'Doom' Release Date: Gamers Share First Impressions On The Multiplayer Beta; Why Some Think It's Lackluster

Shortly after the multiplayer beta of “Doom” launched, first players shared their views online. Some thought that the game lacked a number of key elements, while others believed that there is still room for improvement.

In the past few years, several first-person shooter titles were released without making a mark. Although there were familiar titles like “Unreal Tournament” and “Quake,” these were not up to par to what gamers expected. “Doom” was poised to be the one that would revolutionize the genre, but players thought that it did not bring anything new to the table.

Kotaku reveals that “Doom” featured two maps and modes. Each class featured two weapons and one item. Several characters also carried a rocket launcher as a secondary weapon. The damage-dealing was done similarly to “Borderlands.”

Some complained that the rocket launcher required several hits before finishing off opponents. The super shotgun was only useful for enemies with low health. Others also found the Revenant ridiculously powerful, being able to kill anything with just a single shot. The weapons failed to impress gamers with some feeling that the new version is more reminiscent of “Unreal Tournament.”

Other player complaints include the seemingly heavy feel when moving, which was far from previous “Doom” games. There were also control and mouse acceleration issues. Some gamers did not like how extra weapons were not readily available for pickup throughout maps and were hard to come by. The servers are not good at the moment and the video output still has much to improve on.

Furthermore, it was difficult to find games via matchmaking lobbies due to the low number of players in the online game mode. Most players would flock to one or two game modes only, and leave others who like to try new modes stuck in search of teammates and opponents.

Destructoid notes that “Doom” is good, but has the potential to be great. The game provides so many options in terms of character and weapon customization. Some gamers found the experience-based leveling system ideal. However, there were motion blur issues and the Xbox One version of the game was not impressive. The audio also lacked more detail and matches may be eerily quiet aside from the announcer and guns blazing. The game seemed like a combination of “Halo 5” and “Quake 3: Arena.”

Overall, “Doom” apparently has not set itself too far apart from previously released first-person shooters. Considering that it is still in beta, there is a lot of improvement to make. “Doom” officially launches on May 13, 2016.