result of we don’t see him so much.”

Martin additionally defined that having constraints on these mechanics leaves room for gamers to grasp them, quite than simply going wild. He stated “on the floor, [Doom] appears to be like very glutinous” in how a lot craziness and freedom there’s “nevertheless it’s truly not.” Martin stated id’s skill to train restraint on Doom’s most enjoyable concepts is among the causes individuals maintain coming again to it.

So whereas the Meat Hook has modified Doom Everlasting considerably, id is ensuring it’s nonetheless Doom. Different strikes like the brand new sprint are equally centered, appearing as a software to allow you to be riskier quite than simply to run away, however underneath strict cost restraints. These motion modifications ramp all the pieces up and alter how id designs ranges, however they do it in a really Doom method.

We additionally spoke to id about why Doom Eternal isn’t called Doom 2, and you may see all the gameplay and story details revealed at QuakeCon here.

Tom Marks is IGN’s PC Editor and pie maker. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter.