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Doom fans are getting ready to rip and tear their way through the long-awaited sequel to the series’ 2016 reboot, and if the reviews are any indication, Doom Eternal delivers. Taking cues from 1994’s Doom 2: Hell on Earth, Eternal challenges players to beat back the hordes of Hell from Earth itself, introducing a load of fun new toys for the Doom Slayer to play with.

In general, critics have plenty of positive things to say about the shooter, including our 8/10 review-in-progress. “Once you get the hang of it, though, all of Doom Eternal’s many elements come together in a cascade of mayhem that makes you into the brainiest killing machine around,” wrote our critic, Phil Hornshaw. “This isn’t the kind of shooter in which your twitch reactions and aiming skills will carry you through; Eternal is a game in which you have to be constantly plotting your next move, executing a calculus of carnage to keep yourself alive and make everything else dead. Every moment is about analyzing the battlefield to find the next enemy you can stagger and slice apart for health or ammo, figuring out which enemy is your top priority and what guns you’ll need to take it out safely, and where you need to head next in order to take the shots you need or keep the creatures chasing you from getting their own chance to rip and tear.”

We’ve grabbed some more reviews below, and most of them echo similar points. Generally, critics are impressed with the depth and pace of the game’s frenetic combat, with most agreeing that it’s a significant improvement over its predecessor. However, these writers are less impressed with the game’s increased focus on storytelling and lore, with many arguing that such a move misrepresents the core strengths of the franchise. For more reviews, check out our sister site Metacritic to see what other sites had to say.

• Game: Doom Eternal
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Stadia
• Developer: id Software
• Release date: March 20
• Price: $60 / £50 / $80 AUD

GameSpot – 8/10 (review-in-progress)

“Though it can take a bit to get the hang of it, the intricacies of Doom Eternal’s combat, combined with its enhanced mobility and option-heavy level design, create a ton of white-knuckle moments that elevate everything that made Doom 2016 work so well. Its combat is just as quick and chaotic, but requires you to constantly analyze everything that’s happening in order to come out victorious. Once you get the hang of the rhythm of Doom Eternal, it’ll make you feel like a demon-slaying savant.” – Phil Hornshaw [Full Review]

USG – [score forthcoming]

“Doom was a nearly-perfect ode to digital brutality in 2016, recasting the original Doom games in a new image. It was fast and vicious, with the perfect mix of FPS combat, story, and level design. It also didn’t overstay its welcome. Doom Eternal mostly manages to avoid the bloat that plagues other sequels, but it also roughs up that perfect pacing with more lore, sometimes muddy platforming, and more collectibles to find. Doom Eternal survives to the end, fist raised in triumph, it just takes a few more hits than its predecessor did to get there. Still, as Space Viking King says, ‘You remain unbroken.’ Doom Eternal is certainly not broken, and in these trying times, I think we all need a little “rip and tear” in our lives.” – Mike Williams [Full Review]

PC Gamer – 94/100

“It was all overwhelming at first, frustrating second, and then suddenly novel and exciting. Yes, it makes zero sense that you light monsters on fire in order to get them to drop armor shards. But oddities like this feed into an exhausting, anxiety-inducing, thrilling-once-you-get-it vibe, and farming armor from the same guy I’m dueling creates a give-and-take with enemies that isn’t present in other shooters.” – James Davenport [Full Review]

Polygon – “Recommended”

“When it clicks for you — when you instinctively know to use a freezing grenade (also new to this entry) to slow a powerful demon, light a creeping horde on fire for its abundance of armor, send a flaming arrow into a flying beast, smash the flaming horde for health, and then cleave the original frozen baddie in half right before it thaws — you feel like Doomguy. And Doomguy feels like a god. It takes a lot of smarts to make something that often sounds stupid while feeling so exhilarating and mentally taxing.” – Chris Plante [Full Review]

Eurogamer – [no score]

“Still, if visceral gratification is the goal, Eternal amply delivers. The combat is once again about ceaseless pivoting between attack and retreat, care of a raucous battlefield ecology which sees you ripping ammo, health and armour refills from your prey rather than just searching for medikits or finding somewhere to cool off. Stun a foe and you can execute them for a smidgeon of health. These executions double as windows of rest, with other demons easing off till you’re done rearranging your victim’s anatomy. They can also be triggered from metres away, warping you to the target without even the courtesy of a transitional animation, which means you can use them to escape or get behind a mob. Bisect demons with your trusty chainsaw, meanwhile, and you’ll be rewarded with a geyser of ammo, restocking all your weapons in one dollop. You’ll need plenty of chainsaw fuel to carve up the bigger demons, but you’ll always have enough to carve up the smaller “fodder” demons, who spawn endlessly throughout each battle till the larger demons are slain.” – Edwin Evans-Thirlwell [Full Review]