DOOM: The Dark Ages is the latest instalment in the DOOM saga, following the DOOM guy’s earlier exploits before we meet him in 2016’s DOOM. Dive into a hi-fantasy sci-fi world to shred some demons, pwn some Princes and slay some hell spawn. But are we truly in the dark ages? Or does this latest instalment in the DOOM franchise bring us closer to enlightenment?
Let There Be Light
DOOM is not exactly known for its deep iceberg-worthy lore or characters. Not that it doesn’t have any, just that it is not the main draw of the games. It is the other side of the lore coin, so to speak. While other story-driven games like Elden Ring have a plethora of 1-hour-long lore videos pulling in well over 1 million viewers. DOOM’s lore videos are fewer in number and attract 500k – 800k per video if you’re lucky. What I’m trying to say is that DOOM’s story was never meant to keep people around. However, with the Dark Ages, we see an attempt to amend this and flesh out the lore of DOOM.
With DOOM: The Dark Ages, we dive into the back story of the DOOM guy or as he’s referred to here, the Slayer, and how he came to be prior to 2016’s DOOM. Slayer is a literal weapon for the Maykrs in their fight against the legions of hell. You also come into contact with the Sentinels, previously seen in DOOM: Eternal, and learn more about their relationship with the Slayer. Finally, we are introduced to the new antagonist, Prince Ahzrak, a mysterious agent of hell, who stands a cut above his infernal peers by being smart enough not to actually take on the Slayer 1 v 1.
The story of DOOM: The Dark Ages isn’t exactly stellar, nor is it the heart of the series. However, I would like to highlight 2 exceptions. The first is that this is a fantastic jumping-on point for anyone who’s never touched DOOM before. Second, anyone who wants more answers and context for DOOM: Eternal should definitely be picking this title up. Outside of these 2 exceptions, DOOM: The Dark story feels very bland, and just okay. I do commend id Software for their attempt at injecting more story and lore into the DOOM franchise, and this is but the foundations for, hopefully, more engaging stories to come!
That is so METAL
Apart from the story, DOOM: The Dark Ages hits all the right notes when it comes to the feel. The hard-hitting metal soundtrack symphonises perfectly with the gory sound effects and hellish themes. I often found myself in awe of even the main menu, which, when idle, has music that just hits so hard and so well, you want to keep it on repeat for every gaming session forever! A resounding A+ to the composers, Finishing Move Inc., for this soundtrack. It’s borderline orgasmic to hear this soundtrack while facing down a Hell Knight or a legion of Imps. Each and every sound effect is impactful and is felt. The decapitations, the skull crushing the buzzing chainsaw shield, the electric energy weapons and the forceful shotgun shells. All of it is distilled perfectly. I don’t want to mince words here, the sound design here is pure perfection
DOOM: The Dark Ages shifts gear ever so slightly in this title by steering the franchise in a more high fantasy direction. Still set in the future, of course, but with alien and medieval atmospheres coalescing. And yes, the blood are gore are still here! Each new planet, city and realm is a feast for the eyes. The feel and spirit of DOOM is alive and well here, for any enjoyer, be they casual or veteran, you’ll be right at home.
…..and you have ….my shield?
Finally, we come to the meat and potatoes of DOOM: the gameplay. For many, this is the centre piece and the reason to play. The okay story falls by the wayside in favour of the buttery smooth, tried and true FPS gameplay. Rest assured, the gunplay you know and love remains intact. A lot of fan favourite weapons make a return, such as the super shotgun, but we also get to see a lot of new weapons.
Chief among these is the new chainsaw shield. To be honest, having the shield really threw me off the gameplay. It felt unnecessary and just a bit too tedious at times. The shield has the ability to block and deflect attacks from demons. Certain attacks can be deflected with timed blocks, which can power up abilities. The shield has runes, which are essentially abilities. But these abilities do not begin to appear until the 8th mission, further hampering your shield experience. Every round of combat felt like I was playing the same quicktime event again and again, with a mix of gunplay. It did add a layer of complexity, but after the first few times, it was nothing more than a tedious QuickTime event. Ultimately, the gameplay for me was taken down a peg thanks solely to the shield.
There are two new mission types found in the campaign, where you pilot a titan mecha, a giant Gundam suit, and where you ride your trusty mecha dragon Serrat. These missions are a welcome mix-up to the regular DOOM formula. Giant spectacular set pieces await you here with more truly jaw-dropping visuals. However, this is where the appeal ends. The titan mecha missions, the Atlan, are too short and a little bit bland. While the mecha dragon missions are very disappointing. You feel less like a dragon and more like a strafing crab when in combat. It’s too robotic to feel in any way dragon-like. But chasing down gold demon ships does feel a little more draconian. These missions are also plagued by dodging to power up attacks, making them an extension of those tedious quick-time events.
DOOM guy is here to Slay
I don’t want to mislead anyone, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a really fun game. The sound design and gameplay are great fun in and of themselves. The story is there, and a great jumping-on point for newbies and a great lore builder for die-hard fans. But this title does have a few glaring issues, such as the shield, quicktime events and overall okay delivery of what could’ve been a great story.
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