Doom: The Dark Ages, a prequel to the acclaimed Doom Eternal, promises a return to the franchise's roots while introducing exciting new elements. Following the success of Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal (2020), this new installment focuses on refining the core gameplay experience rather than drastically altering the formula.
The game's combat emphasizes intense, strafe-heavy encounters, leveraging powerful weaponry and melee options. While iconic Doom guns return, The Dark Ages introduces the Skull Crusher, a weapon that utilizes enemy skulls as ammunition, and significantly expands the melee arsenal with the electrified gauntlet, flail, and the Shield Saw (seen in previous trailers). Director Hugo Martin describes the combat as "You're gonna stand and fight."
Inspiration for The Dark Ages draws from the original Doom, Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, and Zack Snyder's 300. This influence is evident in the game's design, featuring large-scale combat encounters reminiscent of 300's battle sequences and the original Doom's arena-style gameplay. The Glory Kill system has been enhanced, allowing for dynamic finishing moves from any angle. Level design prioritizes freedom of exploration, with shorter, more focused levels (approximately one hour each).
Addressing feedback from Doom Eternal, The Dark Ages presents its narrative through cutscenes rather than in-game codex entries. The story promises a large-scale adventure within the Doom universe, described as a "summer blockbuster event." Gameplay mechanics have been streamlined, simplifying controls for a more intuitive experience. Melee weapons are equipped individually, and the in-game economy is simplified to a single currency (gold). Secrets focus on rewarding players with tangible gameplay enhancements rather than lore details.
Difficulty can be customized via adjustable sliders, allowing players to fine-tune aspects like game speed and enemy aggression.
Showcased in the reveal trailer, the giant Atlan mech and cybernetic dragon riding sequences are not one-off events, but offer unique abilities and mini-boss encounters. Importantly, The Dark Ages will not feature a multiplayer mode, allowing the developers to fully concentrate on the single-player campaign.
Martin highlights a deliberate shift from Doom Eternal's direction, aiming for a more classic Doom experience. He emphasizes a focus on delivering a powerful and satisfying gameplay loop, closer to the feel of the original 1993 game. This return to core principles, coupled with the new features, has generated considerable anticipation for the game's May 15th release.
