Not much else that's unsaid about Doom (2016). It's almost a decade old now, and still worth playing even if it's slower and somewhat inefficient in some aspects compared to its sequel. Strictly as a port on GOG, Doom (2016) is pared down to only the singleplayer campaign, its best aspect. We still get the unbroken first-person narrative where Doomguy communicates his anger, mercy, and occasional cunning with only his hands. It may just be my PC, but I get some weird frame dips when using my mouse in menus like the Argent Core stat upgrade selector and pause menu. Other than that, the gameplay is buttery-smooth.
Having seen Hard-Boiled and The Killer, I know the score when it comes to John Woo and works influenced by his films; dual pistols, no reloading unless it looks cool, environmental destruction, acrobatic gunfights, and slow-motion. Stranglehold offers these things and more, but many small things keep me from enjoying it as much as any of the Max Payne titles or F.E.A.R., such as: - Jank cover mechanics which make me pop out, aiming at no one - Jank railing/fence-walking which doesn't catch when I press the space bar to interact - Platforming as jank as Max Payne's, which could be alleviated with a proper jump key - A somewhat uncompelling story which excuses the (surprisingly great) variety of locations to shoot up, complete with Chow Yun-Fat's flat voicework as Tequila - The strange decision to have "Tequila Time" (the slomo mechanic) activate the instant the player has enemies in view while diving or doing environmental parkour - Bullet-sponge enemies, ESPECIALLY the bosses, which make the game a slog after the second level All the same, the combat is enjoyably arcade-y in its pacing and sound design; the music goes as hard as the hospital shootout in Hard-Boiled; the character-action-esque abilities like the long-range snipe and spinning room-clearer are clear tributes to key scenes in that same film and others like The Matrix and Equilibrium. The "showdown" sequences that involve leaning while shooting take great reflex to accomplish and feel undeniably badass. Midway made Stranglehold as a sequel to Hard-Boiled, and their love for it shows in the mechanics they put in. Ultimately, though, it feels lackluster compared to other John Woo-influenced games because a lot of the gameplay elements don't seem to mesh together. I expected a Hong Kong action movie experience, and at best, I got more than a passable imitation; the influencer being influenced, and not always for the better. I'd still recommend it; I had my fun.
I've been looking forward to this release. Like me, the two main developers of this game turned 21 this year. Unlike me, they actually have the drive and motivation to make a video game. Awesreek talked a lot about how far back Viscerafest's concept goes, and it's certainly come to fruition now. After having played the demo so many times, it's astounding that the new story content added to this chapter kept me interested. + Fast, smooth, Quake-like movement with tight air control + Caroline. Her voice actress sounds like she had fun with the role of a partly eldritch, sadomasochistic merc with a wholesome motivation. Fun stuff. + Striking color palette and nice pixel graphics. I think the sprite quality's actually improved from the demos to now. + The boss of this chapter's a fun challenge. It's good about teaching the player its patterns, such that death is the player's fault. + The standard combat is meticulously designed so any death is the player's fault, anyway. One has to get frantic with the movement, pick weaker targets to melee for a quick health pickup (the only means of getting health, here), and miss little or no shots. I found myself doing quick swaps between weapons alá Doom Eternal. + Speaking of the weapons, I think they do the job well; namely, having each weapon be more suitably effective for different baddies. The dual-wielded Shredders and Bunker Buster gib small targets, while the humorously-named Pung Cannon is good for large ones. The most powerful weapons so far, the Deus Mortis Super Shotgun and Plague Rifle (my favorite) take out whole groups, as they should. + Markie's music in this game is driving, pulsing, and some of the best I heard from him. The Slipgate Complex theme is probably my favorite. This's just the first chapter, and not only do I commend the artists, actors, and composer for its presentation, but the devs as well for not pulling their punches. This game's made their way. What comes next will be great, I know it.
