New Doom for Xbox One/PS4/PC Won't Be Easy, Bethesda Says at E3 2015

During Bethesda's E3 briefing Sunday night, a developer played through a section of the new Doom with relative ease (watch the demo below). But make no mistake: Doom will offer a major challenge.

That's according to id Software executive producer Marty Stratton, who talked about the game's difficulty during a presentation today on the E3 2015 show floor.

"I've seen people and even had people say, 'Oh, that looks easy.' That is not easy. The game is a challenging game, it's like [the original Doom] in that respect," Stratton said.

He went on to say that the Bethesda developer who performed the demo during the company's conference Sunday evening was a total expert at the game.

This, in part, explains why Doom didn't look very challenging. Stratton added that Bethesda holds internal competitions to determine which specific developer is best at a particular area of the game when deciding who gets to demo it.

Stratton further explained that the new Doom has open areas that don't force you to take on bad guys in any specific way. Enemies move through the environment all on their own (by jumping, flying, and climbing), using the traversal system from another id Software action game, Rage.

"There was no trickery," Stratton said about the E3 demo. "Even in moments that kind of feel like, 'Oh, that might have been scripted.' Enemies can move through the environment in really unique ways."

Art director Hugo Martin added, "No two people play through it the same."

The new Doom launches in spring 2016 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. A multiplayer beta will be held ahead of launch, though no further specifics have been announced.

For more on Doom, check out GameSpot's impressions of the game's gore-filled trailer. You can also read about Doom's new Snapmap feature here.

Check out our roundup of all the big Bethesda E3 news here.