DOOM Eternal’s Third-Person Cutscenes Are ‘Better for the Game,’ Says Developers

Few first-person shooters pull the player out of first person perspective during cutscenes. DOOM has never been among such titles. Until now, that is. DOOM Eternal will allow players to see the Doom Slayer in action, as a third-person view will be utilized for the game’s cutscenes. Some fans of the series may find the decision on id Software’s part puzzling. However, according to the developers, this is ultimately “best for the game” overall.

Creative Director Hugo Martin told VG247 the decision was informed by players becoming more invested in the lore with DOOM’s 2016 release. Yet, the investment, so to speak, didn’t pay off fully, since the Slayer just stood still, listening to whatever had captured the player’s interest. Martin explained,

I think with DOOM 2016 players really got into the lore, they got into the power of who he is. But we did it in ways that were, I would call them a bit harder core. I mean if you wanted to know the Slayer testaments you had to go up to a rock and listen to a booming voice, which was amazing, but you kind of had to stand there and listen to the rock for the most part.

So with this game, and all we wanted to do, and the questions we wanted to answer, and the whole new spectacle of it all, we really felt like telling parts of the story through more conventional means, we could really boost the feel of who the Slayer is, what he’s doing. It just gives you a lot of freedom to tell the story and represent the lore in a way that’s very approachable and understandable.

Experimenting with more freedom in storytelling isn’t the only reason id Software has taken a fresh approach with regards to perspective in cutscenes. Efficiency, according to Executive Producer Marty Stratton, additionally played a massive part. With a third-person view now in place for cutscenes, fans will probably take note of a new “fluidity” to cutscenes while playing. In the same interview with VG247, Stratton noted the following:

And it’s more efficient. I mean a lot of times if you stay first-person, it’s harder, it gets more complicated, there’s more moments of, ‘stand still while someone vomits exposition at you and, why aren’t I engaging, why am I standing still, I’m the Doom Slayer?’ So if you notice with all the scenes, there’s a fluidity to them. Every single decision, whether it’s third-person cutscenes or big floating guns, it’s in the service of the game. That’s it. It’s better for the game, we do it.

Experience DOOM Eternal in all of its perspectives when the title hits store shelves for the PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One on November 22nd. Fans interested in something extra may want to take a look at the Collector’s Edition, which is currently available for preorder online and in stores.

[Source: VG247]