The rebooted “Doom” series has been a masterclass in reinvention. Bucking the trend of military shooters, the id Software team crafted a brilliant gameplay loop that’s the spiritual successor to the run-and-gun action the developers pioneered in 1993.
It relied on movement, herding enemies and landing satisfying combo-based combat while introducing exploratory elements. The sequel “Doom Eternal” refined that formula, emphasizing vertical gameplay that made the Doom Slayer protagonist feel like a fighter jet, according to game director Hugo Martin. The third entry for the reboot goes in a different direction. A VISION THAT WORKS
“Doom: The Dark Ages” is a prequel to the first two games and lets players discover the events leading up to the original reboot. It finds the Doom Slayer as a tool of the Maykrs as he’s deployed to help the Sentinels in their battle against the minions of hell.
Over the course of 22 levels, players will be in the heart of the Argenta Unholy Wars’ politics and drama as the villain Prince Ahzrak searches for the Heart of Argent, a power capable of making him a god. He and his hell minions attack the Sentinels, who are hiding that power and trying to keep it out of his hands.
The beauty of “The Dark Ages” is that players don’t need to know much about the past games. They can jump into this chapter and enjoy the spectacle of seeing the Doom Slayer become the ultimate demon-fighting machine.
When playing “The Dark Ages,” veterans will notice that this version of the Doom Slayer is a different beast from the past games. Developers at id Software revamped the combat to emphasize a more ground-based approach. If “Doom Eternal” made players feel like a jet pilot, “The Dark Ages” will make them think they’re controlling a zippy modern tank.
Most of the combat revolves around a shield that can deflect attacks and protect against projectiles while also dicing fodder with a Captain America-like throw. Further in the campaign, the shield is imbued with runes that give it other ways to attack. Aside from offense, the shield also has a role in exploration, with players using it almost like a grappling hook at certain nodes. They can also crash through weakened walls or destroy pulleys that hold doors shut.
It’s a simple tool that’s controlled with two buttons, but id Software does a remarkable job of giving it versatility, so that it can do much more, especially when combined with weapons.
The Doom Slayer battles several types of monsters in “Doom: The Dark Ages,” including some enormous bosses. (Bethesda Softworks)WEAPON VERSATILITY “The Dark Ages” has an arsenal with enough versatility that players won’t be leaning on two weapons. The fan favorite Super Shotgun can handle a wide range of encounters, but the Doom Slayer will encounter enemies that move too quickly for it or have attacks that take advantage of its limited range. That’s when players will have to rely on other weapons and their properties, which emerge when they’re powered up at the Sentinel Shrine.
The team at id smartly crafted weapons to encourage players to switch them up, depending on the circumstances. If players need to stun enemies, the Cycler can shock swarming adversaries, giving players the opportunity to thin the herd. The Rocket Launcher has the ability to regain health when players parry an attack and enter the splash damage zone. Combine this with the melee weapon and shield rune upgrades, and players have several strategies to survive the demon horde onslaught.
The weapons and shield forge a fascinating offshoot from the combat of the first two games. It’s ground-based but manages to feel fast while satisfying players’ desire to combo attacks, showing off the Doom Slayer’s maneuverability. The gameplay echoes the original “Doom” titles that reward players who can circle strafe around attacks and dodge the shower of projectiles that flash across the screen.
In “The Dark Ages,” series veterans do the same thing, albeit with a bigger arsenal and solid defensive moves that make dodging unnecessary.
In fact, the campaign has moments where it feels as though the Doom Slayer is slugging it out with Cyber Demons, trading blows while blocking the enemy’s melee attacks. At times, combat is essentially a heavyweight prize fight in mid-fisticuffs.
Players will fly around and fight inside a Sentinel Command Station in “Doom: The Dark Ages.” (Bethesda Softworks)A FLOW STATE The developers mix up the main gameplay with levels, in which players control an enormous mech called an Atlan and pilot a dragon named Serrat. The giant robot action gives players a sense of scale in these battles where they fight enormous demons mainly with melee attacks. The simple fighting mechanics work as the behemoths don’t have much in terms of subtlety of movement.
Meanwhile, the dragon levels are less successful but still exhilarating. Flying Serrat is more complicated than controlling the mech and requires a different set of skills. Players have to locate aircraft and shoot them down while also locking in on other adversaries, while dodging attacks, in order to blast them away.
The developers do a notable job of mixing these elements of play through the campaign. For example, players fly their dragon and take down a massive enemy hell-icarrier (for lack of a better word) and they can land Serrat atop the vehicle, enter it and wipe out the enemies inside.
All of this flows remarkably well, and that’s the driving force behind the gameplay. Amid the whirlwind of extreme violence, “The Dark Ages” builds a momentum in its level design and pushes players along. And though it has secrets and rewards exploration, the team lays out these secrets in way that keeps propelling the Doom Slayer forward.
In other words, it’s a game that keeps the energy going forward and doesn’t stop until its epic conclusion.
‘Doom: The Dark Ages’
4 stars out of 4
Platform: PC, Xbox Series X and Series S
Rating: Mature
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