DOOM: The Dark Ages

DOOM: The Dark Ages delivers a visceral dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that serves as a prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal. Released in early 2025, this latest entry in the iconic franchise combines the series’ signature brutal combat with a medieval-inspired setting, allowing players to witness the creation of the legendary DOOM Slayer.

🔥 What is DOOM: The Dark Ages

DOOM: The Dark Ages transports players to Argent D’Nur, showcasing the Slayer’s integration into Argenta society. As the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer battles demon hordes across never-before-seen realms while their leader seeks to destroy him and become the only one that is feared. The game features id Software’s largest and most expansive levels to date, allowing players to explore ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond.

The narrative represents the strongest storytelling in the franchise’s history, moving beyond the Slayer’s solitary fight against Hell to include human companions central to the plot. Players experience fighting alongside humanity in an all-out war against demons, with intriguing developments involving the mysterious Maykrs. This cinematic story serves as an excellent entry point for newcomers while expanding the DOOM universe in exciting ways for longtime fans.

Setting and Atmosphere

The decision to set the game in the distant past has allowed id Software’s artists to create an entirely new visual language for the DOOM universe. The environments seamlessly blend sci-fi and medieval fantasy elements, establishing a unique aesthetic that distinguishes itself from similar genre combinations like Destiny or Warhammer 40K4. Players will charge through burning villages, futuristic castles, and ritualistic sites in a war-scarred fantasy realm.

An original metal soundtrack by Finishing Move features guitars, medieval influences, and adrenaline-pumping compositions that perfectly complement the intense action. The audio design has been universally praised, with many players returning to certain levels just to experience the heavy metal soundtrack without the distractions of combat sounds.

👉 Features of DOOM: The Dark Ages

Revolutionary Combat System

The game introduces the Shield Saw as a centerpiece of combat, allowing players to block, parry, deflect, and barrel through enemy onslaughts. This versatile weapon can be thrown Captain America-style to mow down lesser demons with its spinning blades or wedge itself into larger enemies to halt their advance. The shield enables both defensive maneuvers to block and stun enemies and offensive charges to quickly close distances, creating a combat system that feels fast and exciting despite removing features like double jumps and quick dashes from previous entries.

Expanded Arsenal

Beyond the Shield Saw, players can wield DOOM-ified melee weapons like deadly flails, spiked maces, and electrified gauntlets. Traditional firearms return with medieval torture device aesthetics, including the iconic Super Shotgun, an assault rifle that shoots railspikes, and the Skullcrusher that saturates battlefields with superheated bone shards. Each weapon delivers satisfying impact and serves a strategic purpose in combat scenarios.

Epic Scale Encounters

The game features massive battles occurring in both foreground and background, sometimes allowing player engagement with both. Players can pilot a 30-story Atlan mech to beat building-sized demons with metal fists or take to the skies aboard a cybernetic, fire-breathing dragon fitted with boosters and guns. These sequences, while somewhat mechanically simple, provide spectacular moments that enhance the power fantasy DOOM is known for.

Accessible Difficulty Options

DOOM: The Dark Ages offers unprecedented accessibility options with adjustable sliders that allow players to tweak specific gameplay settings individually. Players can modify parry timing windows, projectile speeds, or even adjust the entire game speed to create a customized experience suitable for their skill level.

Gameplay

Combat in The Dark Ages emphasizes a combination of momentum and raw stopping power. The Slayer moves like an iron tank, strafing past enemy fire while crushing demon ranks with overwhelming firepower. The reinvented finisher system allows for visceral executions from any angle, making combat feel brutal and satisfying.

Exploration plays a significant role, with levels designed to be much larger than previous DOOM titles. Even smaller stages are expansive by series standards, while larger levels are truly gigantic battlefields filled with secrets, challenging enemy encounters, and breathtaking vistas. Players can utilize environmental techniques, such as breaking down loose barricades with the Shield Bash, to uncover hidden areas and collectibles.

The progression system allows players to spend collected spoils of war to upgrade equipment and enhance abilities, becoming increasingly powerful throughout the campaign. This upgrade path encourages thorough exploration of the game’s expansive environments.

Pros and Cons

✔️ Pros

• Exceptional Movement Mechanics: The Slayer moves faster than ever while maintaining a weighty, powerful feel with hulking jumps and powerful stomps.
• Stunning Visuals: Beautifully detailed environments create an immersive experience across diverse settings.
• Impressive Enemy Design: Meticulously textured enemies reflect their classic counterparts while fitting the new aesthetic.
• Epic Scale: Massive conflicts and set pieces create a sense of participating in a grand war.
• Impactful Combat: Weapons deliver satisfying feedback with swift, brutal, and impactful encounters.
• Innovative Shield Mechanics: The Shield-Saw adds a fresh dimension to combat whether bashing enemies or throwing it like Captain America.
• Flexible Difficulty: Adjustable settings allow players to tailor the challenge to their preferences.

❌ Cons

• Modified Glory Kill System: The removal of the traditional Glory Kill system (except in rare circumstances) changes the combat flow that fans of previous games might miss.
• Shallow Vehicle Sections: The mech and dragon sequences, while visually impressive, lack mechanical depth compared to the core gameplay.
• Storytelling Limitations: Despite improvements, the narrative still doesn’t reach the heights of dedicated story-focused games.

DOOM: The Dark Ages represents id Software having fun with the franchise while maintaining its core identity. The game successfully blends the brutal combat the series is known for with fresh mechanics and a fascinating setting, delivering an experience that feels both familiar and entirely new.