I just beat TAG 2 a few minutes ago on UV. I'm a bit torn, to be honest. I loved some things, but felt others were a swing and a miss.
- First off: the new soundtrack does an excellent job keeping pace with the original game and DLC 1. Mick Gordon isn't really missed at all as far as I'm concerned. Andrew Hulshult and David Levy are killing it.
- I loved the new bestiary overall. The Armored Barons are just so cool, and executed really well. I like that the Stone Imps finally make the full-auto shotgun mod essential. The Screechers are also a fun way to make battles even more intense, since they're effectively explosive barrels that you DO NOT want to explode! I kind of like the idea of the Cursed Prowlers on paper, but in practice I didn't think it was very fun and I'm glad they were used very sparingly (there were what, roughly 3 of them throughout the entire DLC?).
- The Sentinel Hammer is a fantastic addition to an already stupidly-large arsenal, and somehow feels like it fits right in even though at this point there are so many weapons/gadgets it almost makes one's head spin (especially in the middle of a hellish fight). I love that it isn't just a one-dimensional AOE attack, and actually has some depth to it. And best of all, it allows you to take Marauders out of the picture VERY quickly if used correctly.
- The Meat Hook grapple points work so well and are such a natural extension of the game's traversal mechanics, I'm honestly surprised they weren't in the base game. I just wish they were put to use in more creative ways and complex environments, speaking of which...
- The level design was painfully linear and mostly forgettable: move in a straight line, fight it out in an arena, rinse--repeat. I don't recall a single branching path, and there certainly wasn't a keycard in sight. At least TAG 1 had both of those things. The secret areas were a complete joke, too--almost impossible to miss, and rarely rewarding to discover. I really wish we'd see larger levels with a greater emphasis on exploration just to mix things up a bit (see Foundry and Argent Facility from the 2016 game). I do understand this is DLC, though, and it probably takes much more time to construct such levels. But still: I want to do more than just move in a straight line and fight!
- The final boss battle was exhausting and fairly disappointing. It was essentially just a giant Marauder with a humongous health bar. I didn't really feel like I had to figure anything out, and I certainly didn't have much fun fighting him. Although it was far more tolerable than the finale of TAG 1, I just wish the showdown with the Dark Lord himself had something more unique/surprising to offer. Considering the hellish onslaught we had to endure to reach that point, we deserved better.
- I don't think I can put into words just how much I despise nuDoom's lore at this point. 2016 showed promise, but Eternal's lore as a whole--from the base game through this DLC--is utterly dreadful in my opinion. I'll take a simple-but-captivating tale over this convoluted bullshit any day of the week.
The last few points might make it sound like I didn't enjoy the DLC, but I honestly did. Although I was disappointed with the level design and finale, TAG 2's combat is bar none the best the genre has ever seen and it ain't even close. Not one weapon or gadget goes unutilized for long, and the sheer variety of enemies means you're constantly on your toes, either adapting to the situation at hand or getting ravaged for being sloppy or complacent. It's totally worth playing through the DLC just for the combat alone. I just can't help but wonder how amazing a game we'd have on our hands if the unrivaled combat were paired with levels that had more to offer than mostly straight shots from one arena to the next.
