Big Preview: Doom: The Dark Ages – Exclusive access and hands-on impressions with the fiery FPS

I didn't expect to say it, but Doom: The Dark Ages adding a shield and a parry somehow makes it feel more Doom than ever: 'nuff said, really, but the greatest thing we can say about the game is it feels as Doom as ever while also feeling really fresh. The shield dominates the combat loop this time around, but it feels like an essential piece of the puzzle you love to keep thinking about. It's different, but still Doom.

Doom: The Dark Ages new gameplay: You don't have to just read, you can watch too! While I played several levels, my capture focused on the Siege section, a wider and more sandbox-style stage than we're used to with Doom. Across 22 levels, though, there's plenty of variety to be had.

Doom: The Dark Ages' team found new inspiration from the original Doom: "We play it at the start of every project": Doom's developers are, like us, big Doom nerds. Speaking to game director Hugo Martin, we discuss id Software's approaching to honoring the legacy of Doom, and how revisiting the original influenced the core design pillars for how to evolve Doom: The Dark Ages.

Doom: The Dark Ages' weighty shield saw and gory melee are vital to its refreshed combat loop: "The guns are more like rhythm guitars this time": Like the other modern Doom games, Doom: The Dark Ages is all about the combat loop. Except this time, the shield and emphasis on melee have changed the feel of that cycle quite a bit. We talk to Hugo Martin and Marty Stratton about the update.

Doom: The Dark Ages doesn't have multiplayer because "it would definitely come at the expense of" the campaign: Unlike Doom Eternal, this new game doesn't have an online multiplayer battle mode, instead focusing on offering the biggest solo campaign to date. We talk to the devs about that shift in gears.

Doom: The Dark Ages guide: With the release date fast approaching, shield in hand, there's still plenty more to learn about the game beyond what's included in The Big Preview. Here, we collect together everything we know in one handy place, from release date to price and even how it plays! May can't come soon enough.