As a kid in the ’90s, I remember begging my parents to purchase an extra 4 MB (yes, megabytes) of RAM for our family PC. My uncle, a teenager at the time, had DOOM installed on the ol’ IBM-whatchamacallit. And I, already obsessed with Wolfenstein 3D at the time, was dying for a chance to get my hands on what was considered the most taboo game at the time. Yeah, my parents weren’t too thrilled at the idea of their seven-year-old playing DOOM, but it was too late. My fate was sealed, and id Software’s catalogue would become a pillar of my childhood. All that’s to say, when id Software asked me to come and check out a hands-on preview of DOOM: The Dark Ages, calling it a “dream come true” understates the 30-something years of love I’ve had for their legacy.
When DOOM (2016) hit the shelves, everyone’s expectations were blown into orbit. How could a sequel stuck in development hell for years, repackaged and repurposed, be this good? And how could it ever be topped? And then, they went ahead and topped it with 2020’s follow-up of DOOM Eternal. Slamming the Slayer into sixth gear, Eternal‘s high-octane, ultra-aggressive approach pushed the series into a more arcadey, but ridiculously fun evolution of 2016‘s run-and-gun style. Surely, then, there’s no way they could capture lightning in a bottle a third time? After spending a few hours in DOOM: The Dark Ages, I can safely say they’ve caught it, shaken up the bottle, and spiked it like a football in a game-winning touchdown. The Dark Ages is the most explosive and ambitious swing at DOOM yet, and the world ain’t ready.
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AN unchained predator – ‘DOOM: The Dark Ages’ is Doomguy’s unfiltered rage
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a prequel to 2016, detailing the Slayer’s rise to power in the techno-medieval dimension of Argent D’Nur. Naturally, this means the Slayer won’t bring the same tools to the table as seen in previous games.
During January’s Xbox Developer Direct, id Software Game Director Hugo Martin notably says, “In DOOM Eternal, you felt like a fighter jet. In DOOM: The Dark Ages, you’ll be an iron tank.” And while this may sound like a downgrade at first, don’t get it twisted. It’s an evolution. The Slayer packs just as much speed and raw power as before. But, instead of zipping and zapping around with grapple hooks and thrusters, you’ll barrel through hordes with a shield charge. You’ll bob and weave through hundreds of projectiles. You’ll leap, slam, and dash toward your Shield Saw after flinging it through demon flesh.
But it’s not just the Slayer’s movement getting a facelift. The Shield Saw serves as a pretty rad frisbee for severing things in half. However, it’s also your greatest asset in dealing with The Dark Ages‘ added layers of tactical combat. Forgive me for this comparison, but if Eternal‘s push-forward, aggressive nature feels a bit like Bloodborne, then The Dark Ages‘ methodical approach of trading blows to whittle down your opponent calls to Sekiro.
Again, I apologize for the dreaded FromSoftware comparison – but there’s a reason for it. Hugo Martin, an admitted FromSoftware fan, references Bloodborne‘s style of rewarding aggressive play when speaking of Eternal. That aggressive, in-your-face approach is still very much alive in The Dark Ages. But now, with a few extra tools on your belt, like parrying.
eternal lessons
And parry, you will. Most enemies have an attack, or shoot a projectile, that has a clear, bright green indication that it can, and should, be parried. You don’t want to take a Battle Knight’s axe to the dome. So, parry that sucker and expose him to a face full of iron flail. When a Mancubus sends a barrage of deadly projectiles your way? Reflect one back to stun him, and then shove your gauntlet fist through his gut. The Dark Ages‘ mantra of “Stand and fight” isn’t a bluff; this game wants you to be aggressive and relentlessly pushing forward. But the legions of Hell aren’t going down without a fight, and you’ve got to meet steel with steel to come out alive.
Unlike Eternal, though, DOOM: The Dark Ages knows how to set boundaries. Eternal has players juggling between handfuls of guns, a chainsaw, a flamethrower, and multiple grenades, all with their own inputs. This has the unfortunate effect of turning the game into a reactive shooting gallery. Where many situations call for specific, pre-determined counters. That enemy? This weapon. This enemy? That weapon. Need armor? Flamethrower. Need ammo? Chainsaw. You get the idea.
The Dark Ages‘ streamlined approach trims the bloat into a condensed package. You’ll shoot, you’ll block, or you’ll chunk your shield ahead. It’s simpler, and yet, it makes each encounter feel more fluid, allowing players to dynamically tackle situations on their own terms. It’s not that there are fewer options — but that those options are more accessible and feel entirely more natural.
During my hands-on session, I had access to four hand-picked levels in DOOM: The Dark Ages. While some were trimmed down for presentation’s sake, there was more than enough to chew on.
‘DOOM: The Dark Ages’ makes one hell of an entrance
The first stage serves as a nice onboarding session and introduction to the Slayer’s abilities. After familiarizing myself with the Shield Saw, bursting through a few walls, and clocking some demon skull? I was off to the races. That’s when the game introduces the Auto Map, and once I’d seen the bevy of collectibles around the map, I became happily distracted. It’s not a DOOM game without secrets galore, and The Dark Ages has that in droves.
I’ll admit, I may have spent a bit too much time on the first three levels. Regrettably, my curiosity caused me to miss out on the fourth, more open-ended stage. I also played on Nightmare difficulty, so you know, I may have died a few times.
The next stage has the Slayer piloting the Evangelion-sized Atlan mech, where other equally tall demons came to catch some hands. I think this is when my face morphed into a permanent grin. Sending rocket punches to make mincemeat out of demonic titans has that effect. DOOM: The Dark Ages is a spectacle, if anything, and it never hesitates to remind you of the fact. While just a sample of what’s to come, the Atlan preview shows how much of id Software’s grandiose vision is on the table here. When they say The Dark Ages is their biggest game yet, they’re not playing.
That’s abundantly clear during the following stage, where the Slayer rides a cybernetic dragon between some boots-on-the-ground action. Panzer Dragoon-style dogfights bring even more diversity to The Dark Ages‘ playbook, with the Slayer soaring through the skies of Argent D’Nur before infiltrating floating fortresses. There are some on-rails moments here, but for the most part, you’re free to fly around and explore the vast compounds beneath you.
a look back and a step forward
As I said, The Dark Ages is an evolution of DOOM, and its monumental scale is undeniable proof of id’s ambition. You’ve got all the tenets of the nu-DOOM formula: the glory kills, the upgradeable arsenal, the new abilities. But id Software knows its fans, and there’s plenty of juice in the mix for an unmistakably classic DOOM cocktail. Between strafing through waves of projectiles, backtracking for hidden secrets, and even melodic homages baked into Finishing Move’s head-banging score – it’s all there.
After ending my playthrough, I would close my eyes, take a deep breath, and try manifesting time to fast-forward to May 15. It didn’t work, but hey, it’s worth a shot. DOOM: The Dark Ages is easily my most anticipated game of 2025, and I’m confident enough to even call it my future Game of the Year. Somehow, the maniacs at id Software have done it again. The Dark Ages is liable to be the most jaw-dropping entry the franchise has seen.
By the way, those 4 MB of RAM? Yeah, that wasn’t the issue, and my PC still ran DOOM like a slideshow. But it didn’t matter because even playing DOOM in stop-motion was enough to make me a convert.
