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There are times when I sometimes feel like DOOM: The Dark Ages might be one of the more accessible and inviting installments, yet at the same time could be too focused on prior releases' reveals and details. The gameplay is tight and encourages diverse strategies that use every item in your arsenal and the Chapters’ locations are expansive and littered with secrets, which might make it inviting enough even if you don’t know the whole backstory ahead of experiencing the newest game. While I do think I had a bit of a better time with DOOM Eternal, this is still a delight.

I missed the 2016 DOOM installment and, while DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel, it heavily relies upon knowledge of DOOM and DOOM Eternal. After all, it begins on Argent D’Nur with the Night Sentinels requesting Bishop Kreed Maykr dispatch the Doom Slayer to Khalim to face the forces of Hells attacking. Hell’s Prince Ahzrak. However, it’s clear the Doom Slayer is under Maykr control, with a rather notable piece of technology on his chest pointing to a degree of control, and we learn about this new threat, the fate of an organization, and the familiar figure’s beginnings along the way. A very brief four sentences set the stage before we’re plunged into protecting Khalim, and I felt id Software often assumed I’d be familiar with characters and situations. 

To start, the execution and implementation of DOOM: The Dark Ages is downright perfect. It welcomes players from both ends of the spectrum. There are six difficulty levels, as well as some settings in options that can be adjust. So Aspiring Slayer feels like a somewhat easy experience that lets someone newer to the series or perhaps with less experience with the genre still cut through enemies, learn the mechanics, and feel powerful thanks to damage modifiers, parry windows, less aggressive enemies, and things like aim assist. Meanwhile, Ultra-Nightmare difficulty is available from the very outset and essentially punishes you for any lapse in awareness or mistake. Enemies are savage, know exactly where you are, and hunt you down, you don’t get any saves, you need to find Life Sigils to recover, the parry window is shorter, and if you die the campaign is completely over. You can also swap to different ones at any time as you play, in case you need more (or less) of a challenge. Couple this with tutorials that are well implemented as new weapons and mechanics are introduced and Chapters set up so enemies susceptible to them appear for you to gain experience.

While 2016’s DOOM and DOOM Eternal seemed a little faster pace, I found I benefitted more by leaning into the Doom Slayer’s more thoughtful and methodical movements in DOOM: The Dark Ages. This isn’t to say that you can’t move fast. I adored a strike carried out with the shield that lets you lock onto an enemy and essentially dash and smash into them to deal massive damage and perhaps even collateral damage to entities around it. Once you’ve set up an enemy for a finishing blow, you can tap a button to zip in and smash. Also, depending on the difficulty and your abilities, you could probably rush in if you want! But there ended up being so many moments when taking my time, analyzing the situation, and responding before immediately reacting and rushing in worked toward my benefit. Letting enemies come to me meant I could use melee hits, including the finisher that would force it to drop all types of necessary ammo. Parrying some ranged blasts could send them back, dealing more damage in a single counter than I could by wasting a few bullets or direct hits. 

Another thing id Software nailed with DOOM: The Dark Ages involved making each type of weapon feel different and important. It is to your benefit to not rely on one type of attack, since swapping between them often is the best approach for not only dealing with hordes, but even with certain heavier types of foes. In some cases, you’ll need to use a standard gun, such as a Shotgun or Shredder, to superheat a shield and use a Shield Saw to destroy the enemy. Or when there’s a larger foe that can take more hits surrounded by Zombies and Soldiers, using a Shield Saw to stun them, swapping to the Accelerator for a faster rate of fire, then jumping in with a melee Power Gauntlet strike to ensure it drops ammo you need. And since bringing up the weapon wheel to swap guns is also easy, it could be just as handy to use an Accelerator to get rid of enemies with Energy Shields, then swap to something like Pulverizer to take out larger groups. The recoil feels good on the PS5, the is fine, and the speakers in the controller chime in with sounds taken from the assault. And the execution means every attack feels different, so there’s a faster pace with the Flail than the Power Gauntlet, and you could feel the weight of the Mace. The only complaint I have is that, unless I did feel like I needed ammo, I sometimes was so satisfied with the guns and Shield Saw that I didn't resort to melee. Melee does work well and can be another effective option in the arsenal, but the shooting is so punchy and shield so useful that it sometimes can't compare.

In addition to those typical means of assaulting foes, DOOM: The Dark Ages includes the ability to fight off foes in an Atlan mech or ride a Mecha Dragon. While I liked the concept behind both, especially the dragon, I feared they’d be a bit of a gimmick ahead of launch that wouldn’t mesh with what we expect from a DOOM game. Now that I’ve played, I still think the concept behind the Mecha Dragon is incredibly cool and I get why they would feel important for a sense of progress and scale, but these segments didn’t really click with me. It is fine and doesn’t ruin the experience since they aren’t a major focus in stages, but I recommend tempering your expectations for them and not expecting too much. I feel like the more diverse gameplay in Chapters spoiled me a bit. I got so used to setting the pace and choosing between varied types of assaults. So while these are totally serviceable, especially since they are rather infrequent, I didn’t find them as much fun.

What I will say is I appreciated the spectacle of them, as well as the settings for all the chapters. I love the mash-up between medieval armor, weaponry, and elements alongside the advanced relics, technology, and guns. They go together so well, I found myself sometimes finding the many types of collectibles scattered throughout Chapters because I’d occasionally take in my surroundings and explore set pieces once I’d eliminated demons. It’s especially impressive when in outdoor settings and seeing titanic demons facing off against one another. They’re massive, and again I’d stop and watch their reign of terror or fights against equally gargantuan foes or dragons. Also, as you’d expect, the soundtrack is great and filled with metal that amps up at appropriate moments. 

Another perk to it is the layout and size of each Chapter makes replaying an attractive prospect. There are multiple types of collectibles, such as Codex Entries or Skins, that can be hidden away. Spaces can have multiple layers to them, inviting you to drop down into spots or explore to see if you can reach certain spots. A map can be checked, in case you’re looking for assistance or trying to suss out a secret. I also found the level design meant there would be a natural flow even if I did venture off the beaten path, which I appreciated. It’s very well thought out.

DOOM: The Dark Ages feels packed with situations that test a player and challenge them to use every element in their arsenal. Not to mention, it’s also quite accessible and filled with collectibles that make it worth replaying Chapters in its story. However, I do feel like it is geared toward people who played DOOM and DOOM Eternal, with a narrative that sometimes necessitates prior knowledge of the storyline since 2016. Also, the mecha dragon and Atlan mech sections don’t leave the sort of grand impression one might expect.

DOOM: The Dark Ages will come to the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on May 15, 2025. 

The post Review: DOOM: The Dark Ages Builds on DOOM and DOOM Eternal appeared first on Siliconera.

Bethesda and id Software gave us the opportunity to have a hands-off preview of DOOM: The Dark Ages ahead of its release date later this year. It, like the Xbox Developer Direct 2025 segment, fully broke down what is likely to be the most unique entry in the series yet. Id Software described DOOM: The Dark Ages as a “summer blockbuster” for 2025, and I can see where the team is coming from after watching the showcase.

The goal of the hands-off video preview seemed to be to provide an overview of DOOM: The Dark Ages ahead of its newly announced release date. Set to come out on May 15, 2025, the third entry in the reboot trilogy is a prequel that follows the Doom Slayer protagonist as he battles it out in a medieval origin story. I feel this fascinating premise is leading to easily the most unique entry in the entire DOOM franchise to date. The world is a fascinating one, seeing the mixes of the realms of heaven and hell as always alongside ancient castles and dragons. There seems to be a huge fantastical element to the FPS experience that may prove to be the most alluring part of this prequel.

This is even seen in the gear the player uses, based on what's been shown. Alongside the usual selection of wild and ridiculous guns, there are now melee weapons. There are three distinct melee weapons players will be able to use alongside the signature Shield Saw. This particular shield is always in the protagonist’s left hand. At any point, you can throw it at enemies to slice them up a la God of War’s Kratos.

At the same time, though, it seems the Shield Saw is your main line of defense. You can block, parry, and duke it out in close range. This adds an intriguing level of depth to the FPS. Sure, you can fire away from afar, but melee is even more viable than ever. That said, I have some concerns over the way the protagonist will feel.

The developers noted Doom Slayer will be more of a walking tank in this prequel. That is a far cry from the run-and-gun and acrobatic nature of past titles. Sure, he will be more powerful than ever before. But I could see myself missing some of the flashier and faster movement from before.

Thankfully, footage suggests there will be some other radical additions this time around. This includes a new massive mech vehicle. Players will be able to pilot this Gundam-like mech to take on gigantic demons and monsters. In addition to that, there is the teased dragon players can ride. There were glimpses of both of these in the preview. Honestly, they seem like the most thrilling part of the game.

That said, I am excited by the more open spaces. We only got a short slice of one of the missions at a medieval castle. However, it appears to be the largest open mission space in the franchise’s history. There are plenty of secrets and goodies to find in the area. Players have optional objectives they can explore on the way to the main mission target.

If there are a lot of missions like this in the game, it should be more appealing to a wider audience. What will also help with this is the story. Finally, we are getting full-on story cutscenes and characters. This heavy story approach could turn off some players, but I like the idea. This helps to lend to the “summer blockbuster” path this game is taking.

Overall, DOOM: The Dark Ages is the best chance of me giving this series another shot after DOOM 3 and DOOM 2016. I wish we saw more during the hands-off preview of the castle mission. That said, the story cutscenes, mech vehicle, and dragon all have me wanting to see more. I just hope the slower, more powerful take on the demon-slaying hero works out in the end.

DOOM: The Dark Ages will release for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on May 15, 2025.

The post Preview: DOOM: The Dark Ages Aims to Be a Summer Blockbuster appeared first on Siliconera.

DOOM: The Dark Ages was revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase for summer 2024. The latest game in the Doom franchise will be released in 2025.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is set in a medieval world. The trailer features more of the gameplay featured in the most recent DOOM games, with Doomguy now wielding a shield along with his usual arsenal. Also he is shown riding a dragon. It's likely the setting is a reference to Doomguy's backstory as detailed in DOOM Eternal. This is ed by the trailer opening on the words "before he became a hero".

The game is the newest game in the Doom franchise since 2020's Doom Eternal. It will be the first DOOM game released under Microsoft since the company purchased Bethesda in the same year.

DOOM: The Dark Ages will release sometime in 2025. It's coming to Xbox Series X/S, PC and PS5.

The post DOOM: The Dark Ages Announced for 2025 Release appeared first on Siliconera.