DOOM Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two

The Ancient Gods – Part Two is the second campaign expansion for DOOM Eternal and tells the final chapter of the conflict between the DOOM Slayer and the Dark Lord. The story picks up from the main game and Part One. Instead of a new multiplayer game, there is a separate single-player campaign with new enemies and locations.

Mechanically, the expansion stays true to the fast-paced first-person shooter. The newly introduced Warden's Hammer adds to the existing combat gear. The DLC is sold separately and, according to Bethesda, can also be played without buying the DOOM Eternal main campaign.

The initial release was on Mar 18, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, the respective previous version could initially be used via backward compatibility. This changed on June 29, 2021, when Bethesda provided standalone native apps for the new console generation.

The Nintendo Switch version of The Ancient Gods – Part Two was released on Aug 26, 2021. These dates refer to different platform releases of the same campaign content, not later re-releases with a different story.

The Ancient Gods – Part Two was released for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Since June 29, 2021, native apps have also existed for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. These should be distinguished from the initial backward compatibility.

The Nintendo Switch version followed on Aug 26, 2021. On Xbox, the current Store version supports Smart Delivery. A standalone Switch 2 release is not documented in these sources.

The expansion continues the movement-focused first-person shooter gameplay of DOOM Eternal. A range of new demon variants calls for targeting different enemies by priority. The existing weapons and abilities remain part of the combat mechanics.

The additionally available Warden's Hammer opens a new tactical option in encounters with multiple enemies. As a result, Part Two is not a separate game system, but it expands combat with new combinations.

The Ancient Gods consists of two campaign expansions, Part One and Part Two. Part Two is available separately and is part of the Year One Pass. The DOOM Eternal Deluxe Edition also includes the pass.

According to Bethesda, you do not need a license for the DOOM Eternal main campaign to play Part Two. For the narrative context, the base game and Part One are still relevant: Part Two continues the events begun there and brings the story arc to a close.

For the Windows version, Steam lists at least 8 GB RAM, an Intel Core i5 at 3.3 GHz or AMD Ryzen 3 at 3.1 GHz, and a graphics card such as the GTX 1050 Ti. It lists 80 GB of free storage space and a broadband connection. The minimum configuration targets 1080p at 60 frames per second on low details.

Recommended are, for example, a Core i7-6700K or Ryzen 7 1800X with a GTX 1060 (6 GB). Older OS details on the product page should be distinguished from today's minimum requirements of the Steam client.

The story picks up after the events of the main campaign and The Ancient Gods – Part One. The DOOM Slayer pursues his goal of ending the conflict with the forces of Hell once and for all. The focus is the journey to Immora, the last bastion of the Dark Lord.

The story brings together familiar elements of the Slayer's narrative rather than establishing a new starting point. Newcomers can play the campaign, but will miss important links to earlier events.

Part Two introduces additional enemy types. The Armored Baron wears protective armour, while the Stone Imp resists many attacks. The Screecher can empower other demons when it is killed. The Cursed Prowler adds a special curse mechanic.

These enemies have very different abilities. A successful encounter therefore depends on which threat takes priority at the time and when the player uses the right countermeasures.

The Guardian Hammer gives the Slayer an extra weapon that releases a shockwave and can briefly stun demons. It expands the ways to control larger groups of enemies.

Bethesda explicitly describes combinations with the Ice Bomb and the Flamethrower to gain health or armour. The Hammer does not replace the rest of your equipment but ties into the main game's resource mechanics. Its function is a permanent feature of this expansion.

With Update 6 on June 29, 2021, Bethesda released native versions of DOOM Eternal and both Ancient Gods parts for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. On PS5 and Xbox Series X, players can choose between graphics modes with ray tracing, high frame rate or 4K output. The Xbox Series S has its own performance profiles without a ray tracing mode.

On PS5, adaptive DualSense triggers are also supported. These features apply to the native versions and not to the backward compatibility that let the expansion run on the newer consoles before the update.

The Steam product page lists German for the interface and subtitles as well as for full voice-over. Other fully voiced languages include English, French, Italian, Spanish and Japanese. Available language options may differ from the Steam listing depending on the platform.

The PC version also supports Steam Cloud and Steam achievements. This information refers to the Steam version and should not be taken as an identical feature list for the Nintendo or console editions without checking.

The Switch version was released on August 26, 2021. Bethesda's FAQ at the time required at least 29 GB of free storage for the download, together with the existing data, split between system storage and a microSD card. This figure describes the requirements at the original launch and not necessarily the current install size.

Part Two is designed as a single-player campaign. The Steam purchase, sold separately, also includes DOOM Eternal BATTLEMODE. This asymmetric multiplayer mode belongs to the DOOM Eternal system, while the new locations and story of Part Two form a solo campaign.

Part Two includes special escalation encounters, each with two combat phases. The first wave must be completed and upgrades the Guardian Hammer. A second, harder wave is optional and can unlock cosmetic rewards.

The system links campaign progress with extra challenges for experienced players. The second part of these encounters is not required to keep playing the story.

In Part Two, special grapple points can be used with the Meat Hook of the Super Shotgun. They let you cover extra ground mid-jump and gain momentum for changing direction. The mechanic complements the Double Jump and Dash.

These movement sections are part of the new campaign levels. They are not to be understood as a standalone weapon modification or time-limited event content.