Five years after Doom Eternal, id Software and Bethesda have finally launched Doom The Dark Ages. Instead of a sequel (for reasons that are explored in the Ancient Gods DLC for Eternal), the entry serves as a prequel, exploring the history of the Slayer on the world of Argent D’Nur, his engagement with The Night Sentinels and its leader, King Novik, the cryptic Makyrs, and the world’s war with the forces of Hell.
Launch The Slayer
The story and background of Doom has never really been a major focus. It basically adheres to a simple story pillar that’s been there since the very first game: you’re a Doom Marine with one objective, and that is to kick demon butt. It’s a formula that was retained in the 2016 reboot, and in Eternal.
In The Dark Ages, the good folks at id Software put in the extra effort to tell the tale of the Slayer, pre-reboot. If you played Eternal, you’ll know from the game’s flashbacks that the Slayer was transported into the world through a summoning of sorts, and then turned into the badass bag of violence that we know and love. For fans, The Dark Ages is basically an on-site retelling of the lore that was first introduced in the reboot, and by the wise King Novik, no less.
We’re introduced to the Slayer in media res of a war between the Argents and Ahzrak, a Prince of Hell that is hellbent (pun intended) on finding an artifact known as the Heart of Argent. Throughout the game, you’re treated to cutscenes that showcase the Slayer’s badassery over and over, starting with the way he is literally launched into the battlefield from a Makyr ship; to him piloting Atlans, the 30-story mechs that you first see scattered all over the landscape of both Argent D’Nur and hell in Eternal; and even him riding his very own customised, cybernetically enhanced, gatling gun toting Dragon. Believe me, it is as metal as you think it sounds and id Software has clearly gone to great lengths to make sure that it feels that way.
Itching For A Fight, Literally
In the Reboot and Eternal, one discipline you needed to master was the constant switching between weapons to burn down the bigger demons to a point that you could initiated the glory kills. My choice of weapon switching was – this turned out to be the most meta way of playing the games, by the way – always between the Super Shotgun and Gauss Cannon/Ballista.
In Doom The Dark Ages, weapon switching is no longer a viable combat style: It is gone. Instead, the good folks at id Software has made each weapon (and their variations) in the Slayer’s arsenal self-sustaining in their own way, but always best paired with the Shield Saw and more specifically, every parried attack. The mechanics of the shield are just as simple – any demon’s attack that is red or orange can be blocked until the shield’s integrity is depleted, at which point you’ll be defenseless for a few seconds until it becomes available again. Any attack that is green, known as Hell Surges, can be parried and deflected back to the offending demon, providing an opening for you to blast or melee them, to the point that you can rain down a Glory kill on them.
By default, the stagger period – basically, the window of opportunity that occurs between the parry and demons regaining their composure – is generous, allowing you to inflict all the deep-seeded hatred that only a Doomslayer can. However, that parry window can be modified on the fly, allowing you more time in between each parry or, if you’re feeling like a pro, shortening it as a way to further condition your reflexes in such scenarios. As that option is available, there is also the option to increase and decrease the amount of damage the demons inflict on the Slayer, and vice versa.
A Hellish Arsenal
While the Slayer’s arsenal in The Dark Ages may not look as diverse as the ones in the Reboot and Eternal, it’s actually still very diverse and reflective of the timeline and the genre. I’ll browse through the list, since I’ve technically gone through it in my early preview of the game: with the exception of the Chainshot – the ball-and-chain “gag” weapon that became my de facto weapon for dealing with mini bosses – the weapons list is practically what you’d expect from the Doom series. Shotguns, Shredder, plasma rifles, miniguns of sorts, and the ubiquitous launcher.
id Software’s expansion of the list was to basically give each weapon a secondary, or alternate if you will, mode: the shotgun can be changed out with the iconic and legendary Super Shotgun; the Shredder can switch into the Impaler, something similar to the Railgun that fires long bonespikes; The plasma rifle, or Accelerator, can transform into the double-barrel Cycler that does double the damage but at a slower rate-of-fire; the skull-shredding, wide-arching Pulverizer can be switched out with the Ravager, which does the same thing, just with a tighter spread and gradual increase in rate-of-fire; and the Grenade and Rocket Launchers. As mentioned, the Chainshot is the only weapon that doesn’t get a secondary mode but more importantly, there is an upgrade system for all the weapons, to which you will need gold, rubies, and Wraithstones to pay for.
Of course, it’s not a Doom game with some semblance of the BFG and in The Dark Ages, the weapon comes in the form of a crossbow, or BFC. The full, and in my opinion, classier name of the weapon is the Ballistic Force Crossbow, and it does exactly what it is meant to do: obliterate demons on a genocide level.
That’s the projectile side of The Dark Ages. Now I can address the melee part. Again, stating the obvious points, the Shield Saw is a staple of the Doom Slayer’s arsenal, and one that is ever present. It is akin to the Super Shotgun’s grappling hook in Eternal, only this time, you’re full-body smashing the demon without having to pull the trigger.
Then there’s the options of melee weapons. Again, I’ve spoken about the Gauntlet and Flail before, but there is actually a third option: the Dreadmace. Unlike the previous two, the Dreadmace is the most powerful of melee weapons but is also the slowest to recharge of the three. On top of that, it only has one melee charge, as opposed to the standard three with the Gauntlet and Flail. But, again, it is the most powerful of the melee options, with the ability to instantly bring bigger demons down to be Glory killed.
The Path Of Perpetual Torment (A.K.A. Doom-Fu)
I’m going to quote Hugo Martin about the Slayer in The Dark Ages. In the Reboot, you were asked to run and gun. In Eternal, you were made to move around like a fighter jet. In The Dark Ages, you’re a tank: Heavy, strong, but still fast, with an emphasis on power and standing your ground.
That last part isn’t just a passing mention and the reason for that is because of one simple fact: you will be taking damage, love it or leave it, and the “Stand your Ground” mechanism in-game is designed to help the Slayer regain health when it gets low. While at the same time, dishing out excruciating pain and death to demons. And the melee system? Every hit, be it from his Fist, Flail, or the Dreadmace, is deeply satisfying. Even better if the demon doesn’t go down with one hit, because you get to beat that same demon to death, over and over, until you get the prompt to finish the deed.
Since the early preview, id Software has definitely tightened up the controls and timings. Combat moments are fun with just the right level of stress-inducing madness, gun controls and parrying windows are tight enough, the latter with its default timing. After a few missions, I got so good at deflecting Hell Surges, I was using the fully upgraded Chainshot as my primary, as it provides fully charged rounds in the chamber with every parry – I was practically spamming shots against the Agaddon Hunters and the bosses.
As for the missions with the Atlans, these are fun and a refreshing side steps from the main game but if I’m honest, they’re quick-time events (QTE) that feel like filler, designed purely to complete the Doom lore. This is also applied to QTE missions with Serrat the Cyberdragon; unlike Atlan missions, Serrat is usually brought in for a brief period of time during missions that require the Slayer to leg it, literally acting as a brief respite from all the combat.
The Dark Ages pay homage to many genres and inspirations, one of which is the Lovecraftian-inspired Cosmic Realm. There’s really only one time you’ll ever fight a Cthulu-like monster but I won’t spoil it for you. The vast landscape of Hell is just as you’ve seen in Eternal too: fire and brimstone, just looking more battle scarred and demon-riddled.
And while I have given some time to listen to the score made by Finishing Move, I dare say that it doesn’t quite resonate with the same “oomph” as Doom, back when Mick Gordon was still at the helm. Granted, there are times when the double-pedal kicks in just right and the duo know how to mesh their sound signatures to each fight, but as an overall experience, it doesn’t give off the same foreboding tone as the Reboot, and to say nothing of Eternal.
Doom The Dark Ages is already available across all platforms.
