DOOM: The Dark Ages Review – Rip and Tear

There are certain things that you expect to see as pillars in a mainline DOOM game- aggression, brutality, unrelenting action, all of it in order to serve the ultimate power fantasy of being a fabled, unstoppable demon slaying machine. The DOOM franchise has taken different forms over the years, from its genre-defining retro era to its current, modern rendition, but rarely has it ever strayed from those core pillars. With The Dark Ages, id Software has once again tried to deliver a different flavour of DOOM, and though the developer has convincingly succeeded in doing so, at the same time, it has also retained the essence of DOOM. The end result is a spectacular, visceral first-person shooter that stands as yet another spectacular notch on the belt for the venerated franchise.

As its name suggests, DOOM: The Dark Ages is set in an earlier era of the franchise’s timeline. Serving as a prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, The Dark Ages tells the story of the Doom Slayer’s and his involvement in the realm’s war against the forces of Hell, and him fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with the elite soldiers known as the Night Sentinels. Never has DOOM been a franchise that was too focused on story and storytelling, but after making the lore and background narrative a more prominent part of the experience with the modern entries, with The Dark Ages, DOOM puts a much greater emphasis on storytelling.

"DOOM: The Dark Ages is a spectacular, visceral first-person shooter that stands as yet another spectacular notch on the belt for the venerated franchise."

Don’t get me wrong, this is still very much a DOOM game, obviously, which means combat and gameplay are still the highlights (and the whole point) of the experience. That said, true to id Software’s promises, The Dark Ages adds on to that core with a new approach to storytelling that takes the narrative out of the codex and puts it onto the screen. That means plenty of cutscenes, some of which can be fairly lengthy, and plenty of dialogue between various characters, plenty of exposition and reveals, and plenty of opportunities for the game to flex its cinematographic muscles.

Ultimately, how much you like DOOM: The Dark Ages’ story will depend on how deeply invested you are in the series’ lore and overarching story. If you’ve never cared for that stuff or are jumping into DOOM for the first time, The Dark Ages’ narrative is probably not going to do much for you, but if the series has managed to legitimately grab your interest with the bits and pieces of story content that it has doled out in recent years, The Dark Ages’ more conventional and direct approach is likely going to feel like a great change of pace, especially because of how well the game fleshes out existing lore, and how effectively it continues to build on the Doom Slayer’s growing legend.

But again, even though the story takes more of the spotlight on-stage than it ever has in any previous DOOM game, this is still a DOOM game, which means combat is still king. The moment-to-moment flow, however, feels significantly different. After the relentless, fast-moving nature of DOOM Eternal, The Dark Ages feels much more methodical and deliberate, with the “jump and shoot” philosophy of the former being replaced by the latter’s demands that you stand and fight. That means a completely new toolset, and a completely new way of encouraging gruesome aggression.

"After the relentless, fast-moving nature of DOOM Eternal, The Dark Ages feels much more methodical and deliberate, with the “jump and shoot” philosophy of the former being replaced by the latter’s demands that you stand and fight."

Key to that new loop is the Shield Saw, one of the Doom Slayer’s most important new tools. One of its main purposes is of course to serve as a defensive option with which you can block and parry attacks (which is a crucial mechanic in its own right), but in classic DOOM fashion, the Shield Saw is also an excellent offensive tool. From throwing it at enemies to hit them with its chainsaw edges to using the Shield Bash to close the distance to far-off enemies with a devastating long-range melee attack, the Shield Saw offers several offensive options that are not only highly recommended, but more often than not, downright necessary to use.

On top of the Shield Saw, DOOM: The Dark Ages also touts additional melee options, from an electric gauntlet to an iron flail, which also adds another layer to the combat. At its core, the DOOM loop loves to throw a cavalcade of tools at players that you’re then required to properly juggle and fully utilize in heated, intense combat scenarios, and by making varied melee attacks part of that toolset, The Dark Ages goes about doing the DOOM thing in a new and different way. It also fits perfectly with the more medieval sci-fi tone and aesthetic of the game, giving everything a more primal and grittier feel.

But this is still DOOM, of course, which means the guns are still the stars of the show. DOOM: The Dark Ages touts an incredible roster of weaponry, from the classic and powerful combat shotgun to the ridiculously over-the-top Skullcrusher (which does exactly what its name suggests) and more, each not only touting incredible visual (and often conceptual) design, but also feeling stellar to use thanks to top-notch audio design and weighty, impactful feedback for each shot you fire and each hit you deal.

"DOOM: The Dark Ages touts an incredible roster of weaponry, from the classic and powerful combat shotgun to the ridiculously over-the-top Skullcrusher and more, each not only touting incredible visual design, but also feeling stellar to use thanks to top-notch audio design and weighty, impactful feedback for each shot you fire and each hit you deal."

Like its predecessors, DOOM: The Dark Ages also smartly keeps pushing players into fully utilizing the full roster rather than just sticking to one or two favourites. The cast of demons that you take on has a big hand to play in that. In classic DOOM fashion, different enemies come with different attributes and vulnerabilities, from being weaker to specific tools or weapons to demanding mastery over different skills to be able to perform at your best, like parrying with the shield or blocking and dodging projectiles. In fights where you are faced with large demon hordes with different kinds of enemies coming at you at once, jumping back and forth between your weapons and making full use of your arsenal and toolset can feel incredibly empowering- if you do it well.

Outside of regular combat scenarios, which are obviously the meat and potatoes of the experience, The Dark Ages also impresses with its set piece moments, including levels where you pilot a massive Atlan mech that really take your breath away with the scale, spectacular boss fights against incredibly designed foes, and more. In classic DOOM fashion, The Dark Ages is all about finding new ways to keep upping the ante, and it rarely fails to stick the landing on that front.

In exploration and progression, The Dark Ages blows open the doors, replacing past entries’ largely linear design with larger, more expansive areas that hold plenty of opportunities for exploration and optional content. Running around some of the game’s larger levels to find secrets and pick up hidden collectibles and resources is usually a ton of fun, though I will say that that is more because of the moment-to-moment combat being as fun as it is and less about the design or the activities on offer themselves.

"In classic DOOM fashion, The Dark Ages is all about finding new ways to keep upping the ante, and it rarely fails to stick the landing on that front."

That’s not to say The Dark Ages’ levels aren’t well designed, or that they don’t have interesting content to offer up, because they usually are, and they usually do, but in a lesser game with combat that wasn’t as mind-blowingly amazing as it is here, perhaps the exploration wouldn’t have been as engaging. The progression, by extension, also ends up feeling a little bit straightforward. Credit where credit is due, because a lot of the upgrades doe feel really valuable, which serves as added motivation to go off the beaten path and find gold to upgrade your skills with, but I do wish the progression mechanics were a bit more layered.

Ultimately, this is a spectacular game. DOOM: The Dark Ages try new things within the confines of the larger DOOM formula, essentially having its cake and eating it too by delivering an experience that feels very different from the breakneck DOOM Eternal while still retaining the essence of what makes DOOM what it is. It looks absolutely spectacular, runs like a dream, and on the gameplay front, delivers that brand of adrenaline-fueled high-octane hard metal combat that only DOOM can deliver at this level of quality. id Software has done it again, because The Dark Ages is lightning in a bottle.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.