DOOM: The Dark Ages preview - Takes risks on a winning formula

DOOM has remained at the forefront of the first-person shooter genre, constantly redefining and raising the bar, since its debut in 1993.

The iconic id Software shooter is still going strong and in 2016, despite the pedigree this series brings, I don't think many expected DOOM, a reboot of the series, to be as good as it was.

Fast-paced action, over-the-top gore, and a pumping heavy metal soundtrack gave us just the right amount of dopamine; DOOM was exhilarating from start to finish. Those aspects were cranked up even further in 2020’s DOOM Eternal.

During a recent hands-on preview of DOOM: The Dark Ages, I was left feeling very impressed after the few hours I spent with the game, but there may be a few controversial changes that could surprise fans.

Check out DOOM: The Dark Ages trailer below!

DOOM: The Dark Ages is visually gorgeous, even better than DOOM Eternal. Its lush but grimy environment, character animations, and a new focus on cinematic presentation are a sight to behold. DOOM: The Dark Ages looks to be the most cinematic entry of the series post-2016.

Storytelling is more obvious in this entry due to the cinematic cutscenes, rather than narrative details mostly being discovered in, say, a codex or through the environment. Whether you prefer the more subtle approach of 2016 and 2020 or the way storytelling is presented in The Dark Ages is subjective, and it might divide opinion.

Playing on a beast PC, this game ran at a super-smooth 60 frames-per-second and in 4K resolution. Being nearly two months away from release at the time of writing, for DOOM: The Dark Ages to be at such a high standard at this stage is impressive.

In terms of gameplay, it won’t surprise you that DOOM: The Dark Ages plays like an absolute treat. Just like previous entries in the series, it’s so easy to pick up and play. That being said, your skills and patience will be tested when you encounter certain arena-like stages, packed to the brim with relentless enemies whose sole purpose is to kill you as quickly as possible.

As fun as DOOM: The Dark Ages’ combat is though, it did feel like something was missing. I instinctively kept clicking the analogue stick and it took me a brief time to realise what that something was - the ‘Glory Kill’, a popular finisher feature included in the series since 2016.

Bethesda Softworks

Having no ‘Glory Kills’ took some getting used to and I think this exclusion may be controversial to some fans. So how is id Software attempting to fill the ‘Glory Kill’ void, I hear you ask? One such method is the new Shield Saw.

The Shield Saw is pretty much what the name suggests. It’s a heavy metal shield with a chain-saw surrounding its edge. Think the Lancer from Gears of War crossed with Captain America’s shield, and you’ll be on the right path. The Shield Saw is not only used to block enemy projectiles but also to parry attacks and fling into enemies, chopping them into pieces (depending on their size).

Don’t get me wrong, at least initially, I will miss the ‘Glory Kills’. I get why id Software may have removed the feature and I assume it’s to make DOOM: The Dark Ages feel different from the previous two games. Plus, with this being a prequel to the 2016 game, we could also think of ‘Glory Kills’ as a skill not yet learned by the Slayer.

The music of DOOM: The Dark Ages is fantastic, but I felt it wasn't quite as pumping as DOOM Eternal. In the previous two games, it felt like the soundtrack coincided with gameplay events and would drive you on as you synced with its rhythm. It might be the case that the sections I played weren't driven much by the soundtrack but hopefully, we’ll find out either way in the full game.

Bethesda Softworks

Later in the preview, I also acquired another new weapon encountered in the new Siege section (more on that mode later), a spiked mace on a chain that can be used for as long as your triple recharge will allow. More cynically, this weapon reminded me of those elastic punch balloons we’d play with as a kid, only this had deadly spikes that could impale your face.

When the mace on a chain is used, this can quite literally smash enemies to bits, which is probably why the weapon cannot be spammed. Will the new Shield Saw and mace on a chain compensate for the Glory Kills? Only time will tell.

One aspect that remains in DOOM: The Dark Ages is the high-octane action and brutal gore. Fans will know that each area encourages a different strategy to clear out enemies, whether it concerns what weapons to use, when to kill a specific enemy, a certain way to recharge ammo or health, or how to traverse the environment.

Perhaps more so than the previous games, in some moments, DOOM: The Dark Ages felt like a bullet hell shooter as I frantically dodged attacks, eliminating enemies one at a time until I achieved that brief moment of calm when every foe in the area had been eradicated.

Two other new features experienced during the preview were piloting an Atlan and a dragon. We’ve seen the ruined debris of Atlans most recently in DOOM Eternal. Giant bipedal war machines that resemble the mechs from the Pacific Rim movies are seen decayed and lying in ruin, providing a hint of environmental storytelling of the hell invasion war in DOOM’s version of Earth.

Bethesda Softworks

Taking control of an Atlan was nothing short of epic, as you crush puny demons with your feet and easily crash through the buildings and structures like counterfeit LEGO. Then you get to battle against a Titan and this is a blast; dodging an attack and punching it in the face before you unleash a brutal cinematic kill was very satisfying.

Then we have a dragon to pilot. As soon as I took the reins of this mythical beast, it was like when Daenerys Targaryen flew Drogon for the first time in Game of Thrones. But as fun as some of these moments were, they weren't quite perfect.

The section that I played mainly consisted of attacking a massive spaceship (similar to Marvel’s Helicarrier) with mounted machine guns on the dragon to lower the ship's defences. Then I boarded said ship, killed enemies, and smashed an object to make the ship crash before repeating the process.

I can see the potential in these dragon sections, especially as it also gave me vibes of Panzer Dragoon but they do need a bit of fine-tuning come release. If several sections are structured this way, I can see it getting quite repetitive and the flying felt a bit choppy during the preview. Thankfully, id Software has some time to make tweaks where needed.

Bethesda Softworks

I also got a chance to sample the new aforementioned Siege section of the campaign. This takes place in a small sandbox map and it’s absolutely littered with enemies that feel more relentless than ever.

Attacks are coming at you from all sides, which really emphasises that bullet-hell shooter vibe. The objective (other than to survive) is to close various hell gates to prevent the swarms from flooding in with the odd puzzle thrown in for good measure.

Each area has larger enemies as well as boss types. Some of these boss types will be protected by shields, and by killing some of the other large enemies, those shields will drop before you’re eventually able to go in for the final kill. The Siege sections were a lot of fun and more difficult than standard campaign events. The mode will test your patience, but that’s all a part of the fun that will no doubt grant more satisfaction when completion is achieved.

Id Software is trying some new things with DOOM: The Dark Ages rather than just copying and pasting from DOOM Eternal, so I commend it for that. How everything translates in the full game though remains to be seen. Regardless, I’m super excited to play DOOM: The Dark Ages, and hopefully, so are you.

DOOM: The Dark Ages will be released on 15 May 2025 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.