Like the reassuring comfort of a favourite pair of socks, DOOM is back. And just like those fluffy, well-worn ankle warmers, it’s positively putrid this time around, as we dive full-on into the festering medieval carnage of DOOM: The Dark Ages.
Unlike DOOM: Eternal, which was so frenetic in its three-dimensional gameplay it could induce migraines, The Dark Ages—a prequel to the last two games—feels thoroughly grounded. The fight is quite literally brought back down to earth. Our medieval Slayer is less gravity-defying acrobat and more roided-up siege tank. For better or worse? Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s different—very different—and it takes some getting used to.
Enemy Count: Off the Charts, and Lovingly So
One major improvement? The sheer number of enemies iD Software has managed to cram onto the screen. DOOM 2016 and Eternal were no slouches when it came to hordes of demons, but The Dark Ages takes it to another level—an outright demonic conga line. It’s genuinely exhilarating. With verticality dialled way down and arenas more grounded, you’re forced to confront the chaos head-on. No more bunny-hopping your way out of danger. But the best part? Despite all this madness, the game runs buttery smooth. Once again, iD proves they’re operating in another dimension when it comes to technical optimisation.
To help survive this onslaught, our Slayer now wields a versatile shield—both a defensive bulwark and a serrated boomerang of death. It blocks projectiles, reflects certain attacks, and can cleave through weaker enemies or lodge itself menacingly in the skull of something larger. It’s part Captain America, part angry lawnmower. Sure, the fan-favourite chainsaw is absent, but the shield more than makes up for it in utility and flair.
Resource management—health, ammo, armour—has also been updated. The chainsaw’s mechanical “get-out-of-jail-free” function is now split across your melee tools. The Slayer’s right hand features a rotating set of medieval melee implements, from spiked gauntlets to flails and, eventually, the satisfyingly brutal ‘Dreadmace’. Each one serves as a means of triggering resource drops and offers its own crunchy brand of ultraviolence. It’s all very Berserk-by-way-of-DOOM.
Bigger Isn’t Always Better
One of The Dark Ages’ most touted changes is its epic level size. And yes, the maps are sprawling, labyrinthine, and stuffed with secrets, shrines, and pickups. But all this scale sometimes works against the game’s pacing. After a blistering battle against a hundred angry demons, you’re left to wander lonely halls and windswept plains in search of upgrade tokens and random collectibles. The tension evaporates. You know the next big fight is waiting over that hill—those demons aren’t ambushing you; they’re standing around like they’re on a coffee break, waiting for you to trip the aggro wire.
To be fair, exploration has always been a DOOM staple. But in The Dark Ages, the disconnect between fight and flight feels amplified by the sheer emptiness of some areas. Confined spaces breed tension. Vast openness? Not so much. The “what’s around the corner?” dread is replaced by “can I fast-travel yet?”
The usual rogues’ gallery is back—Imps, Hell Knights, Mancubus, and the like—with a few new twists. Several enemies now come with their own shields, requiring specific counters from your arsenal. Others throw projectiles that may or may not be reflectable, forcing you to think fast and respond smartly. It adds a welcome layer of strategy to the slaughter.
Weapons have been streamlined, too. Each gun now features a primary and secondary mode, which you can switch between fluidly. Each has its own flavour—status effects, elemental damage, stagger potential. The Pulveriser, which crushes skulls and sends bone shards flying in a glorious arc, quickly became my go-to. But let’s be honest: nothing ever truly dethrones the Super Shotgun.
Mechs, Dragons, and Gimmick Fatigue
Worried that clomping around as a medieval murder-tank might get old? Fear not! The game throws in a few massive set-pieces where you either pilot a colossal mech or ride a fire-breathing dragon. Sounds cool, right? It is—for the first five minutes. Unfortunately, these sections are so on-rails that they end up feeling more like fancy loading screens than meaningful gameplay moments. Visually stunning, sure, but mechanically shallow. All sizzle, no steak.
One major shift in The Dark Ages is its increased focus on story. Each mission begins and ends with cutscenes attempting to weave a grand medieval epic. There’s lore! There are characters! There are… lines of dialogue! Unfortunately, it all falls a bit flat. It’s not bad, just unnecessary. These games have never needed narrative scaffolding to succeed—kill demons, look cool, don’t die. That’s the plot. Still, the cutscenes are skippable, and they don’t get in the way too much.
Conclusion: A Gorgeous, Gory Step Sideways
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a modern marvel from a technical perspective. Whether you’re playing on console or PC, it runs like an absolute dream. Ultra-stable frame rates, razor-sharp resolution, and jaw-dropping lighting—thanks in part to a stellar RTGI implementation—make it one of the most visually polished games in recent memory.
But while the tech dazzles, the gameplay is more of a mixed bag. iD Software deserves credit for trying something different. And once you settle into the slower, more grounded rhythm of this medieval Slayer, it’s a blood-soaked blast. But that shift in pacing—from white-knuckle combat to long stretches of quiet wandering—robs the game of the edge-of-your-seat intensity that defined its predecessors.
The audio design follows suit: the soundtrack is punchy, with plenty of crunchy guitar riffs, but none of it sticks in the mind like Mick Gordon’s iconic scores. Sound effects are crisp and layered, but weirdly buried in the mix. That satisfying oomph of a Super Shotgun blast doesn’t quite land with the same gut-punch.
Still, there’s no denying the spectacle. This is a game that swings big. It’s violent, stylish, absurdly polished, and willing to experiment. But it also serves as a reminder that sometimes, less space and more claustrophobic terror is exactly what DOOM needs.
The Slayer has never looked better. Sadly, some of the gameplay has taken a slight step backward along with the timeline.
