The new dinosaur update brought to light another feature that lets players customize parrying and melee slow-mo parameters to their liking. Basically, the slider can be moved to adjust the speed of deflecting attacks and slow-downed attacks so that slower damage deals more with deflected attack bak flows, which is the whole essence of fast-paced death combat in DOOM.
The update was announced via the official DOOM Twitter account, using a short clip that demonstrated how to implement that feature. All those appreciative reactions from DOOM fans ensued-oh, how lovely- with yet more hype for more content and so much chaos. One user, Andy BLUE, went wild with a stream of emojis that read, “THANK YOU THIS FIXES EVERYTHING.” Jarvv responded with jokes, saying “The true parry god can now emerge” and finesse combat rhythm.
Some disagree, however, with hardcore fans thinking that the game is getting too casual. NikyFujita goes for the jugular: “I remember when Doom used to punish players for playing on easy. This is sad.” Ouch. Then ISHOWMANI pleaded, “Stop with sliders. Gimme a real challenge experience” — which then spawned a glorious response telling him to “touch grass,” “get a job,” and my personal favorite, “eat three meals a day.” Classically DOOM, right?
The conversation brought to light some complaints about performance issues. One player claimed it crashed on his 2080 ti. Another reported final battle bugs, stating, “…the final cutscenes didn’t load correctly,” and people argued about difficulty, with dread_game finishing Nightmare mode and thinking it was easier than Eternal, saying sliders do help but it still caters to a wider audience.
More content was asked for next. So many wanted master levels (ultra-hard versions of the existing maps), story DLC, and multiplayer. Someone even reminisced about “make up with Mick,” referring to the whole Mick Gordon soundtrack drama some time ago. Of course, there’s that one guy who wants Denuvo gone (looking at you, Leon).
This tiny tweak sparked such a huge conversation about game design philosophy. Players can be given control with the slider, but some perceive it as dumbing down the experience. Some argue that it is just about accessibility so that any player can play the game in any way they want. I’m for anything that basically allows me to rip and tear in this game even faster. This being at the centre of updates and fiery debates so long after its release is probably why it remains one of the most respected FPS franchises ever.
Excuse me while I go tweak those parry settings yet again and then die repeatedly in Nightmare mode. Some things never change.
