Shadow Warrior 3 is more important than it seems. How a joker in the evening developed the ideas of Doom Eternal

Few people are aware, but the restart of the Doom in 2016 made a real revolution in the genre of single shooters. If earlier the player needed to be careful, millimeters and flickering at the corners, playing at a high level of complexity, then the new doom, on the contrary, said that this is the right way to die. Hell reapes idle. To pass the game you need to constantly run and attack, and not hide behind the corners.

But being the first is always difficult and the new adventures had their miscalculations. Part of 2016 is too slow, and Eternal is overloaded with mob-mechanics, artificial conventions and crutches. Armor flamethrower, two types of grenades, a separate button for switching between them, chainsaws for cartridges, different mobs are different requirements for gas tanks, a supervisor for pharmacies, males for bureaucrats, a hammer (from supplement) for health, two firing modes of each gun, a hook only at a shot, which can only be killed from a certain weapon, a separateArsenal pumping, separate pumping of a suit, runes, additional runes. Surely I forgot something, but this is enough to understand that something is wrong here. Okay, so many mechanics would affect the variety of the gameplay, but the complement “The Ancient Gods” and the master clips demonstrate the problem: developers can only increase the battles and the number of enemies in the arena (so much so that the system requirements of the game increase with so many NPCs). Mention is the transition from the level of complexity of the nightmare to an absolute nightmare. If from the first you enjoy the presentation of increased requirements for the spinal brain, then the second causes only frustration. For his passage, the player must be tedious and routinely learning the location of secrets and elements of pumping, as well as a hundred times to go through the same places for the sake of a new attempt to advance a little further.

If you want to reflect Eternal, then be sure to put the randomizers of enemies and the new game mode+ (https: // wwww.Nexusmods.COM/doometernal/mods/170?TAB = Files)

In a good way, the DOOM formula should have developed third-party studios. But in two years no spiritual heirs were announced, even in the environment indie. The situation is aggravated by the unwillingness of the new ID to create conditions for modding. It is hard to make creativity from fans for the new part, and their launch may be accompanied by errors and departures

Different attempts by fans are inspired by Doom Eternal

Someone will say that Ultrakill is a new word in the genre, but I don’t think so. It’s just Devil May Cry from the world of shooters. And the slasher went through their development path from the cord -meaningless rejection of the commodity to Bayonetta and Metal Gear Riding: Revengeance, but this is another topic for discussions. In addition, DOOM 2016 proposed an arcade mode for stylish passage, but the audience did not appreciate.

Here Shadow Warrior 3 enters the stage. What were the reviews at the time of the release: “Great joker in the evening, the game copies DOOM ETERNAL, the franchise has always been second -rate, in some places inappropriate humor, lack of history, so much musical accompaniment”. But now its value is increasing due to the lack of the DOOM Games formula. She not only copies, but improves and brings something new, solving the problems of the inspirer. For me, after the disgusting Shadow Warrior 2, which was inappropriately copied by Borderlands 2, using mechanics of the cooperative luter-player in a rail and corridor game, the third part became a real surprise-the authors study and draw conclusions from their mistakes. It’s a shame that their efforts went through many players, putting the stigma of the “Arctic Shot”. Although Flying Wild Hog at one time made a solid Hard Reset.

The main innovation is the solution to the problem of finishing. In both parts of the new doom, people scolded this element, and then they just resigned themselves. It reached the point of absurdity that one of the Doom Eternal runes accelerated the reprisal against the enemy so that they would not be so annoyed. This is not justified by the gameplay process, since the hero becomes immortal at the time of animation, but the performance of this element on almost every mob is mandatory, since at high levels of complexity you need breaks and replenishment of health at the expense of opponents. They made it easier: now the finishing scale is divided into two cells and is filled slowly. You can only use the ability during the battle once or twice. One cell on a small mob will replenish health to 100% and give additional weapons or increase the scale by another 100 units (depending on the mob). You can dig and use two cells at a large demon at once and get its weapon. Alas, there was an old problem left – auto pruning. The accumulated charge can be drained, as the game will consider that the player wanted to apply it on another enemy. At the end of the campaign, we are given with nothing to be the third scale for one single demon. For what? This can still be justified that at the last levels it becomes harder, so the treatment is available three times, not two, but for me it is a meaningless complication. In the new doom I was annoyed that you did not know how much the canister is needed for every enemy, and the third scale is walking along this path.

The developers solved the problem of rainbow cartridges and the need to constantly use finishing with the help of banal points of the appearance of only two elements on the map: cartridges and health, as well as their automatic falling out of enemies. The appearance of cartridges can not be expected and use a katana to knock them out of small enemies. Unlike the chainsaw, you do not need to wait for the reloading of the ability, be distracted by a separate animation or save canisters. The hero waving his sword as ordinary weapons and does not get out of the pace.

There is an opinion that the mechanics of finishing in Doom were introduced because of the consoles, since it is difficult to play shooters on the gamepad and you need a break while fighting one button. Shadow Warrior 3 also came out on consoles, but plays perfectly without them. A high level of complexity, and there are only three of them, on the PC in fact, I recommend that at the first launch it is precisely. As in the doom from the player, it is enough just to constantly run around the arena, stay away from large demons and not dull, then there will be no damage. But if in the game from ID during such a run the player should leave the circle to finish off the mob and replenish health, then you just need to wait for the first -aid kit or shoot small enemies after receiving the appropriate ability.

Rethinking the abilities of the hero

Consider all the elements in order:

Jerk. In Eternal, he does not fulfill https://www.game-roulette.info/ his direct duty – to dodge the danger. Players use it for quick and diverse movement, because in the heat of the battle, when there are many enemies, it is problematic to follow everything. It got to the point that the player was given a double jerk. For what? The player should rarely, but accurately dodge, and not constantly spare the ability. This is caused by the fact that enemies do not make it possible to react, they are designed to beat instantly. In Shadow Warrior 3, this problem was taken into account and built attacks by enemies so that their animation is preparing for danger, so you can have time to react to them. For example, Seeking Shōkera, before starting shells, highlights the zone where a blow will be delivered. Laser Shogun shows before the blow that he is now attacking. This is a conscious solution, since the battles with bosses are designed to use evasion. Still, this ability was removed by reloading. You can move as much as you like, and forward the ability to restart either landing to the ground after a jump, or sliding, which hints that a jerk is needed for evasion, not running around.

Slip. I don’t know why the game developers love this technique so. Yes, it is beautiful, but useless, especially when there is a hook that allows you to quickly ram the enemy. In the game he was found application – this is an alternative for quick and safe movement in the arena. Sometimes you can find walls with an opening under them. Unfortunately, developers often forget about them and rarely put on the card. I think this is an extra element: you do not control yourself during sliding, and a sharp stop knocks out of the rhythm and makes you stand still for a long time. Its only useful use will be if the attacks of enemies implies that you can evade it, but there is no such mechanics here. It’s easier to dodge to the side than to take risks and try to slide forward under the shell. For sliding, you need to design special attacks of enemies.

Hook. It has already been said about him: it allows you to fly in the arena thanks to special points, attract itself to enemies and grab explosive barrels. I would like to talk about the missed potential. We already know that the developers played BulletStorm, why then not to unite the whip and the hook? Maybe in the future someone will think of doing this, or maybe this is the same senseless solution, since in the Bulletstorm whip could only play the role of a grenade.

Tying qi. Replacing the good old technique is a pin that looks great in the formula of the scores. Firstly, it can be used as in Bulletstorm-pushing enemies to spikes and into the abyss. Secondly, if in Doom barrels are static in place, then here they can be thrown into enemies. Unfortunately, the system is unfinished and often shells fly past. It is worth noting that there are several varieties of barrels and this is the excellent development of ideas of damage by elements. It would be interesting to use the impetus to parry the shells or as a gravel gun, but this is not. The barrel can be pulled with a hook, but the physics of crooked and most likely will fly the wrong way. However, we saw the ceiling of the development of ideas in the Jedi Knight series. To throw enemies with the help of “strength” fun, I hope the idea someday integrates into the genre. More qi allows you to interrupt the attack of enemies. The only thing I would note is the only ability that has reloading, and this is wrong. It was distracted in Eternal that blood pressure occurs on the screen, and the player should follow the icons of abilities. And the solution to this problem was partially found in the game itself – the rejection of the armor. Yes, this is a classic element, but in fact it is not particularly needed. In Doom on the difficulty, the Nightmare Capricier allowed to simply withstand 1-2 extra impact. Healthy? Yes, but the difference is not so significant that for the sake of it to introduce new mechanics. Especially in the game where treatment occurs due to the murders of enemies. It would be better if they hang a push on health so as not to spit it. Moreover, the energy of qi literally means “vital energy”.

The thesis about armor can be applied to cartridges. There is no division into their types in the game. There is one icon of cartridges and it replenishes the supply of the whole arsenal. It was the case in Eternal: cartridges for all types of weapons fell out of the mobs, but specific shells lay on the map itself. It’s good and bad. It is good that the designer allows the designer unobtrusively dictate the player of the battle conditions. In Eternal, many players complained that there are few cartridges for a double -barrel and they were not allowed to “shoot”. It is bad that this is again conventions that load mechanics, especially when gameplay involves the use of all types of ammunition and their constant change.

Weapon

In addition to those that you receive after finishing opponents, the hero has 7 permanent:

Katana. The hallmark of the series and it did the same as with a chainsaw: they made it not a separate weapon, but hung it as an additional. Only if in the new doom each gun had two firing modes, and the PKM was still in addition to alternative fire, and BFG and the chainsaw hung on separate buttons, then the katana is always an additional weapon on the PKM. When using it, the player is not interrupted by animation and does not wait for reloading, which does not violate the rhythm and occupies his important place in battle: he killed a small mob and collected cartridges. Also waving the Japanese sword looks stylish and cool. In previous games of the series, the weapon hung as a separate one, so the players rarely used it, although this is a symbol of the series.

Gun. I have a separate praise to him. The pistol was removed in the Eternal, although the developers made it and made it possible to call it through the console, but this is still a shame. Someone painted, programmed, and the designer simply removed because he could not find application in the gameplay. At the same time, you have the main mechanics and so overloaded, but deleting a gun is optimization. In the SW3 he was found worthy of use – it allows you to quickly shoot in the head. And after pumping, each small mob turns into an explosive barrel. Eternal also had firing on the heads, but the player had to switch to a rifle, switch to a sniper mode, make a jump to be in relative security during aiming, go through the PKM to aiming and only then make a shot, while the SW3 pistol allows you to constantly enjoy the clicking of nuts. But there is a spoon of tar in the barrel of honey:

Sur Association pistols. Extra guns that are perfectly replaced by a gun and katana. There are two types of opponents in the game: small and large, and the former will appear endlessly until you remove the second. And these two weapons are only suitable for a trifle. It is clear that these are fan guns, but I consider them superfluous. You can also raise the question of consoles on which it is problematic to shoot a gun and is much more convenient to just throw the enemy with a lead.

Granolate and rail. This is a classic. The first for close distance and heap enemies, the second for distant purposes. The problem is that these are the only guns that can quickly remove large mobs, and there are few cartridges for them. I want diversity, but it is not, since the extra slots for weapons are given to the extermination of the little things. There is an imbalance, but not as acute as in Doom, because cartridges are easily mined.

Shotgun. There is an unspoken dilemma between a single -shot and double -wing shotgun. The first is good for medium distance and moderate slaughter force with fast reloading, and the second for close combat with a long change of cartridges, but more fun. The roles of these shotguns are different, but the difference is not so strong as to blame the inventory with an extra barrel. Moreover, other guns are partially partly the role for the average distance. The solution was found elegant – the mode of the shot queue from Eternal. You can shoot from a shotgun as a machine gun, thereby effectively exterminate enemies at a close distance and have fun, like from a double -barreled steamer. Thus, the shotgun more better plays the role of an intermediate gun between small and large opponents.

Weapons of opponents. Remember in doom sometimes on the arenas there were amplification areas? It is strange in them that in all parts there were on the fingers of one hand to count. Why enter such a gaming element if it is so rare. As a rule, the player died in the arena and shore sphere to a difficult moment, and often it could not be useful. But SW3 solved this problem. It is necessary to save up and apply it when necessary and who is needed, thereby the player receives exactly the strengthening that is necessary at the moment. And you cannot abuse this mechanics, since the atrocities slowly accumulate. Serious Sam 4 should also learn this with his gadgets in a separate pocket.

In total, the combat system could be unloaded with whole two guns and give a more role a gun, which in most shooters is rarely used, although in this game its function of accurate weapons for shots for shots makes it to my loved one.

It is worth mentioning that any opponent can be filled out of any weapon, just shooting at him for a long time. Additions for Eternal have something to learn.

Here I would like to make a retreat and pity about historical injustice. Few people know, but in addition to the classic WSAD layout, there is an alternative – ESDF. It is practically better in everything: two extra keys are available for the ring finger, and the index can reach long numbers, covering a larger number of weapons. At the same time, the ring finger still hangs on shift. One trouble – you need to get used to this layout, reconfigure the keys and often teaching the game conflicts with non -standard control settings. This topic must be raised if you make a bunch of weapons and additional functions in your game, because in the doom and in the SW3 of the length of the index finger are not enough to choose weapons by default by default.

The consoles are even worse: there is no quick shift at all and the player must use the wheel, and this knocks out of the rhythm. One attribute to Eternal portaining is associated with this: a quick change of weapon works only on a special key for this action. Manual shift on the keyboard works more slowly than with a single press of the wheel of their choice. This is unfair, especially if some opponents require a combination of guns from you. There is no such problem in the SW3 and the weapon is equally replaced.

Let’s talk about pumping: it should not exist. In the game, of course, she is not as tricky as in Doom, but also inserts sticks into the wheels. Why, for example, I should not throw large mobs into a hole or spikes? This is fun, it is carbon monoxide, the developers deprive me of this pleasure just because of the trends, because the player should feel the progression. We are not in front of us, new abilities can be given during the passage, and not forced to choose them or artificially fill them (in order to receive weapons you need to perform combat tests). In such games, skill should solve, not artificial restrictions. Pumping should facilitate the passage, and not deprive the player of game functions. If you liked Doom2016 or Eternal, then you have probably faced such a problem that the reproduction causes boredom, because you need to pump out, look for secrets and perform tests. I went through this already, I just want to have fun to kill devils, I do not want to vacuum the card for the tenth time and carry out tests. That is why the modders first of all made the opportunity to start a new game+ while maintaining all the pumping. I hope that the developers will ever think of cutting this element from the gameplay in the genre in which it is not needed.

Environment

As in the source, it is divided into two types: the arenas themselves and the transition between them. The battlefields doom in theory are amazing, these were not the arenas, but are there anyway. You look from the side and see the efforts. But all this beauty worked only on paper, in practice the player just ran in circles and sometimes looked for victims for treatment and murder. The scale and elaboration of the location influenced only the length of the circumference of the race. SW3 developers acted wisely and did not inflate them. There is less work, but the return is the same. The only thing they added is the levers when firing in which traps are included. They were in Eternal, but just like with the spheres of amplifiers, they rarely met, and here this is a constant element. Sometimes they will also put the hole in the middle, but that’s all. Even developers integrated an amazing element into the formula of the Arena – Liana. These are classic places for running along the walls, but earlier they were rarely used in arena-players, you can only remember Titanfall. In such games, such walls were a problem, since the player did not cling to them, then slipped away, he could not understand whether it was possible to run along this wall. Everything is simple here: here is Liana, the player is just to jump on it and the character himself will catch and start running. Someone will say that it is too simple, but in fact they fulfill an important function of rest from battles, since the developers refused to be constant to finish off opponents. You can still place a first -aid kit on them and shoot while running. The appropriate element that is missing in doom.

But what is the real problem with – monotony. I don’t know why the designers have such a disaster with this. As shown by the addition of “The Ancient Gods” and the master level, all that ID can increase the time of battles, the number of mobs and insert artificial conventions in the form of mobs killed by specific weapons. In the SW3, the story repeated: all arenas and battles go one scenario. Why cannot we use weapons and opponents modifiers? Use only one element or somehow change it. Make the arena more mobile and dynamic. I do not make a claim from the sofa, in Doom2016 there is a mode of custom cards made in the intra -game editor fans. And there are examples from enthusiasts, where mobs are modified and the conditions of use of weapons are put, and the cards are dynamically changing. Everything is, this is a matter of fantasy. Randomizer enemies in the end screw. No, here is a static arena, here are the same enemies, here are the same arsenal of weapons – you will not see the ending until you see the ending. This is the trouble of designers and I do not know why they do not want to study with modders. Here is the level in the ice setting – make sliding on the surface, no. For some reason, only at the end the developers added platforms for jumping, but never used them in battle, only in the transition between them. And twice the authors tried to diversity. Once they put two mobs to an inaccessible height, which can only be flooded from long -range weapons. The second time made a moving platform during the transition. All. They can, but do not do. For me, this is the same mystery as the unwillingness to use modified fat ordinary enemies. There are only two bosses in the game. Well, they are hard to do, but make a mini-boss by strengthening an ordinary enemy. They will be accused of monotony? And the same type of fighting is better?

There are transitions between the same arenas. At one time, people shouted, and as exaggerated to me that Eternal turned into a platformer about Mario. But this is a great zone for relaxation from battles, as well as an element of diversity in the form of a search for secrets and simple puzzles. At the first passage, they carry away. SW3 and this element abolishes. Now the transition between battles is just a gut. The player will not turn anywhere and does nothing. Will listen to the character dialogs while jumping with a hook and running along the vines, shooting locks of yellow thickets. Several times during such transitions there is even a chase, but it is crept and the potential to make it a variety of gameplay is ignored.

It is ironic that there are secrets, and you won’t find them without YouTube. Not because they are so cool, and therefore the design of the cards is so made that the player does not understand: this is a secret or just a hole. And most often there will be the second, which is why the player stops poked and jump into dangerous areas. This is a missed element. In addition to Doom, there is another series of shooters in which the search for secrets is half the game. I’m talking about serious sam, and specifically about its fourth part. The search for secrets can be interesting, but the game decided that it would be better without them, although they are. If they refused completely, you can understand the reluctance to spray, and they are not realized badly and this is a minus, especially since they affect pumping.

What conclusions can be drawn? Everything is very bad. The formula that DOOM2016 came up with a young one, but there is no enthusiasm for developers to somehow develop it, although everyone writes ID love letters. And she even cannot organize normal modes of mods. It’s a pity, because for me the concept of “hell is reaping idle” real discovery and outlet. It accelerates the spinal cord and gives way to bloodthirstiness, other shooters cannot, because it is most often more profitable to play safety than to run along the razor blade. But there is also a VR version of Doom, but you can forget about its development, since ID doom VFR itself did not do it.

I will tell a contradictory thing, but the Shadow Warrior 3 in the game aspect turned out better than its inspirer. It’s just that the developers initially reacted to the game as a disposable, so they did not bother (then they thought up for a patch and released Hero Mode for connoisseurs). If you play it, try to cut down music, characters’ voice, turn off subtitles and put heavy metal backdrop. This is a completely different experience. If you fasten the elements of reigree – the randomizer of enemies, the modifiers of weapons, opponents, the choice of level, achievement, would turn out to be a worthy Eternal receiver, and so we have only a one -time adventure, but whatever one. I could not tear myself away from him for several evenings, it does not let go and does not give a rest. There are not even loading screens, the game attracts the attention of the player with videos and does not allow him to get bored. It is unfortunate that few understand the potential of the game.