DOOM ETERNAL: COMBAT CHESS AT A THOUSAND MILES AN HOUR
9.0 of 10 bananas. The most demanding and rewarding shooter id Software ever built.
By the Alpha. PS4 standard edition disc listing. Updated Oct 2026.
Honest note: This verdict is not from a fresh hands-on playtest. I built it from launch coverage, critic consensus, patch history, and known play. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: DOOM Eternal is on PC through Steam, PS4, PS5, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. The button is the Steam PC version, 29.99 dollars at my Oct 27 2026 check before any sale.
Get DOOM Eternal on SteamSit with me a moment. Low on ammo, low on armor, a Marauder in my face. I set an imp on fire for armor, chainsawed a zombie for shells, and dashed out of the way of an axe. Then I hit the Marauder in the one moment his shield dropped. Three seconds. Five decisions. This game turns your hands into a brain.
What It Wants To Be
id Software's sequel to DOOM (2016), released in March 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and later on Switch. You are the Doom Slayer, and demons have invaded Earth. You fight across the planet, through Hell, and into heaven-like realms to stop them. The game was built around a strict combat loop: every tool you have feeds a resource you need.
What Works
The combat loop is the best in the genre. The chainsaw gives ammo, the flame belch gives armor, and glory kills give health. You are always moving, always choosing, always attacking. Every weapon has a role, and the mods change how you fight. The meat hook on the super shotgun pulls you into the fight like a grappling hook. Mick Gordon's soundtrack is a war drum. The Ancient Gods two-part expansion, sold separately from this disc, adds some of the hardest content in the series.
What Breaks
Listen well. It asks a lot. If you just want to point and shoot, the resource rules can feel like homework. The Marauder enemy splits players, and some hate him. There is more platforming and jumping puzzles than many shooter fans want. The story is heavier on lore and names than the 2016 game, and the Fortress hub breaks up the pace.
Who Should Play
Play if you love fast shooters, want a real skill test, or miss arcade intensity. Skip if you want a relaxed shooter or hate platforming. For the slower, heavier sequel, read my DOOM: The Dark Ages verdict.
STRENGTHS
- The best combat loop in shooters
- Weapons with real roles
- Meat hook mobility
- A war drum soundtrack
HONEST COSTS
- Demanding resource rules
- The Marauder splits players
- Too much platforming for some
- Button is the PS4 disc, stock was low at my check
Store note: the troop still needs a fair Amazon listing for this one. At my Oct 27 2026 check, the PS4 disc listing I used only had one used copy left, so the button now goes to Steam instead. This is a plain link, not an affiliate link.