“Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One” DLC Review
“Doom Eternal” launched in March during the early weeks of quarantine, giving players an exciting, adrenaline-fueled rage-spender to keep the isolation out of mind. Now, the Doom Slayer’s onslaught continues with the release of “The Ancient Gods – Part One.”
Following the chaos that was the Hell invasion of Earth and the throw of balance in the universe following the death of the game’s primary antagonist, the Khan Makyr, “The Ancient Gods” campaign expansion tells the first part of the story of how the Doom Slayer sets out to rebalance the universe.
Deploying from an aircraft carrier owned by ARC resistance leader Samuel Hayden, the player is put into the onslaught once more, armed with the knowledge from the last game.
The opening mission pits the player against heavy demons like Barons of Hell and Doom Hunters right out of the gate, giving the player little time to get re-accustomed to controls or the feel of the game. This is obviously due to the fact that it is expected the player goes through the base game first.
This fact makes it interesting that “The Ancient Gods” is available entirely on its own—the base game is not required.
The gameplay is exactly the same as the base game with only a few additions to the demonic, horde-like Spirits, Blood Makyrs and turrets, all of which force the player to take on unique methods for handling these foes instead of the standard “just shoot it” model.
However, this could be a good and a bad thing in terms of “Doom.” The new enemies force the player to slow down and focus on aiming, which is a stark difference when looking at what “Doom” is all about: wanton slaughter.
These small additions, however, pale in comparison to the general blast that is the DLC. The three missions are all set quite nicely, taking place on a rig in the middle of the ocean, the blood swamps of Hell, and finally, the outskirts of the once-heavenly realm of Urdak.
The rig featured in the first mission is notably aesthetic, combining the rainfall and the familiar corporate technology that reminds players of the preceding “Doom” title from 2016.
Additionally, “Doom Eternal” introduced platforming to the series, which feels more realized in “The Ancient Gods” release. This gives the player fun ways of traversing the level and more options for movement when fighting off demons.
At times, this may result in a headache when the player goes from massacring demons to falling off a ledge over and over again, but considering “Doom’s” history of fast-paced action and constant movement combined with the challenges of “The Ancient Gods,” this is a very welcome improvement.
The DLC also adds even more lore unlockables, which continue the biblical-scale story that the base game tried to tell through gameplay and collectibles. The only negative here is that the story can become a bit confusing considering all of its complexities, but it is fascinating nonetheless.
Overall, “The Ancient Gods” is a worthwhile expansion that gets the player’s blood pumping and mind racing with a rather shocking cliffhanger that will be complete when part two launches. It fully captures the relentless journey of the Doom Slayer and his crusade against Hell in stunning environments against relentless foes, as well as the eternal trust in the arsenal that the Slayer carries.
“The Ancient Gods – Part One” expansion is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch, as well as Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
Rating: 4/5
Colton Pleslusky is a junior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email csp5289@psu.edu.
