Doom: The Dark Ages review for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X

Doom 2016 is one of those games that I’ll always hold in high regard. After a pretty lengthy break between that and Doom 3, and a somewhat disappointing attempt at a new IP with Rage, I wasn’t sure that developer id Software would be able to recapture what made the original Doom and Doom 2 such an iconic, timeless shooter. Doom 2016 put those fears to rest, and ushered in a new era for id Software as one of the premiere first-person shooter developers out there, a position that was further cemented by the excellent follow-up Doom Eternal.

So, needless to say, my expectations for Doom: The Dark Ages were pretty high. Thankfully, I can say that those expectations were certainly met, marking another awesome entry in the modern Doom era. The medieval setting changes up the look of Doom’s atmosphere, but the gameplay is certainly in line with Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal, and fans of either of those games will feel right at home here.

Story-wise, the set up involves a human-ran kingdom under siege by demonic forces, partnering up with the angelic (?) Kreed Maykr who currently has control of the Doom Slayer, deploying him when needed to fight back the demon onslaught. The story definitely evolves from there, but that’s about all you really need to know in order to get up and running in Doom: The Dark Ages. The true joy comes from powering through stage after stage, taking down endless hordes of terrifying monsters in a variety of ways, with no shortage of weapons and skills at your disposal.

Controlling the Doom Slayer feels as great here as it has in the prior two games. He moves at an impressive clip, even if he might be a tad slower and bulkier out of the gate compared to Doom Eternal. That feels intentional, it’s clear he’s meant to be a bit of a tank in this game, but that doesn’t mean he’s entirely lacking in speed, and the ability to quickly shield charge into groups of enemies will help you clear huge distances quickly. Also, like prior Doom games, you can up the overall game speed via the settings if you want to speed things along.

Weapon variety in Doom: The Dark Ages is also fantastic and feels unique compared to the prior two games, matching The Dark Ages setting quite well. The Doom Slayer is always equipped with his saw-blade shield, which you can use to block enemy projectiles, parry certain attacks, or toss Captain America style at far-away foes. When tossed, the shield will cut down basic enemies, or embed itself for a short while in larger demons, keeping them stunned for a period of time while you blast away at them with your other weapons. Fan-favorites like the Shotgun and Super Shotgun return here, but other weapons feel much more inventive. There’s a weapon that literally grinds up skulls and spits out bone fragments in a wide-range spray of automatic fire, and another that shoots out a huge ball and chain for devastating damage. Doom: The Dark Ages constantly introduces new weapons throughout the 22 chapters of the campaign, and those weapons can be further upgraded as you progress.

While Doom: The Dark Ages feels like it’s dialed back a bit on the platforming sequences found in Doom Eternal, it still has a hefty amount of exploration and secrets tucked into every stage. Most stages are lengthy and open, allowing you to explore around objective markers, and giving you clear notification when progressing through a level will cause the stage to either end or transition in a way that makes previous areas inaccessible, which I thought was a neat idea. The map in Doom: The Dark Ages is super-easy to read, which may take some challenge out of locating certain secrets, but there’s generally a bit of light puzzle solving involved as well, so even if you know where a secret is, figuring out how to get to it will take some ingenuity and additional exploration.

Two new level concepts show up in Doom: The Dark Ages in an effort to break up the standard run-and-gun stages. One involves piloting a giant mech around, slamming your way through miniscule enemies, buildings and other structures, while going hand-to-hand against huge demons blocking your path to the objective. Thankfully there aren’t many of these mech focused sequences present, as I found them to be one of the weakest gameplay moments in the game. I can appreciate the spectacle of it all, but the simple punch, punch, dodge, and punch some more rotation to these moments just felt bland to me.

The second new gameplay element, wherein the Doom Slayer takes flight on a dragon, was definitely more enjoyable. It also doesn’t feel fully fleshed out, I liked the idea of being able to fly around a large map and land at different points in order to clear out demons or activate gates and other objectives. However, combat while on the dragon was a little bland, focusing on dodging enemy fire in order to super-charge your weapon, which in turn would allow you to knock down the shielding on enemy ships and weapons to blow them up. These combat sequences have you locking on to the enemy and staying pretty much in one place, and I think I’d have preferred it if these moments felt more like aerial dogfights. There are a few moments where you can give chase to an enemy ship, but it doesn’t fight back and exists almost entirely as an optional objective to grant you gold for character and weapon upgrades.

That said, these sequences are few and far between, while most of Doom: The Dark Ages is focused on blasting the hell out of demons in classic Doom style. It’s an absolute blast to play through, with impressive visuals, an appropriately metal soundtrack, and some really wild set-pieces that deserve to be seen. Absolutely pick this one up when you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.

Note: Bethesda Softworks provided us with a Doom: The Dark Ages PC code for review purposes.