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As gorily great as the Doom reboot was, did you ever feel like there was a missing link? Like there should have been a game that came before, which bridged the gap between the pixellated classics and the shiny, fast-paced 2016 game? If so, it seems that Id Software agrees with you. Doom: The Dark Ages is not only a prequel to the reboot, but a game specifically designed to combine elements from both eras of Doom, with an ambition to produce something that exceeds them both.
Game design leans more towards classic Doom, while retaining the technological benefits of the modern games. As creative director Hugo Martin told GamesRadar+ earlier this year, "If you were an F22 fighter jet in Doom Eternal, this time around we wanted you to feel like an Abrams tank. It means you're more powerful and grounded. [...] We're making strafing-to-aim a thing again. You'll be weaving between projectiles, just like you did in the original Doom, to deliver that Super Shotgun blast to the chest… It almost creates this three-dimensional 'shoot 'em up' puzzle that you're weaving your way through."
Doom patrol
Developer: Id Software
Publisher: Bethesda
Platform(s): PC, PS5, Xbox Series X
Release date: TBC 2025
The medieval war between good and evil is not going well. The puny mortals are losing the fight against the denizens of Hell. Badly. They've had to fall back on the ultimate weapon, their last, best hope; you. Id Software is doing everything it can to ensure that you feel like that ultimate weapon. Enemies will be numerous and unrelenting, but you'll be given the tools that you need to carve your way through like the unstoppable force that you need to be.
One thing that immediately marks The Dark Ages as a departure from the last few games is the Shield Saw, which will be your constant companion throughout the adventure. The trailer shows it being used to stun and rush towards enemies, but there's even more to it than that. You can, as you'd probably expect, block attacks; but there will also be melee weapons that work in conjunction with the shield for combo attacks, and you'll even be able to parry projectiles with it. The Shield Saw will be an even more integral, and far more adaptable, tool than the chainsaw was in Doom and Doom Eternal.
Then there's that change to the rhythm of play, and the loss of verticality in the environments – though it's perhaps more accurate to view it as an expansion of the possibilities of ground-level combat. Not only did Martin make the bold claim to us that the weapons will be "the most powerful you've ever held in a Doom game", but you'll be facing greater hordes of enemies than ever before ("It feels like, tech wise across the board, we've been empowered to make our best game," he said). Throw in huge projectiles that are easily seen but not so easily avoided, and you'll have more than enough to strafe between and instantly react to on the ground.
"The Shield Saw will be a more integral, more adaptable tool than the chainsaw was."
Celebrating the roots of the series means that we'll be seeing redesigned versions of classic enemies such as the Mancubus and Revenant, and of course the signature super shotgun will be on hand to blow demons apart. There are plenty of new additions to look forward to, though. In addition to brand new enemies, you'll be given an era-appropriate flail as well as the Shield Saw… and then there are the gigantic weapons of war you'll get to play with.
Remember the final boss of Doom Eternal? The huge Icon of Sin, that only went down after a long, multi-stage fight that saw you taking shots at it from down below? If only you had a towering mech that allowed you to punch something that big in the face. Well, that's exactly what Doom: The Dark Ages will be giving you, in the form of the Atlan. As if that wasn't enough (and let's face it, it is), you'll also get the chance to ride the huge Mecha Dragon, flying through the air with ridiculous firepower at your disposal. The next Doom is promising a lot, and we can't wait to see how it delivers.
Doom: The Dark Ages will release in 2025 and be available day one on Microsoft's on-demand gaming subscription service, making the FPS a prime contender for one of the best Xbox Game Pass games.
