Doom: The Dark Ages Unveiled: First Look

After id Software's triumphant revival of Doom in 2016 and the even more refined 2020 sequel, Doom Eternal, it's challenging to imagine Doom reaching greater heights. Instead of soaring higher, Doom: The Dark Ages keeps both feet firmly on the ground, bringing the fast-paced, skill-intensive first-person shooter experience even closer to Hell's minions in a medieval-themed prequel.

The new Doom shifts away from Eternal's platforming, focusing instead on grounded, strafe-heavy combat that emphasizes power. Of course, the iconic arsenal remains a hallmark of the series, highlighted by the new Skull Crusher showcased in the reveal trailer. This weapon uniquely uses the skulls of defeated enemies as ammunition, firing them back at remaining foes in smaller, faster fragments. However, The Dark Ages places a significant emphasis on melee combat, featuring three key weapons: the default electrified gauntlet that can be charged, the flail, and the standout Shield Saw from last summer's trailer, which can be thrown, used to block, parry, or deflect. "You're gonna stand and fight," said game director Hugo Martin after my demo of the new Doom.

It may not surprise you that Martin cites three seminal works as primary inspirations for The Dark Ages: the original Doom, Frank Miller’s graphic novel Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and Zack Snyder’s 2006 film 300, which was based on another Miller graphic novel. This influence is evident in the updated Glory Kill system, which is now unsynced, allowing fatalities to be executed from any angle on the battlefield and varying dynamically. This change accommodates the constant presence of enemy hordes, reminiscent of both 300 and the original Doom. The combat arenas in The Dark Ages have been widened, allowing players to tackle objectives in any order and explore freely within levels that Martin says are slightly shorter, aiming for an optimal length of about an hour each.

Addressing a criticism from my Doom Eternal review, The Dark Ages will present its story through cutscenes rather than requiring players to delve into the Codex. The narrative promises to take players to the far reaches of the Doom universe, described as a "summer blockbuster event with everything on the line," where your power as the Slayer is highly sought after by enemies.

Martin highlighted the development team's focus on simplifying the control scheme, acknowledging that Doom Eternal's controls were overly complex. The aim is for an intuitive experience so 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 hidden secrets and treasures, with an economy simplified to a single currency (gold). These secrets will enhance skill progression, offering tangible gameplay rewards over lore deep-dives.

Players can now customize the difficulty with sliders, adjusting elements like game speed and enemy aggression to tailor their experience.

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

As someone for whom the original Doom was transformative back in 1993, I'm drawn to Martin's deliberate shift away from the successful path of Eternal, returning to the design principles of that 30-year-old classic. "It's just gotta be different [from Eternal]," Martin stated. "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 approach has me more excited than ever. The release date of May 15 can't come soon enough.