The levels included in the first half of DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods felt like they picked up right where the original game left off. It was like picking up on a new season of a Netflix show, and the teaser at the end sparked excitement in what could be in store for the grand finale. While playing the second half of The Ancient Gods, that excitement gradually shifted to frustration and disappointment. DOOM Eternal's main campaign took some turns away from its predecessor that many disagreed with, and The Ancient Gods doubles down on many controversial additions. These are missions that stubbornly refuse to buckle to player expectations, ending in a final encounter that feels imbalanced and unfun rather than the blend of challenging and creative that makes DOOM at its best so interesting.
With the demon invasion of Earth stopped and the pillars of Heaven firmly shaken, Doomguy now seeks to end Hell's dominion across the dimensions once and for all. The four levels in The Ancient Gods - Part 2 all build toward a final confrontation that could seal demonkind back in their own dimension. Trailers showed wide-scale battles between the forces of Hell and the Sentinel forces rallying behind Doomguy's successes, and the game's box art shows a Godzilla-level battle between two titans, so marketing for DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part 2 did its part to promise some truly epic encounters. While these universe-shifting events are in the DLC, they're mostly relegated to the background or in quick cutscenes.
The levels themselves are pretty DOOM Eternal fare, and it's hard not to be disappointed that this huge finale doesn't feel grander. Instead of intense moments that change up the gameplay, The Ancient Gods tries to one-up itself by presenting new tough enemies with ultra-specific weak points. There are Imps that require the auto-shotgun attachment, Armored Barons that require the plasma rifle, and zombie enemies with impenetrable energy shields. This type of enemy design was bubbling at the surface of DOOM Eternal, but the constant specific requirements to take down foes in a split second are tiring rather than exciting at this point. In certain encounters, The Ancient Gods just stops feeling like DOOM.
Thankfully, while the new enemies are annoying, there is plenty of great combat in DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part 2. This is especially true of the Escalation Encounters, which let players start off a second wave of more difficult enemies in specific arenas once per level. Unlike the Slayer Gates in the main game, these are on the main story path, and they provide satisfying encounters that frustrate and delight in equal measure. This is DOOM Eternal at its best, with players circling around a stage and utilizing every tool at their disposal in equal measure. Players can isolate enemies that require specific attention and learn the patterns of enemies spawning in while trying new tactics and keeping up the variety. It's pure shooting genre excellence in rare form that could be improved only with better enemy designs for the new foes.
Another positive is the Looney Tunes character, the gameplay utility makes up for that.
If The Ancient Gods - Part 2 ended after the second-to-last level and omitted its final boss fight, it would be a much better experience overall. Sadly, when Doomguy finally meets the biggest bad of all, the fight that ensues is a tedious chore that isn't worth the effort. The boss attacks like an upsized Marauder, only with five health bars and the ability to drain health from the player whenever he hits a blow. The only way Doomguy can damage him is when his eyes glow green, which is one of five or six maneuvers he can pick from seemingly at random. DOOM Eternal states that players can get into a certain range to trigger the damage, but that proves unreliable in practice.
Instead of the white-knuckle Icon of Sin fight or even the angelic battles in the first half of The Ancient Gods, players get a fight where most of their time is spent shuffling around in a circle waiting for a specific attack. The Sentinel Hammer is key to damaging him, but charges only come from another of the boss's attacks, meaning that players could end up seeing the green eyes and dealing minimal damage before waiting five to ten minutes for another opportunity. The boss fight ups the ante just once in five rounds, so players will see the patterns long before they're able to claim victory. It's ultimately a boss fight that showcases the worst elements of the DOOM Eternal DLC, combining the flawed additions to combat into something that's the exact opposite of the frenzy the series - and the base DOOM Eternal game - is known for.
With forgettable levels and frustrating enemy additions, Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part 2 is an unworthy ending to this chapter in the Doom series' history. There were enough interesting story threads left to tie up to prove that refocusing on the story and Doomguy's identity was worth it, but the ultimate answers can't make up for a game that ends in a way so opposed to the franchise's core identity. Instead of ripping and tearing until it was done, Doomguy sat and waited for his ultimate foe to let him win.
Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods - Part 2 is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and PC as a separate purchase or as part of the Season . A Nintendo Switch port of the DLC is still in the works. Screen Rant was provided an Xbox code for the DLC for the purposes of this review.
