Glorious! Game is well polished and plays just fine. The last FPS I really got into was Soldier of Fortune 2, almost ten years ago, and the aesthetics remind me of it a lot (particularly the urban scenery)! I think games like these weren't even called "boomer shooters" back then.
It took me a few minutes to get used to the extremely mobile character, especially in the first two stages, which feature narrow passageways. However, almost like it happened when I played the companion game Cosmic Call (influenced by Nuclear Throne and featured here as an in-game placard), understanding what the game was going for made everything finally click. The stage clear screen and a painting lying around in the final stage make it clear: DOOM runs in this game's veins. Embracing a rip and tear style is essential to survive and thrive. My first impulse, telling you to let us walk by default and only run by holding Shift? Trashed.
Maps are somewhat labyrinthine and require some effort to navigate, which is a welcome challenge. Stage 2 wins the level design prize, in my opinion, but 4 was also something else. Its atmosphere... the sunset, the liminal street corners... appropriate to the "Adding Some Atmosphere" update. As for things that should be improved... I believe unarmed combat can be tweaked a little in order to make it as fun and run 'n' gunning currently is. As it stands now, the spike is a high-risk, low-reward weapon. Also, enemy sounds are too goofy, lmao.
I must have found only one secret in the entire run (it was even the one spoonfed to us in Stage 2, kek). I mean, this is great. It means that the game is really deep and I haven't even scratched the surface despite spending considerable time on it. Unfortunately, I'm trying to marathon other demos now, so I can't afford to delve at the moment. As a finished product, though? Count me in. I'd spend some afternoons playing it, like I used to with SoF 2 back in 2015.
Playthrough: 90+ minutes, easily. Finished all four stages, with minimal secrets.