--Slayer Testament I, Doom (2016)
Doom's release on the Switch a year after its initial release on other consoles marked a major advancement in the reputation of console-to-handheld ports. It is not the supreme edition of the game as far as production values go, but it remains a standout achievement. I did review the 2016 reboot of Doom for the Xbox One two years ago, but the Switch port is so significant as a technical achievement--and the game itself is so excellent--that reviewing the Switch port is not wholly redundant. Since I have already reviewed the base game, though, I will go into more detail in addition to simply describing the Switch version of the game.
Production Values
The production values of the Switch port of Doom have been extensively compared to those of the other versions, and the differences are obvious when the Switch edition is played next to the others. Does it look and run as well as it does on other consoles? No, and the frequent motion blur might annoy some players. Nevertheless, the fact that the full game of Doom (other than a map editor) can run on the Switch Lite or on an undocked Switch is a technical feat worthy of acknowledgment. Doom was one of the first current generation console games to be ported to the Switch, and it utterly refutes concerns that the Switch cannot handle modern third-party games.
The days where handheld systems are incapable of handling anything other than the occasional console port, ports of prior generation consoles aside, are gone. The 3DS and Vita certainly received console ports of their own (like Spider-Man: Edge of Time and Borderlands 2 respectively), but none were as ambitious as Doom on a visual level. The frame rate might not be as high or stable as it is on other systems, but there is much to admire about the overall performance of the game. The sound does fare somewhat better than the visuals in terms of port quality, but that does not mean the graphics are not quite impressive a handheld platform.
Gameplay
In many ways, Doom is the equivalent of merging Halo and Metroid Prime while augmenting the violence. Elements like the automap stations and map screen are overtly reminiscent of Metroid Prime, and the occasional healing station functions like those of the side-scrolling Metroid Fusion. It isn't just these elements that reinforce the comparison to Metroid, though. The exploration and collectible hunting are actually inserted alongside the brutal combat very well.
You can replay completed chapters to discover any remaining secrets and unlock all of the weapon enhancements, upgrade points, Praetor tokens, Doomguy action figures, and rune trials. Some will probably find that there is no pressure to revisit old areas for the sake of upgrades unless they plan on trying to beat story mode on a higher difficulty setting, but it is unlikely that all of the secrets will be found on the first playthrough.
Some of the collectibles can be easily missed without careful observation, but whether you are relying the story or playing it for the first time, you cannot avoid the combat. The demons in the Mars facility and in Hell can be defeated by means of a diverse array of firearms or by glory kills, finishing moves that are executed by vicious melee attacks. It is the ferocity of the shooting and dismemberment that has earned Doom so much praise. The other aspects of the game are mostly executed very well, but the combat is superbly handled.
Beyond an arcade mode that allows players to play evels with the goal of accumulating a score with the help of point multipliers, there is a multiplayer mode. The multiplayer is certainly not the main attraction, but it does provide an aditional option for interested players despite lacking the depth of multiplayer in shooters like Call of Duty.
Story
Mild spoilers below!
The plot of Doom is a lower priority than combat and exploration, and the majority of the lore is found in optional data packets instead of in mandatory dialogue. Still, the story sufficiently explains the basis for why the Doom Slayer needs to kill so many demons. A corporation called the UAC constructed a base on Mars to study Argent energy, a feature from another dimension bluntly referred to as Hell. Olivia Pierce, a leader of the operation, aligned with the demons, and they invade the facility. The Doom Slayer is awoken as a last resort to defeat the demonic entities.
Intellectual Content
While the story of Doom is at best light on both characterization and philosophical themes, a variety of collectibles concealed in remote locations await completionists. A few can be discovered by simply walking in the general direction of an objective, but many of them require intentional exploration, attention to detail, or major luck. It is the fact that these items are usually concealed so well that most strongly evokes the style of gameplay in the main Metroid Prime entries.
Conclusion
The Switch port of Doom has a phenomenal significance merely by virtue of translating a game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One to Nintendo's hybrid console, but it is also an excellent game even apart from that fact. Furthermore, there has never been a better time to play it on the Switch than in the days surrounding the release of Doom Eternal, which is set to debut on the Switch at some point this year. Anyone who owns a Switch (or a Switch Lite, like myself) and either wants to play console games from the current generation on a portable system or simply enjoys the reboot of Doom will almost certainly find the port exciting!
Content:
1. Violence: As anyone who played Doom on other consoles has seen, the shooting and kills in the game involves a great deal of blood and dismemberment. Gunshots, chainsaw attacks, and physical finishing moves can remove body parts, and the carnage is all shown directly onscreen.
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