DOOM Eternal’s Story Is “Big and Bold But Stays Out of Your Way”

Story is almost never the focus in DOOM games- we play them for the action, the guts, the gore, and more than anything else, that’s why we’ll be playing DOOM Eternal as well. That said, id Software are putting a bit more emphasis on storytelling this time than they did in DOOM (2016), and even though it’ll still very much be a gameplay-driven experience, players can expect more lore and narrative to dig into.

Speaking with GamesBeat, DOOM Eternal creative director Hugo Martin said that though id Software have expanded the story and storytelling a bit more, it’s still mostly similar to what players experienced in DOOM (2016).

“I think we expand a bit more,” said Martin. “But for the most part, it’s very similar. We’ve chipped away a lot of the parts of the game that people maybe didn’t respond to as much and steered into the parts they did respond to. It’s even more of — it’s more Doom, you know? It just feels more on-brand than the last one. More colorful. It’s more like a Saturday morning cartoon.”

According to Martin, DOOM Eternal will have a bigger and bolder story that will attempt to pull players in, but it will make sure to “stay out of your way.” The game’s story will also require players to pay attention and piece things together to get the most out of it, and according to Martin, it won’t answer all questions.

“The story is big and bold but stays out of your way,” he said. “If you want to learn more about it, you have to dig into the world and pay attention to everything. You have to piece it together. It’s meant to be a story that pulls you in. We’re not going to answer all of the questions. Even if you read all the lore and pay attention to everything, there are still–we’re going to require the player to fill in the blanks and piece together what they think is happening, what the overall story and the history of the world is. We think that makes for a more engaging experience, having that air of mystery to everything. But we certainly give you a lot of pieces this time, and expand on the things that people loved in Doom 2016.”

DOOM Eternal is out on March 20 for the PS4, Xbox One, Stadia, and PC, and some time later for the Nintendo Switch.

Bethesda and id Software have recently dropped a ton of new information about the game in the lead up to its launch. Make sure to read more about its multiplayer, how it balances difficulty, how long the game will be, and the new hub area. Meanwhile, you can also check out the new trailer and gameplay footage.