DOOM: The Dark Ages – Unleashing Brutal Medieval Carnage with Revolutionary Combat
The DOOM series has always been associated with action-packed, nonstop monster killing. id Software’s new game, DOOM: The Dark Ages, is a bold step forward because it’s a prequel to DOOM 2016 and DOOM Eternal. People who play it can go back to the Middle Ages and experience the Doom Slayer’s time with the Night Sentinels. With this significant change in setting comes an equally big change in how to play. Instead of the lightning-fast “fighter jet” style of Eternal, you’ll now use a more grounded, thoughtful “tank” style.
Since the early 1990s, id Software has had a famous history of making first-person shooters. With each new DOOM game, the company has improved on the recipe. After DOOM Eternal did well, the makers decided to go in a surprising new way with the series instead of just making more games like the ones that already existed.
Taking a break from the future sci-fi setting and accepting a medieval look, DOOM: The Dark Ages is one of the most significant changes in the history of the series. id Software’s choice to focus only on single-player material and not add any online features shows that they are serious about making a focused, high-quality game experience.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel that tells the story of the Doom Slayer’s time with the Night Sentinels. The story takes place in a world where the Slayer is being used by the Makers to fight an ongoing attack of demons. These demons are going after energy sources all over the galaxy. Their attacks are being planned by an unknown enemy that players will face throughout the 22-chapter campaign.
While I don’t want to give away too much, the story takes place in different worlds as you kill hordes of monsters. There are more cutscenes and character exchanges in this game than in some others, and the story is told more freely. This more event-based way of telling stories makes amazing set pieces possible, like dragon-riding scenes and Atlan mech handling scenes. If you’re worried about too many story breaks, don’t be. The main action of killing demons will still be the primary focus.
The Dark Ages is a significant change from DOOM Eternal’s fighting, which was based on moving. “Stand and fight” is what The Dark Ages is all about, while “Eternal” was all about constant forward motion and flying gymnastics. There is less of a focus on platforming and more on precise positioning, making movement feel heavy and more intentional. Players have more time to respond to enemy hits because they are slower and easier to see coming.
This change in mindset is shown by the Shield Saw, which is the game’s most important new tool. Players can block, dodge, and avoid enemy hits with this defense tool. It adds a level of time skill to battle. Green-glowing strikes can be blocked, which encourages players to stay put instead of running away all the time. For both fighting and tasks requiring you to move, the Shield Saw can be used as an attacking tool. It can be thrown at enemies to stun them or break through metal that is too hot to touch.
Along with the Shield Saw, there is a strong melee system with three different weapons: a power glove for quick attacks, a flail for controlled reach and power, and a dread mace for slow but deadly attacks. These physical weapons work on a charge system that can be refilled by parries, which encourages bold fighting close up.
Players get health and armor drops from physical hits when they stand face-to-face with enemies, but they need to be aware of other threats around them because demons won’t wait for their turn. Creating and closing space carefully is part of the combat dance. You use fighting to recover resources and keep the chaos around you under control. This makes a pleasant flow of being involved and not being involved feel different from previous episodes.
In DOOM: The Dark Ages, the store features 12 guns that use different types of ammo, with classic weapons like the Shotgun and Super Shotgun remaining relatively unchanged, while most are redesigned with medieval aesthetics or are entirely new additions.
The arsenal includes a hybrid shotgun-machine gun that grinds enemies’ heads and fires the pieces in random blasts, the Rail Spike, which launches massive rods that pin foes to walls, the Reaver Shot, which doubles as a melee weapon and fires a ball and chain with charge-based damage, a medieval-themed rocket launcher, and a crossbow-inspired BFG, all of which blend classic shooter gameplay with dark fantasy elements.
Choosing the right weapon is still very important because each enemy has different strengths and flaws. Shield-carrying enemies need to have their defenses overheated before the Shield Saw can cut through them. Plasma guns can be used to overload plasma shields and do damage in a wide area.
In DOOM: The Dark Ages, the famous Glory Kill method has been changed. Glory Kills used to lock players into pre-made routines, but the new method lets players move around during killings. This makes the movements less realistic, but it stops the game from jumping around too much, which could have happened when there were more enemies. The bigger enemies still have the more standard and impressive Glory Kill routines.
DOOM: The Dark Ages has light outdoor tasks spread out over many levels, and you primarily use the Shield Saw to get from one area to another. Metal hurdles that are too hot to touch can be broken with a well-aimed shield throw, which often opens up new ways or lets players move things around. These games give you a break from fighting without making you do too much platforming like DOOM Eternal does.
When you fight, the different kinds of enemies add to the game elements. Various types of demons need different strategies, like using the flail to break through metal plating or staying away from enemies with shields until their defenses weaken. In later stages, when the game throws more complicated combos of demons at players, strategic enemy selection becomes very important.
The Agaddon Hunter enemy type is a unique combat game that requires players to block whole chains of hits in order to do damage, much like a boss fight in Souls. Unlike the fighty Marauder from Eternal, the Hunter uses tactics that players have been learning all through the campaign.
DOOM: The Dark Ages‘ growth system includes various currencies and upgrade paths: Gold for basic upgrades, rubies for mid-level, and wraith stones for top-level weapon improvements. Completing mastery tasks for fully upgraded guns unlocks golden weapon skins. You can enhance the Shield Saw with runes that provide special abilities when you parry.
Melee weapons have unique upgrade methods. Killing enemy leaders and obtaining their essence grants more health, armor, and ammunition. Most upgrades for life and protection can be found on the key path. Ammo improvements, on the other hand, are more likely to be found in side battles. This method for moving forward makes you want to explore all of the game’s significant, open levels.
DOOM: The Dark Ages has excellent graphics that combine the look of the Middle Ages with the series’ signature monster style. The game needs a graphics card that can do ray-tracing (20-series or later), which makes the lighting effects in the different locations look amazing. Other types of levels are included, from war-torn battles and bright castles to evil fortresses and trips through the cosmos that are influenced by Lovecraft.
The game’s 22 parts have a lot of different looks, and each one feels different while still sticking to the main style. The character models are very detailed and have great movement, especially for the bigger monsters and bosses. It’s important to note that the game doesn’t work with the Steam Deck because it needs ray tracing to work, and when you try to start it, it crashes right away.
DOOM’s sound design has always been one of the best parts of the series. This style is carried on in The Dark Ages with powerful weapon effects, bone-crunching fighting sounds, and the deep roars of demons. During a fight, the audio cues for parry-able strikes are very helpful for getting feedback.
If you’re a DOOM fan who’s ready to try a new way to fight, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a great game that pays tribute to the series’ history while also going its own way. People who have Game Pass should definitely try it, and people who are thinking about buying it should think about how interested they are in the historical setting and the more careful way of fighting.
