Doom: The Dark Ages Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, & PC)

Who knew obliterating hell’s armies could be so much fun? And several decades later, at that. The DOOM franchise has been a significant part of the evolution of gaming. Specifically, the first-person shooter genre. Since 1993’s DOOM, it was apparent the franchise was destined for greatness. Not only has it helped define the FPS genre, but it has also continued to make fans feel unstoppable in the face of hundreds upon thousands of demons. Just one “demon slayer” is able to obliterate the masses, one dungeon at a time. 

Eventually, even exceptional franchises must renovate and remodel their core gameplay. Not entirely throw the whole machine into the dumpster, but change a few things or two. And in the evolution of DOOM, we’ve seen Id Software experiment with old-school run and gun, horror shooter, modernization of the first game’s old-school run and gun, and a more agile action shooter. And now, we’re yet again free-falling into an exciting twist on the DOOM formula: the “stand and fight” motto, as it were. 

But there are far more subtle changes in DOOM: The Dark Ages. The shift from the chainsaw to the standard melee-focused kills. The addition of the Shield Saw, which is two times offensive and defensive. You have the weightier, tankier, blood-stained demon slayer, deceptively slow because of the more grounded gameplay, but ultimately, still pretty agile thanks to the Shield Saw’s teleportation ability. And, of course, the more vast battlefield, ridden with far more intense and immense demons to rip and tear apart. 

Even in the decades post-DOOM’s birthdate, the franchise continues to innovate and elevate. And were it not for formalities’ sake, reviewing DOOM: The Dark Ages would simply be wrapped up in a simple “must-play.” Let’s explore this new title in our Doom: The Dark Ages Review

Born in Hell

You know the works by now. Hell’s armies have breached through the underworld and are wreaking havoc on Mars. And as per your job title, you’re the demon slayer, dependent on cleansing them all. How, you ask? Through bone-crushing, skull-shredding, and demon-splattering. It’s the one thing DOOM fans look for: the ripping and tearing through all that moves. So, Id Software’s decision to expound on the history of the conflict between humanity and hell’s armies, amid god-like beings and medieval knights, is a little perplexing. 

Needless to say, the boundless exposition through beefy cutscenes never quite hit the mark you might hope for. If anything, they feel unnecessarily prolonged at times, the itch to jump back into the battlefield raging on. But still, the stories aren’t a complete waste of time, taking you back to before 2016’s DOOM; an era you might be keen on understanding better, I suppose. 

Get the cutscenes out of the way, and you’re left with the awe and wonder of DOOM: The Dark Ages’ world. This time, Id Software leans on a more techno-medieval sci-fi setting. So, you have your mix of giant robots and human-sized abominations. Plasma-powered energy blasts cut through the air, as do flinging spiked maces through demons’ guts. Cityscapes loom above you, but also deserted caves. 

It’s a relatively enticing balance of medieval castles and Lovecraftian cosmic realms, servicing Game of Thrones-like factions and alien races called Maykrs. And it all occasionally works. Occasionally, at least sparking intrigue at opportune moments. And our protagonist, of course, remains (mostly) silent, heeding the call to fight hordes of demons in his 1000-pound gorilla and 2000-pound armor build. Nothing in the setting or the characters you encounter sucks; they just aren’t all that important in the face of the true action.

No Mercy

In line with DOOM’s M.O., you’re given a most pleasing arsenal of weapons, wide in range and powerful at best. And notably, DOOM: The Dark Ages’ weapons are far greater, a whopping 20+ different guns and killing devices. Their uses vary, too, encouraging switching them up. Like the most popular addition to DOOM: The Dark Ages, the Shield Saw.

Sure, it does block incoming damage, which proves useful given the removal of double jump and air dash from your traversal options. But its uses expand further into the game to parrying incoming attacks, stunning foes, or inflicting massive damage as a result. And do not worry; the parry timing is pretty generous, with the option to tweak its difficulty alongside other settings like slower projectiles and speed in general. 

Later, you unlock its ability to lock on to enemies to close the gap and unleash explosive damage. It’s the teleportation-like ability that transforms your bulkier self into an agile beast, zipping in and out of vast arena fields in a flash and leaving demon carcasses in your wake. But it gets better still when your Shield gains a chained edge and lets you throw it frisbee-style at faraway enemies to rip them to shreds or immobilize stronger enemies so you can mow down surrounding weaker enemies or finish them off with a supercharge.

Speaking of charge, the other notable difference in combat is the standard melee-focused skills in place of the chainsaw. Now, melee attacks have a cooldown. But once recharged, the brawls restore your ammo. 

Rip and Tear

Both the Shield Saw and melee-restoring ammo changes the way that DOOM: The Dark Ages plays. As opposed to the previous running and gunning style of play, you’re now encouraged to shoot, parry, and melee. And that can be a downer for some players who are more used to keeping their distance.

But DOOM: The Dark Ages is about staring danger in the face. Or rather, charging at enemies and not letting fear deter you from getting up-close-and-personal. You have all the tools and weapons for it. No matter how many waves of demons come at you from all sides, as long as you carefully dispatch enemies, identifying their weaknesses and upgrading, you’ll be good to go. 

One more thing: weapons now have a secondary fighting style. Take your starting shotgun, for instance. A DOOM returnee, all-powerful on its own. But its second mode, the Super Shotgun, is a force to be reckoned with. Not only does it deal a ton of damage, but it also has a massive spread. And onward, as you explore the world, you’ll pick up upgrades that unlock more valuable passive buffs.

Like previous entries, DOOM: The Dark Ages is determined to make your demon-slaying career a breeze, so long as you make the most of its weapons and tools. It lets you quickly swap between weapon variants, taking away the need to swap between individual weapons, where previously, enemies had one true weakness to a specific weapon. Subtle changes like these are what continue to make DOOM an unstoppable force in the FPS world. 

Until It’s Done

Still, it’s understandable that you might prefer the way the previous entries did things. DOOM Eternal is definitely faster on movement, vertically dense, and more chaotic. Because of aspects like constant weapon swapping, you might experience a steeper learning curve, especially for controller users. 

If you prefer running and gunning to shooting, parrying, and meleeing, you might want to stick to DOOM Eternal. Or if you like the challenge of swapping weapons to exploit the enemy’s one true weakness. Overall, DOOM: The Dark Ages’ tankier and more grounded combat might not work for you. And that’s totally okay, as DOOM Eternal remains a worthy contender for the best FPS games out there. 

In any case, DOOM: The Dark Ages feels like nonstop thrills to play. It’s an absolute blast zipping around massive arenas. And you have such powerful energy blasts and ways to upgrade that the combat never grows a touch bit boring.

Verdict

There are far more things we can highlight here about DOOM: The Dark Ages’ combat that makes it one of the best action games this year, possibly in a while. From the weapon depth, packing intensity, and punch, to enemy variety, keeping you constantly on your toes with their variety, every aspect of combat feels well thought out and executed.

And if you’re coming from DOOM’s previous entries, then you’ll notice fresh changes like the Shield Saw, which doubles down as a defensive and offensive tool. It’s also a way to dash toward faraway enemies, exploding them and nearby enemies to bits on impact. And the melee attack changes that restore your ammo, so the battle must go on. 

Lots of combat tools and mechanics sync together perfectly to create a most satisfying experience. Even when hordes of demons descend on you, there’s always an energy blast, shredded skulls, and bullet firestorm you can use to rip them to shreds. And that’s the beauty of DOOM games, that even against all odds, your character looks and plays the part of an unstoppable killing machine. 

The other aspects of DOOM: The Dark Ages’ gameplay are window dressing. Story-wise, it’s not too bad, albeit prolonged in certain cutscenes. You have ways to break the pace of the frenetic combat via the mech-based and cybernetic dragon-riding sections. While serviceable, they don’t come nearly as exhilarating as the combat, where the heartbeat of all that makes DOOM: The Dark Ages special lies.