Bethesda just wrapped their E3 2016 press conference, where they showed off heavily anticipated titles like Dishonored 2, Prey and Quake: Champions, as well as future updates for current titles like Fallout 4 and DOOM.
At the Bethesda press conference Bethesda and id software showed off the new Unto the Evil Multiplayer DLC pack for DOOM, alongside future SnapMap and multiplayer updates that will launch for free. This premium DLC pack will launch this summer and includes:
- Three new multiplayer maps: Offering, Cataclysm and Ritual
- A new player-controlled demon: Harvester
- A new weapon: UAC EMG Pistol
- New equipment: Kinetic Mine
- New ways to customize your DOOM marine, including additional armor sets, patterns, colors and taunts.
- New hack modules
The free multiplayer updates will add new game modes such as Exodus” a “uniquely Doom variant of one-flag capture-the-flag,” and “Sector,” a new “multi-zone capture-and-hold mode,” alongside free-for-all game variants that are due out later.
Hands-On Impressions
At the Bethesda E3 conference MonsterVine got exclusive access to the new DOOM update. We played two multiplayer rounds of the new game mode “Sector” on Cataclysm, and tried out the new demon and hack modules.
If this demo is at all indicative of the work that id Software has been putting in after revoking the multiplayer side of things from Certain Affinity, things are looking up. Cataclysm is already one of my favorite, if not my favorite, maps in DOOM’s multiplayer suite, and all the new content is incredibly refreshing.
“Sector” plays out in a unique yet familiar way. At the start of the round two teams fight over control of objectives “A” and “B,” and must hold these points for a consecutive 15 seconds to capture them. After a point is captured another appears, and after 7 captures a victor is declared.
This new mode, alongside the new Cataclysm map made for some of the most tactical gameplay I’ve had in DOOM thus far. Stylish teleporters and lifts, combined with both hellish and industrial landscapes make Cataclysm instantly more interesting than most of the other single-flavored maps. With the teleporters, alongside my personal teleporters, I was often able to jump behind the enemy team while, both sides had begun fighting over a point, and wipe them out.
The new hack modules are certainly more useful than some of the previous modules I’ve seen, although their timers had been boosted for demo purposes. I dealt with an infinite ammo module, a hack that reduced self-inflicted damage, and a 3x magnetic pull on items. All of which were useful and aided my assault on the neutral objectives.
Above all else, I’m most excited for the new Harvester demon. She is perhaps the most interesting character in that you have to charge her alternate attack by killing enemies with your main attack, which is akin to Emperor Palpatine’s lightning. Once you manage to charge up your ability, which doesn’t take long, you essentially have a room-clearing superweapon shot at your fingertips. On more than one occasion, it was used to clean up an entire enemy point for an easy capture.
I can say that Unto the Evil is a massive step in the right direction. If you were disappointed with the initial state of DOOM’s multiplayer, I recommend checking it out again after id’s personal update gets released.
