Doom: The Dark Ages – An Audacious Reinvention of a Shooter Classic
For more than thirty years, Doom has been a cornerstone of the first-person shooter realm, setting the standard for speed, intensity, and sheer enjoyment. However, with the upcoming release of Doom: The Dark Ages in 2025, id Software and Bethesda are venturing into bold new territory. This is not merely another installment in the Doom series; it represents a comprehensive reimagining that disrupts everything fans believed they understood about the franchise.
After an immersive four hours with the game, one thing is certain: Doom has never felt like this before. Once it clicks, it becomes nearly addictive.
A Different Type of Slayer
The most remarkable shift in Doom: The Dark Ages is the evolution in combat strategy. While prior titles prioritized rapidity and unyielding aggression, The Dark Ages implements a more strategic, timing-centric method. It’s less about your speed and more about how cleverly you can combine your attacks, blocks, and counters.
Central to this fresh system is the Slayer’s shield—a circular saw-like apparatus that transforms your approach to every encounter. It serves not just as a defensive item but as a versatile weapon that enables you to:
– Shield against frontal assaults.
– Parry and redirect projectiles.
– Charge into foes to bridge distance.
– Propel it at adversaries to damage armor or stun them.
This shield becomes your indispensable ally and the linchpin for mastering the new gameplay dynamics. Whether you’re diverting a torrent of projectiles or plunging into a horde of demons, the shield is crucial.
Melee Combat Reinvented
Doom: The Dark Ages doesn’t merely include melee combat—it enhances it to share equal significance with gunplay. The morning star, a ferocious flail-like weapon, is among several melee options that empower players to execute devastating combos. These aren’t mere flashy finishers; they’re vital for your survival.
With sufficient skill, you may be able to obliterate entire clusters of enemies using solely melee strikes and your shield. The game applauds players who manage to interchange these systems, delivering a combat experience that feels both innovative and deeply gratifying.
Strategic Complexity and Varied Foes
Adversaries in The Dark Ages are crafted to test your command of the new mechanics. Shielded zombie soldiers form lines that necessitate precise shield throws to dismantle. Stone-skinned imps dismiss shield strikes, compelling you to depend on brute force. Additionally, morale-driven mini-bosses can only be vanquished after demoralizing their subordinates.
This intricate design means that each skirmish is a conundrum. You must analyze your foes, adjust your strategies, and make snap decisions to endure. It’s a significant departure from the mindless run-and-gun stereotype often linked to Doom.
A Medieval Metal Realm
The game’s backdrop represents a dramatic shift from the sci-fi infernos of earlier installments. Doom: The Dark Ages unfolds in a medieval-themed environment replete with gothic fortresses, ancient relics, and shadowy woodlands. The artistic style is purely heavy metal—imagine album covers materializing before your eyes.
Despite this tonal shift, the essence of Doom remains unchanged. The gunplay packs the same punch as ever, enemies burst in satisfying showers of gore, and the soundtrack is a thunderous fusion of industrial and metal that keeps your heart racing.
Exploration and Enhancements
The level design in The Dark Ages grants unprecedented freedom. While predominantly linear, numerous areas expand into mini-sandbox settings brimming with secrets, side missions, and optional bosses. Imagine Metro Exodus rather than GTA.
Exploration yields rewards such as gold, runes, and upgrade points, which can be used at shrines to bolster your weapons, shield, and melee tools. You can even create powerful combinations—such as causing nail gun projectiles to explode on contact with your thrown shield.
Narrative and Atmosphere
For the first time in the franchise, Doom emphasizes storytelling. The days of lore hidden in codex entries are over. Now, the narrative unfolds through cutscenes and dialogue, enriching characters like King Novik and the enigmatic Deag Order.
The environments have also become more immersive than ever. In one memorable scene, you battle through a beachhead while colossal demons clash in the background and siege cannons shake the ground. It’s a cinematic adventure that still allows you complete control.
Vehicle Segments: A Mixed Experience
Not every aspect of The Dark Ages is flawless. The highly anticipated vehicle segments—commanding a massive Atlan mech or riding a cyber dragon—appear stunning but feel lackluster in execution. These sequences often lack the fluidity and depth of the core gameplay, frequently simplifying into glorified quick-time events.
While they offer visual diversity, they don’t reach the elevated standard established by the remainder of the game. Hopefully, id Software will enhance these segments or limit their presence.