Doom: The Dark Ages review – Argent of shield

Three decades in, the one constant in the run-and-gun Doom franchise has been its willingness to reinvent itself, going from survival-horror action in 2004 to a complete rebirth in 2016. Doom Eternal proved to be a divisive entry when it was first released in 2020, straying from the gloriously gory path set by its predecessor, but new release Doom: The Dark Ages manages to find the perfect balance between over-the-top action, challenge, and ultra-violence as a one-man army. By the time you’re done ripping and tearing through the hordes of Hell, The Dark Ages will leave you with a grin on your face.

That’s largely thanks to developer Id Software dialling back on the more contentious gameplay ideas introduced in Doom Eternal. While that title was still a blast of fun, the hyper-kinetic gameplay, acrobatics, and constant resource-juggling did make it a mental chore at times, especially during tougher levels. In contrast, The Dark Ages makes you feel like an M1 Abrams tank, while a mantra of “stand and fight” is reinforced by the introduction of a new shield mechanic and first-person melee combat.

Doom: The Dark Ages. | Image credit: id Software/Bethesda Softwork

Playing like a combination of Captain America and God of War, the Doom Slayer’s new shield has been designed to complement his brutal gunplay. Id Software has added several bullet-hell ideas to the gameplay, and with the shield, players can block red projectiles being hurled at them or parry green projectiles right back into the face of a surprised demon. The shield can also be used to very quickly close the gap, and combined with the new melee combat tools at your disposal, even Hell’s mightiest monsters are turned into a pile of gibs once they’ve been dealt a combo of shotgun and flail attacks.

It’s an empowering feeling to dash across a battlefield, as while the Doom Slayer definitely feels like a heavily armored tank, those bursts of speed make all the difference in the world. Gone are the double-jumps and out-of-place agility from Doom Eternal, replaced instead with gameplay that emphasizes the beast-like nature of the Doom Slayer. The shield isn’t just a weapon either, as when you’re not treating it like a saw-toothed frisbee, you’re using it to solve environmental puzzles as well.

Doom: The Dark Ages. | Image credit: id Software/Bethesda Softwork

The Doom Slayer’s new equipment also reinforces the medieval themes of The Dark Ages, as everything in it looks like it was designed for a world in which the Metalocalypse came to pass. Your surroundings look like they were pulled from Ronnie James Dio and Motorhead album covers, as the world of Argent D’Nur is a sci-fi landscape rooted in ye olde swords and techno-sorcery fantasy. Every gun has an exquisite handcrafted design, and there’s even a sojourn into a realm of old gods and tentacle-faced abominations straight out of HP Lovecraft.

Id Software also breaks up the action with a handful of levels where you get to pilot a skyscraper-sized robot straight out of Pacific Rim, or ride a cyborg-dragon as you lay waste to the war machines of Hell –exciting diversions that introduce their own gameplay quirks. The Atlan sections are a major highlight here, as these are designed to make you feel like you’re in control of 2,500 tons of awesome demon-punching mecha might.

The game also does something new for the Doom franchise by attempting to tell a coherent story, and while this is the strongest Doom narrative to date, don’t expect to see anything on par with, say, The Last of Us. Instead, you’re treated to a serviceable tale about how the legend of the Doom Slayer was born, as the near-silent protagonist finds himself caught in the middle of a war between demons, humanity, and the Maykers. It’s a story told through the lens of style over substance, but in the context of Doom, it works just fine. It’s just a pity that the soundtrack doesn’t quite keep up with the spectacle, because while the work done by Finishing Move is thematically in tune with the franchise, it’s passable at best and it lacks the raw brutality of previous composer Mick Gordon’s melodic mayhem.

Doom: The Dark Ages. | Image credit: id Software/Bethesda Softwork

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The catch with Doom: The Dark Ages is that you really want to spend some time fiddling with the difficulty options on offer to maximize the game’s thrill factor. The Dark Ages is at its best when you’re deftly balancing challenge and ferocity, using every tool at your advantage to keep the fight going for as long as possible. You’re free to make The Dark Ages as difficult or as easy as you want it to be – one of the difficulty modifiers even allows you to increase base weapon damage up to 1,000% if you’re inclined – but finding the golden balance is key to enjoying yourself.

That said, Doom: The Dark Ages successfully reinvents the franchise once again, creating an entry in the series that feels heavier in many ways, and more focused than ever before on delivering an exhilarating power fantasy built on classic Doom DNA. DM

Doom: The Dark Ages released on 15 May for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC. You can also play it with subscription service Game Pass.

This article was first published on PFangirl.