A Medieval Reinvention of Hell
In the era of remasters, remakes and re-releases it’s sometimes easy to forget those who are trailing a new path forward, rather than simply banking on nostalgia and access to a new generation of potential fans.
Since 2016 the DOOM franchise has reinvented itself for the modern age (of course the classics have been dusted off too) and led from the front when it comes to driving the series forward in new and exciting ways.
Thinking about it, the team at id Software have probably provided two of the best examples of this in the last decade, and for my money don’t get the full amount of praise they deserve for it. Yet, feeling like it’s crept out of nowhere, they’re back and aiming for the hat trick with DOOM: The Dark Ages.
Slayer’s Origins
For those who are unsure, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel to the 2016 game taking us back to chronicle the legend behind the DOOM Slayer. This is backed up by plenty of cutscenes and character dialogue which helps cement a different feel to the latest entry in the series.
In all honesty the story plays second fiddle to the action, which you may well expect, and fails to land with a significant impact. It feels like a road well trodden, and even the final act is a little anticlimactic from a narrative perspective. It was great to travel into the past of the DOOM Slayer, but I’m not exactly sure what I learned, and somehow the stakes didn’t seem as high as before. Still, it’s no game breaker as DOOM is about ripping and tearing into demons after all.
From the outset it’s crystal clear that this is quintessentially DOOM, but not exactly as you know it. The modern era of DOOM has experimented with introducing a certain level of strategy when it comes to tearing through the legions of Hell, balancing ammo, health and armour to survive the waves of enemies vying to take you down.
Whereas in DOOM Eternal this could be likened to an elegant dance, with the DOOM Slayer dashing, jumping and evading attacks, in DOOM: The Dark Ages it’s much more a case of standing your ground and choosing your time to hit back.
The Shield Saw: A Versatile Weapon and Defensive Tool
Your best friend is your trusty Shield Saw which has a variety of different uses. The most obvious one is protecting you from harm in combat. The linchpin of the new battle system in DOOM: The Dark Ages is parrying at just the right time to hit back at your enemies. When they light up green, it’s time to turn their own projectiles against them. This also activates your equipped rune (of which there are four) which will kick in when your timing is perfect. My favourite is the shoulder mounted auto-turret which pops up for extra firepower exactly when you need it.
The weaker “fodder” demons can be satisfyingly sliced through by chucking your Shield Saw in their direction, Captain America style. For the stronger types, it will embed into them and stun them for a few precious seconds, allowing you to gain the upper hand. Some require you to carry out a shield bash to take them out, the same move is used to plough through certain walls and discover secret areas. The Shield Saw is also used to activate switches, access high up areas and more.
Melee Might and Glory Kills
The DOOM Slayer also has a melee attack at his disposal which acts as an extra defense against the demons. When charged it can do some serious damage, but usage is limited. Right before death, enemies will be outlined in purple meaning you can perform a glory kill by executing a melee attack which won’t use any charge. As always, these cinematic finisher moves are gruesomely satisfying, but somehow feel as they lack a little in variety. The animation will change depending on the angle you attack from, however I only ever seemed to get one of two different styles which did get a little repetitive.
Despite the other bells and whistles DOOM is all about the guns. There are a handful of different firearms available to you, from the classic shotgun to the powerful rocket launcher and even the BFC (I’ll leave that as a surprise). Most have an alternative variant, for example the super shotgun, meaning you’re looking at around a dozen in total. Despite this, the weapon roster doesn’t feel quite too diverse in DOOM: The Dark Ages, even if a couple stand out.
I definitely landed on my favourites pretty swiftly, using both the Pulverizer and the Accelerator most of the time. The first is the star of the show, ever since popping up in the trailer, using crushed up skulls to spray shrapnel far and wide on the battlefield. The latter is reminiscent of the plasma gun from games gone by. The rapid fire style of weapon suited me to the ground, and combined with the nifty Shield Saw moves and the odd melee attack, I felt pretty much indestructible.
Unleashing Colossal Power
What further contributes to this feeling are the segments where the DOOM Slayer will hop into his colossal Atlan Mech, or onto the back of his Mecha Dragon. These levels are often shorter and more linear, but are woven into the game more skilfully the deeper into the campaign you get. They add to the sense of scale as you battle the legions of Hell, with some truly impressive set pieces designed to let you unleash utter chaos.
What good are guns and mechs and dragons without demons to let them loose on? Well, in DOOM: The Dark Ages there are plenty of old faces and new as the war with Hell rages on. There are higher tier demons which come with certain conditions, such as needing to wipe out their minions before they can be damaged. The classic boss battles are also here too, although they tend to pop up more organically once you have encountered them for the first time.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is medieval by name, and indeed by nature. The DOOM Slayer is heavy to control, yet not clunky. He can still sprint, but you can kiss goodbye to the double jump and dash abilities. Instead, the DOOM Slayer simply walks through destructive scenery which is very satisfying, and can quite rightly be likened to a tank. There’s no fall damage either, in fact you’ll wipe out fodder enemies anywhere near your landing zone as you hit the ground.
Single-Player Slaughter
It’s a single player only affair in DOOM: The Dark Ages, and the structure of the campaign feels like the classic solo adventures of yesteryear. The game is split into 22 missions and is impressively lengthy (quiet at the back). The environments are larger this time around too, stuffed with the usual secrets and collectibles to find. There’s some basic puzzling and platforming on offer, meaning exploration is often rewarded. This is where your forever handy automap comes in, keeping track of everything you find, and everything else you need. Gold, Rubies and Wraithstones are the currency, allowing you to upgrade your weapons, shield, melee attacks and runes at sentinel shrines dotted around the world.
This is a world which looks absolutely gorgeous (apart from some curious looking flames at times) thanks to iDTech 8, as you journey through ruined castles, ancient forests and into the jaws of Hell itself. The DOOM Slayer himself clearly got the medieval memo, sporting a fur style cape like a certain Jon Snow. But most importantly, it’s gory as hell.
As with DOOM and DOOM Eternal before it, I elected to jump into DOOM: The Dark Ages on the “Hurt me Plenty” difficulty, recommended for the casual DOOM player. However, I found this adventure less challenging than DOOM Eternal which could be really, really tricky in parts. There are several rungs up the difficulty ladder to climb if you wish that should sort that out, as well as a suite of customisation options which allow you to fine tune your experience.
A Familiar Yet Fresh Take on DOOM
DOOM: The Dark Ages plays differently to those which came before it, but I can honestly say I enjoyed it just as much. The folks at id Software continue to innovate in the FPS space, refusing to simply settle for more of the same, even though I’m sure most of us would have been happy enough with that.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a gloriously gory game which manages to feel familiar but fresh at the same time. Adapting the gameplay may well have seemed like a gamble, but in the capable hands of id Software, it has certainly paid off.
Important Links
15 NEW Xbox Games Due to Release in May 2025 That Will BLOW YOUR MIND! – https://www.thexboxhub.com/15-new-xbox-games-due-to-release-in-may-2025-that-will-blow-your-mind/
Download DOOM: The Dark Ages (through Game Pass) – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/doom-the-dark-ages-standard-edition/9NN2BX6QXFZH/0017
Purchase the explosive Premium Edition – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/doom-the-dark-ages-premium-edition/9NK3S5DT79LT/0017
