‘DOOM The Dark Ages’ Is a Return to the Franchise’s Grounded Style of Play, but It Doesn’t Lose Any of Its Ferocity (Review)

I’ve been very lucky to this point to be able to cover games that mean a great deal to me. But few games hold a spot in my heart the way DOOM does. So, I didn’t even need to see the first trailer for DOOM: The Dark Ages to know I was gonna be playing this with the biggest of smiles on my face. And my time with the game has done just that, though for reasons I didn’t expect.

‘doom: the dark ages’ wants you to rip and tear… in style

Whoever had the idea to put the Doom Slayer in a fur cape deserves an astronomical raise. It makes for one of the coolest aesthetics for a protagonist I’ve seen in a while. Especially with the way he makes his entrance. This is the first time I’ve ever wanted a DOOM game to give me a third-person view. That fur cape had to be flowing in the wind like Michael Penix’s durag. I’m a sucker for any game, movie, or TV show starting with a “We’re gonna have to send him in” intro for a character. The way the Doom Slayer gears up and gets sent into battle is seared into my brain.

Once you’re dropped in, the game starts in earnest. If you’ve played the 2016 DOOM and DOOM: Eternal, you’ll be mostly at home. Like the previous two games, emphasis is placed on movement and aggression. The game wants you constantly on the attack, plotting out your path through enemies. You will get shot; your health will be in jeopardy. Fortunately, id Software gives you more than enough to get busy with. Let’s start with the most obvious change: the Shield Saw.

The Shield Saw became an integral part of my arsenal. I can’t imagine playing DOOM without it now. It perfectly complements the changes in the Doom Slayer’s attack style. While I loved Eternal‘s faster and more vertical-based gameplay, some didn’t. I get that. Apparently, so did the folks at id Software. The Slayer is no longer a demon-killing version of Iron Man. He’s the Hulk. Using the shield to bash into enemies, then parrying a Hell Knight’s pounce before firing the shield off into a group of imps never gets old.

lock and load

Of course, what’s DOOM without some chunky weaponry to send bits of flesh everywhere? Playing the original games with my dad, I’ll always remember the weapons he gravitated towards the most: the Plasma Rifle and the Super Shotgun. And as such, they became two of my favorites. They’re both lovingly represented here with some slight changes, but they still feel exactly the same. And of course, there is the gun that had me the most excited: the Pulverizer. You can shoot skull chips at your enemies. Skull chips. It’s the best gun ever, and I will hear nothing else about it. In addition to some classic guns, there’s a new emphasis on melee combat.

With id Software returning to the original DOOM as inspiration for more grounded combat, there was a need to incentivize aggression all over again. And what better way to do that than with a power gauntlet that lets you punch the ammo out of demons? There’s also a medieval flail that feels incredible to use. The game still wants you to chip away at the hordes of hell via ammunition, though, so the melee attacks have a set number of uses that can be replenished via parrying with the Shield Saw.

I brought up feeling like the Hulk earlier. Often, DOOM: The Dark Ages feels like the classic Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction. The environments aren’t nearly as destructible. But when you get going with 15-20 demons around you, you feel that power and speed with every weapon blast and shield throw. It’s a hell of a time. My only real gameplay complaint is that switching weapons via the weapon wheel feels a little slower than in past games. But that may just be down to the game’s overall slower pace.

i never expected to be locked into a ‘doom’ story

id Software has turned the DOOM series into something with legitimate lore, and making the Slayer such an integral piece of it is the perfect touch. Demons fear him in the previous games, and it’s here that you learn why. And it has nothing to do with that fur cape. DOOM: The Dark Ages serves as a prequel. In this game, the Slayer is a deployable weapon, held under control when not in use. I won’t go into detail, but it’s clear that those who control him fear his power and know what he is capable of when untethered. The way the story unfolds in this regard is actually pretty good and way beyond what I would expect for a DOOM game.

The voice acting throughout is solid, and the futuristic medieval setting somehow doesn’t feel ridiculous, even when we’re talking about kings and stuff like that. I’m a huge fan of games that make a point to emphasize environmental storytelling. And DOOM: The Dark Ages continues the franchise’s strength in that aspect. Every area looks like it’s seen multiple fights already. You really do feel like the last resort option to end a war.

TITANS AND DRAGONS HAVE ENTERED THE CHAT

So, before I get out of here, I have to address two of the game’s other additions. First off, the mech combat. While I find it more awesome to see the titans in the background fighting other mechs, I did enjoy my time in those segments. They actually did feel like a natural extension of the Slayer and another avenue to tear demons to shreds. Punching the titans in the face over and over again was funnier than id Software intended, but I still liked it.

I’m a little more lukewarm on the dragon segments, though. They aren’t bad. Objectively speaking, they’re pretty good, all things considered. It just didn’t land for me. I enjoyed being on the ground far more than the air. For me, those segments felt like a way to get the verticality of DOOM: Eternal in the game without putting the Slayer through it. Again, not bad, it’s just that personally, I could take it or leave it.

Overall, DOOM: The Dark Ages is exactly what you would want in a DOOM game. It’s a great example of making players feel the physicality of a character in the gameplay. Each shot and punch feels weighty, and you understand how the Doom Slayer became the feared demon killer in the first place. I can’t wait to tell my dad he’s got another one to play.

Verdict: Highly Recommended

DOOM: The Dark Ages will be available on May 15, 2025, on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, and PC. A code was provided by the publisher for review. Reviewed on PS5.