Martin Stratton, Executive Producer at id Software, reveals that the developer has been working on making DOOM into a more challenging experience for players.

After a twelve year hiatus, iconic shooter franchise Doom is finally making a return to gaming. The fourth game in the series is expected to launch at some point in 2016, much to the excitement of fans of the highly influential original games. Those veteran players who remember the original two Dooms in particular might be forgiven for thinking that DOOM will be an easy ride – but from the sounds of it, the title is going to be a major challenge.

According to id Software’s Executive Producer Martin Stratton, the development team behind DOOM has been working to make the title more challenging. Speaking in an interview with Game Informer, Stratton explained that the difficulty of the game has been ramped up since gameplay demos were unveiled. "We’ve actually dialled up the difficulty," explained Stratton, who went on to state that the "roller coaster ride in this game is about how challenging those fights are."

Those who loved the original Doom games may have been concerned about the status of the in-development title, particularly given the title's need to prove itself against a new crop of shooters. However, it seems as though the team behind the project has tried to stick to the roots of what made Doom special. "It’s not about canned set pieces, cinematic sequences," said Stratton. "The roller coaster is about the action and the combat and it’s a blast."

It seems as though it’s not just the combat of the original games that is set to transfer over into the 2016 release. The id Software title is going to include more non-linear exploration, in a nod to the maze-like, secret-filled levels of the first two games. "When you think about Doom and Doom 2, particularly the further you got into the game, there’s a lot of getting lost," Stratton said, before continuing to explain that in DOOM "the exploration is really fun, there’s a pretty good sense of that non-linear exploration."

There is, however, one aspect of the 2016 follow-up, which is suspected to hit store shelves at the end of June, that veteran Doom fans may find surprising: a more in-depth look at the story. Rather than making DOOM into a story driven game, however, it seems as though there will be a narrative there for players to find, with Stratton confirming that id Software has "injected quite a bit more for people who want to find it." The plot of the game has not been the focus of development, though, with id still keeping combat as its priority.

Since DOOM was revealed back at E3 2014, FPS fans have been keeping a close eye on the project, with some concern over exactly how the gaming classic would fit with a new age of gaming. The community has certainly remained optimistic, however - particularly when faced with exciting gameplay trailers and positive quotes from those involved in the game. Let’s hope that DOOM turns out to be worthy of its name.

DOOM is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2016, and will release for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: Game Informer