At the beginning of the Revelations campaign the Slayer’s shield breaks and in its place he gets the Chain Spear, which replaces it in his left hand. This weapon offers a new fighting system that rewards skill with greater power and mobility. Hugo Martin, game director and co-director of id Software, acknowledges that at first the use of this new option may not convince all players, but he assures that over time its possibilities are revealed, abilities are unlocked and the depth it adds to combat is discovered. «[…] «Everything is based on the spear, so it’s worth your time,» says the developer.
The Chain Spear has a wide variety of attack modes and each one hides its own skill tree. It can be used like a dagger, thrown, force-punched, and made wide slashes to break armor, eliminate enemies for resources, or block melee attacks and projectiles. The spear also adds movement options. For example, it can be thrown with a chain to use as a hook to draw the Slayer towards enemies or lifting him into the air. It is a mechanic that is based on the butcher hook that is attached to the Super Shotgun from Doom Eternal, but with a more precise movement and the possibility of combining it with any other weapon in the right hand.
«A wounded and betrayed Slayer finds himself in a ruthless purgatory from which he can only escape by facing disturbing truths and finding new strength with the help of a mysterious ally,» says the synopsis of Revelations. «He must free himself from the prison of his mind and fight an abomination of the gods to lead his allies to the path of freedom.»
The Revelations campaign promises between 10 and 12 hours of content. According to Martin, this is a larger expansion than both Doom Eternal add-ons combined. 60% is campaign and 40% content endgameincluding a central area where between levels you can search for secrets with metroidvania-style exploration. The part endgame It offers the possibility of going through the campaign levels with additional challenges and puzzles, ending up reaching a final boss and some tests of skill.
The release of Revelations comes just one day after the start of Xbox’s new restructuring. According to Game Developer, the cuts at id Software have affected around 50% of the studio’s employees. That would be about 90 workers laid off.