Doom Eternal is easily one of the biggest third-party titles coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year. While Doom 2016 was predominantly focused on the single-player campaign, this time around the plan is to distribute the fun across both the single-player and multiplayer modes.
During an interview with VGC, Doom Eternal's creative director Hugo Martin said the game's multiplayer component would lead this time around rather than follow:
With Doom 2016 we learned that id has to lead and not follow when it comes to game design. With the single-player campaign I think we led, but with the multiplayer we followed. The fans and critics picked up on that. It’s a good mode and it’s fun to play, but it’s not necessarily original.
This time around we really wanted it to feel like Doom. We took the DNA of the ‘Doom dance’ – the loop of one Slayer versus many demons – and turned that into a competitive, social experience. When we had one Slayer on the battlefield and let players control the demons it felt really good. We’d rather provide players with an incredibly polished and engaging experience that’s really tight, than something that’s huge with a million modes – which is another thing we did in Doom 2016.
I think it’s going to be every bit as satisfying to play as the single-player campaign. We play it all the time internally and it’s really, really fantastic.
The game's executive producer Marty Stratton added to this:
With Doom 2016 we didn’t give players a Slayer experience in multiplayer. We didn’t give them the Doom experience that they got with the campaign and that’s really what this is about. For players who came to Doom 2016 for the campaign, the multiplayer felt like a side cart. In comparison, Eternal is entirely what they want.
We get analytics from our game and we see how many people are still playing the Doom campaign. They play it again and again and it’s because they like the way that it makes them feel. So with Doom Eternal’s Battle Mode, we want to give players the ability to continue playing in a more dynamic setting.
Are you glad to hear Doom's multiplayer component is part of the focus this time around? Leave a comment below.
[source gonintendo.com]
Comments 33
Cool. Respect for the Doom series and the original deathmatch. Many more smashed keyboards and friendly profanity in honor of the two Johns.
Well this is Nice.
They better not make this digital only like the new Wolfenstein. I was going to order it until I saw how they had only a digital code in the box!
Think this is a PS4 but for me. Platform are you going to buy it on?
@Skalgrim I guess if it is online multiplayer you’re interested in, then it depends which you are subscribed for. I’m not interested in PS+, so I’d either get it for Switch or PC. Since the Switch will have gyro support and portability it’s almost a given in terms of functionality.
@Rhelena What are you thinking?
@NotTelevision
Yeah that’s the drawback. I have a good enough comp. I think. Guess that’s a better option. I get motion sickness pretty easy. Doom on PC worked out ok, but I had major problem with the switch version. I’m not hung up in FPS, but maybe that was an issue with the switch version.
@NotTelevision Careful, you are going to show you age there. I do have good memories coax cables and LAN death match sessions.
@Skalgrim PC all the way for me., it would feel wrong not to play Doom on the platform it introduced the world to 3D gaming on.
Really interested to see how this turns out. Panic Button are at the helm so I'm hopeful.
Doom for the Switch was amazing....
Cool, so does this mean the whole game is on the cart this time?
Just bought a GTX1070 PC and just started playing Doom. Would be too much a step backwards to play it on the Switch now (I'm glad the option is there though). The speed, graphics (3375x2250) and detail is incredible. Will get Doom Eternal once it goes on sale on Steam.
As long as the online multiplayer for it doesn’t become barren as quickly as Doom 2016 on Switch did, then that’ll be okay.
That being said it really is the single player that’s the main thing
I am so excited for Eternal, I absolutely love DOOM on Switch.
I'm honestly not convinced, at least not for me and the way I like to play multi-player.
This doesn't mean I think the new kind of multi-player will be bad per say, but I just think I'd also want that more traditional and balanced multi-player where when I beat someone I feel like I did so because I was more skilled than them when playing on the same play-field and with the same abilities and limitation and stuff, rather than they were kinda playing a whole different game mode/style to me, which means I can never really get that sense of who is the best out of the group of players or feel any genuine satisfaction when I do really well against my other human opponents.
Personally, I think they should have had a normal multi-player mode with exactly equal players going up against each other and winning purely based on who's the best player and not any other random factors, and then on top of this new asymmetric mode.
Split screen?
I actually spent a lot of time in multiplayer on Switch. It was quite fun. So if it’s getting better in Eternal, I’m that much more excited for the game. Can. not. wait.
Good. It’s 2019 all games should offer online multiplayer.
I want something like Assassins Creed Brotherhood Multiplayer, never played it but it sounds like a great concept.
Hopefully that doesn't mean the single player has been brought down to the quality of the multiplayer, but rather the reverse. Multiplayer brought up to the quality of the singleplayer. And that that singleplayer campaign is as good or better than DOOM 2016. Bethesda has been on an odd EA-ish streak lately.
@Mycroft What did the deleted comment say?
@JayJ Maybe they cheaped out on Youngblood to get a bigger cart for Eternal? It still isn't okay, but that at least makes sense...
Yeah it was OK in the original but felt like an afterthought compared to the single player. Not that this bothers me as I’m not a big Online multiplayer fan anyway. It was refreshing to see an FPS where the Campaign wasn’t the afterthought.
Cool, but this is as a PC buy for me - but hopefully works well for everyone (Online FPS - I need K&M and no fps dips death dealing hiccups 😅)
But more excited about Wolfenstein online Co-Op. Best thing about GEARS4 was playing it with my cousin from 4 states away.
I already told him, he gets my Free buddy pass.
didnt they also say that other players can jump into your campaign as demons.
Cross platform multiplayer? Having the guarantee that there's people to play with is a bigger bonus that draws me to a game tbh.
No way I'm playing this game @ 30fps.
Day 1 purchase on the One X though
So we'll play it for a few minutes, get completely lost walking around in circles, and never play it again. Great
@graysoncharles
Yeah it’s an obvious Switch buy for me if it can run at a similar level. Absolutely perfect Portable game with the fast pace and nicely broken up levels.
That said, if it’s as good as 2016 I’ll finish up with more than one version (though it was on Switch that I finished it) 😀
Some of y'all 60 FPS folks are really picky. I've owned DOOM on the Xbox One and the Switch, and I honestly can't really tell the difference between how they look and control. They look pretty identical to me when docked and the handheld mode on the Switch just looks a little softer in the graphical department. It's not a big difference, to me at least.
And the DOOM: Eternal creative director Hugo Martin isn't wrong. I've played through DOOM's single player campaign 4 times on the Switch and 3 times on the Xbox One, but I've probably only spent 2 hours total on the online multiplayer mode. The single player campaign is really where it's at for that game. =)
@Wavey84 Portability is a good reason, for me.
Doom 2016 is my all time favorite online multiplayer experience, after Halo 3. I'm disappointed it won't be making a return in Eternal, but I'm still looking forward to what they're trying next!
@Audiobrainiac What I can't wait for, since it will launch on every platform simultaneously, is a review that says something like "Of course it looks worse on the Switch, but the motion controls are so well done that you'd be a fool to use dual analog." It'd also be cool if Switch owners had an advantage in multiplayer for the same reason.
Has to be on the Xbox for me. Would have loved to get the Switch version, but Nintendos questionable online is keeping me away
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