This week in video games: May 23, 2016

This week, a new Battlefield game looks like something special; there's a new Bejeweled game for your smartphone; and there is a new Skylanders character for Supercharged. But first, face your demons with Doom.

Go back to Hell—and Mars—with Doom

The fourth game in the Doom franchise was released last week after spending more than eight years in development. The last Doom game was released in 2004, so it's a franchise that is not familiar to younger gamers.

For those of you who don't know, the original Doom came out in 1993 and was one of the games that established the first-person shooter genre.

The games are set on Mars, Earth, and Hell, from which the demons that are the antagonists in the game come from.

Available for PS4, Windows, and Xbox One, and like the preceding games, Doom is big, loud, and violent. And it features a weapon called the BFG. You can guess what that acronym is for.

More than just an excuse for blood and gore, though, Doom games are about exploration. The mazelike levels contain a number of secrets, and part of the fun is trying to collect them all.

The developers at id Software, part of Bethesda Softworks, have indicated that this latest game will encourage more close-quarters combat. Just how close do you want to get to those demons, then?

Bejeweled is back with more Match 3 magic

Bejeweled Stars is a free app for Android and iOS (you can spend money on the game inside the app).

The latest version of the Match 3 casual game borrows from the quirky guide format that works so well with other PopCap games like Peggle and Plants vs Zombies.

In this one, Felis and Corvus provide you with tutorials on how to play the game and explanations on how special powers and gems work.

I have to confess, though, that it all feels a bit overcomplicated. I understand the desire to keep things fresh, but there are now so many different powers and challenges in Bejeweled that I couldn't be bothered to learn how to play them all. I'm more likely to play an older version of the game.

In the end, it's only matching some symbols to make them explode, right?

Battlefield 1 takes military combat back in time

With the Call of Duty series moving into the future, EA's Battlefield game is set during the First World War.

One of Battlefield's great assets is that up to 64 players are involved in the game at any given time.

In the game, players will be able to drive tanks and other armoured vehicles, as well as pilot biplanes. And if you want, "you can bring a horse to a tank fight".

Battlefield 1 is scheduled to launch on October 21 for PS4, Windows, and Xbox One.

New Skylanders: SuperChargers toys now available

Disney may be giving up on Infinity, but Activision's still got Skylanders characters rolling out for its latest edition of the Skylanders game.

Thrillipede is a four-armed pilot who is a "life" Skylander SuperCharger (there are 10 elements in total). He fights with a grenade in each of his hands, exploding enemies on contact. Thrillipede is available everywhere Skylanders is sold for $17.

Pair him up with the flying vehicle, Buzz Wing, and the pair become supercharged. The fighter plane Buzz Wing, available at Toys 'R' Us now and everywhere in June, is $19.