Doom Eternal, like the 2016 reboot, is not shy about re-imagining classic characters, locations and enemies. The demons in Doom games help give each entry character. When developing Doom Eternal, id Software had a huge library of demonic creations to call upon, and the creative license to create even more original designs. In an interview with Noclip, game director Hugo Martin explored how the studio re-designed some classic Doom 2 enemies. The classic Pain Elemental, Arachnotron and Hellified Soldier all return, though not without a bit of a change of role. The Arachnotron, for instance, is essentially a moving turret, capable of sticking to walls and ceilings. If you take out its turret, it will chase you around like any melee-based demon and deal damage that way. The Hellified Soldier, on the other hand, is not the fodder you may remember from the classic games. Though Hellified Soldiers are typically the weakest of most other enemy types in the fight, they still pose a threat if you ignore them.
Martin explained that the developer is fine with frustrating players occasionally, so long as the encounter teaches them something, or helps them explore a different way of play. This design philosophy is part of why a few of those demon redesigns are more interesting to fight. The new Carcass, for instance, was designed to counter players who rely too much on the rocket launcher, by placing barriers in the arena that - if you’re not careful - end up causing your rockets to damage you instead of reaching their target. Rockets have bigger splash damage, Martin notes, to really drill the idea into players’ heads. There’s also a look at some of the new enemies Doom Eternal introduces, such as the Doom Hunter, Marauder, and Whiplash - the first female demon. Check out the full video above. Doom Eternal hopes to shake up the formula quite considerably, with a hub area, and more challenging arenas that feature platforming and light puzzle solving. We’ll find out if id can top Doom 2016 when Doom Eternal launches March 20 on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
