Doom: The Dark Ages Unveiled: First Look

After id Software's brilliant revival of Doom in 2016 and its even more refined 2020 sequel, Doom Eternal, it's clear that the franchise has reached new heights. However, with Doom: The Dark Ages, the series isn't aiming to soar higher but rather to ground itself firmly in a medieval-themed prequel that brings the high-speed, high-skill-ceiling first-person shooter experience closer to the hordes of Hell's minions.

The new Doom shifts away from Eternal's platforming, focusing instead on strafe-heavy gameplay with a strong emphasis on power. Of course, the iconic guns remain a staple of the series, including the standout Skull Crusher from the reveal trailer, which uses the skulls of fallen enemies as ammunition, firing them back at living foes in smaller, faster chunks. Yet, The Dark Ages also places significant importance on melee combat, featuring three key weapons: the default electrified gauntlet, which can be charged up; the flail; and the star of last summer's reveal trailer, the Shield Saw, which can be thrown or used to block, parry, or deflect. As game director Hugo Martin emphasized after my demo, "You're gonna stand and fight."

It's no surprise, then, that Martin cites three seminal pieces of pop culture as primary inspirations for The Dark Ages: the legendary original Doom, Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns graphic novel, and Zack Snyder's 2006 film 300, which is based on a graphic novel by Miller. This influence is evident in the revamped Glory Kill system, which has been unsynced, allowing fatalities to be performed from any angle on the battlefield and adapting to the situation. This change accommodates the constant presence of enemy hordes, reminiscent of 300 and the original Doom, with combat arenas significantly widened. Players can tackle objectives in any order and explore levels freely, which Martin notes have been slightly shortened to maintain an optimal length of about an hour per level.

Addressing a criticism from my review of Doom Eternal, The Dark Ages will no longer require players to delve into the Codex for the story. Instead, the narrative will unfold through cutscenes, promising to take players to the far reaches of the Doom universe in what id describes as "a summer blockbuster event with everything on the line," as the Slayer's power becomes a coveted prize among enemies.

Martin also highlighted the team's focus on simplifying the control scheme, acknowledging that Doom Eternal's controls were overly complex. The goal is to create an intuitive experience, ensuring players aren't fumbling for unfamiliar buttons under pressure. Melee options will be equipped one at a time, like equipment. Additionally, the game will feature more secrets and treasures, with a simplified economy using only gold. These secrets will enhance skill progression, offering tangible, gameplay-altering rewards rather than lore deep-dives.

For those seeking a challenge, custom difficulty sliders allow players to adjust various aspects of the game, such as speed and enemy aggression, directly from the UI.

I also gained insight into two standout sequences from the reveal trailer: the giant 30-story demon mech, the Atlan, and the cybernetic dragonback riding. These won't be one-off events but will come with their own set of abilities and minibosses to battle. Importantly, there won't be a multiplayer mode in The Dark Ages, as the team is focusing all resources on crafting the best single-player campaign possible.

For someone like me, who experienced the transformative impact of the original Doom in 1993, Martin's decision to pivot away from Eternal's direction and return to the design principles of the 30-year-old classic is incredibly exciting. As Martin put it, "It's just gotta be different [from Eternal]. Especially if I loved the game. [If] I wanna play a Doom game, I wanna feel strong, but I'm OK with changing what that power fantasy is, especially if that change brings it closer to classic Doom." This statement has me more hyped than ever, eagerly awaiting the release on May 15.