Though this year has been full of disease, riots, and chaos. Earlier this year in March, right on time for quarantine, id Software released the latest installment in the DOOM series, "DOOM Eternal." It's a sequel to the soft reboot of the series released in 2016, simply retitled "DOOM."
This DOOM series has the player taking control of a hardened, superpowered demon shredder on legs known only as, the Doom Slayer (aka Doom Marine aka Doomguy, pick your favorite) who, in DOOM Eternal, becomes Earth's final hope and savior when the demons come to invade.
I played DOOM (2016) in the year it came out, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The relentless violence and high-speed demon-killing gameplay, while the electrifying heavy metal tones of Mick Gordon accompany you through your rampage. I'll forever have a respect for this installment of the series because it was the first I played; the first time I immersed myself in that universe to become the Doom Slayer, and what started my fandom of DOOM in the first place.
As a fan of heavy metal and electronic music, I recently discovered and fell in love with the soundtrack for DOOM (2016) and the tracks from the new DOOM Eternal both by Mick Gordon (the second of which was not entirely mixed by him, which is a whole controversy in itself, as Gordon might not work with Bethesda, the game's publisher, again now), as well as the soundtracks for DOOM (1993) and DOOM II (1994) which were heavily inspired by popular heavy metal tracks of the time and composed by Robert "Bobby" Prince.
The music for those games has provided me with many new, hardcore tracks for my workout playlist, as well as new instrumentals that I've broken out the electric guitar to try and learn/replicate.
Although DOOM Eternal was released in March 2020, I got it in late April as a birthday present for myself. Ever since I started playing I haven't wanted to stop or even play any other games. Even if I feel the game getting monotonous, I'd still rather rip and tear as the Doom Slayer than get up and switch game discs.
DOOM allows you to jump into a world where though you are but a man, still flesh and blood, nothing can stop you and you will destroy anything that stands in your way with extreme prejudice. Real-life is not like that, which is probably for the best. That way, people aren't running around with chainsaws and plasma guns screaming "RIP AND TEAR!" Nonetheless, it's an incredibly immersive experience to pick up your controller or sit behind your keyboard and become an unstoppable soldier for what you believe must be done.
It might be strange, but I've found that it can be beneficial to take some of that mindset into my real life. Sometimes, I will use the soundtrack when I do homework or go on runs, it keeps me too hyped up to stop and makes me push through the hard stuff. Did the Doom Slayer take breaks when he was running his way through Hell itself? No. So when I play the new DOOM games or listen to the soundtracks, neither can I.
