We weren't sure what to think of Doom as previews rolled out and the game approached release. As it turned out, the reboot completely understood its source material, making for a fast and fun single-player campaign. Since then, the team at id Software has continued to support the game, adding support for Vulkan and a fan-requested deathmatch mode. That support continues this week with the release of the Free Update 4, which packs a new Arcade Mode and lots of other goodies.
The highlight of this update is the new Arcade Mode, which will give speed-runners and fans of the single-player mode a new way to play the game. Arcade Mode lets you jump into any level with any loadout of weapons, runes, and suit upgrades. The mode is accompanied by a scoreboard so that we can all find out just how good or bad we are at mowing down demons. Doom's SnapMap level builder now has Classic-Doom modules, giving players access to assets based on the original 1993 title, as well as a few maps built by the development team.
On the multiplayer side, there are two new game modes. Prowlers vs. Marines puts what sounds like an Aliens vs. Predator spin on the game, pitting marines against wall-crawling Prowler demons. Each marine that falls will come back as one of the Prowlers, giving each remaining marine a tougher battle. The second new match type is Bloodrush, a free-for-all mode that gives each player a draining meter that can only be refilled by killing and assisting in the kills of other players. A drained meter means defeat, and the last player with any of his meter left wins.
The update is out now and ready to play. It's a whopping 12GB download, so get it started before you plan to fire up the game.