The two latest games in the DOOM FPS franchise, DOOM: Eternal, took the world by storm with bloody, speed-based gameplay and the narrative surrounding the silent, angry "Doom Slayer", whose personality is fleshed out using environmental storytelling. Through body language, lore entries, and terrified NPC reactions, what could have been a generic FPS protagonist instead became a "Monster to the Monsters", a legendary figure who lives up to the hype in and out-of-game.
Space marines – that is, futuristic soldiers like those in DOOM franchise's infamous BFG 9000.
The first two DOOM games wound up codifying many aspects of the Space Marine archetype so often seen in FPS games. The "Doomguy" protagonist of DOOM 1, DOOM 2: Hell On Earth, and DOOM 3 was simply one Space Marine that was tough enough to gun his way through the Legions of Hell. Such a character initially comes across as cartoonishly bland, a parody of the 1990s action hero... but what would an unstoppable demon-slaying hero be like in real life, and how would all those demon-slaying sprees affect his mind?
DOOM 2016: Rip and Tear...
The Dr. Samuel Hayden, tries to take on the role of mission control, only for the "Doom Slayer" to smash every video screen he talks from out of sheer contempt.
This opening certainly pokes fun at FPS games with excessive cutscenes, but it also personalizes the faceless, voiceless player character through body language: each cracked knuckle, smashed console, and silent glance at a dead victim's body conveys the sheer, all encoming rage the "Doom Slayer" feels towards the forces of Hell and the humans who toy with them.
Each Codex entry and terrified look from bystanders emphasize RoboCop. This sense of being powerful and unrestrained is cathartic for players of DOOM... but no sane person would ever want to endure the torments that made the "Doom Slayer" what he is.
DOOM Eternal: ...Until It Is Done
The Doom Slayer attempts to thwart confirm a theory that DOOM fans had speculated over for some time: the Doom Slayer is the original "Doomguy" from DOOM 1 and 2, an ordinary Space Marine who was trapped (or voluntarily exiled) to Hell, lost his sanity after ages of slaughtering demons, and fell into the hands of twisted angels who infused him with superhuman powers.
But for all that, they did not destroy his ability to care, and that is the most interesting aspect of his characterization in DOOM and Doom Slayer likes to collect dorky figurines and memorabilia to display in his Fortress of Doom. He is controlled and disciplined, never harming anyone not part of the forces of Hell. Finally, despite all his past trauma, he still wants to protect the human race: indeed, looking past his perpetual, simmering rage, the Doom Slayer feels more moral and comionate than many of the other Space Marine video game characters he inspired.
DOOM Eternal is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.