Nintendo Switch Doom Impressions: An Impressive Port With Its Fair Share of Compromises
Game: Doom
Publisher: Bethesda
Developer: iD Software
Reviewed: Nintendo Switch
Earlier this year, Bethesda revealed that a handful of third-party titles would be heading over to the hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch. The lineup of games include titles such as Doom, Skyrim, and the recently released Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. At first, I was doubtful about some of these titles being ported onto the Nintendo Switch.
Would the compromises play too much of a factor? Will the game be able to run at steady frame rates, while still retaining up to date graphics? Now that Doom has officially released, I can confirm that the Switch port of this game is quite impressive. That being said, it does come with some drawbacks, as expected. All things considered, Doom on the Nintendo Switch looks phenomenal, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t come with its drawbacks. Between, the resolution, textures, and frame rate the game feels stabilized and looks breath-taking to say the very least. It is very impressive that Doom can now be played on the go, anytime and anywhere.
However, a notable drawback in this version of the game has to be the draw distances. The draw distance is an issue because enemies a bit further from the camera tend to be a bit blurry. This proved to be an issue later in the game when the sandbox areas start to open up and more room was given to the player.
Throughout my 10 hour playthrough, the frames per second generally maintained a stable rate. Both handheld and docked mode are in good terms in frame rates, with minimal drops in certain sections. This came rather shocking to me as Doom is a game that relies heavily on fast-paced action.
Doom does not require a Pro Controller, but it most definitely will be necessary as it feels a bit more comfortable. I had the luxury to play the game with a Pro controller and it felt really nice. There’s no disadvantage to not owning one, especially since they are quite expensive, but it’s most definitely the ideal way to play the game.
One glitch that was prominent throughout my entire playthrough of the game was some sort of noise canceling bug. At times I would be playing in either handheld or docked and randomly all sound would be lost. The epic rock music in the back would stop playing, but the game would run fine. It was a very strange and annoying bug to deal with especially when the soundtrack is as good as it is.
As much fun as I am having with Doom for Switch there is just one question that keeps replaying in my head: Is it worth to play Doom on the Switch in docked mode? Because when you actually think about it the compromises the game makes to run on the Switch is quite significant; there are no 60fps, textures are dulled down, and the draw distances are scaled down.
Don’t get it wrong, the game is still super impressive looking and I am still mind-blown that Doom is actually on the Switch, but is it worth it to play in docked when PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions are so much better? This is a question each individual player must answer for themselves.
At the $60 price tag, Doom on the Nintendo Switch comes packed with the 10-12 hour campaign, multiplayer access, and an arcade mode. A notable missing feature in this port is the SnapMap mode, which allows users to create their own maps within the multiplayer portion of the game. This was quite a disappointment considering this feature can lead countless gameplay experiences within the community.
Overall, this title feels like it has enough content for a newcomer to the game. On the contrary, users that have already played this game in 2016, I would suggest waiting for a sale or a price drop in the future.