Doom: The Dark Ages – The First Preview

Doom: The Dark Ages – A Return to Roots, Amplified

Following the phenomenal success of 2016's Doom and its sequel, Doom Eternal, id Software isn't aiming to reinvent the wheel with Doom: The Dark Ages. Instead, this medieval-tinged prequel refines the fast-paced, skill-demanding first-person shooter experience, delivering a more visceral and powerful combat encounter.

The game ditches Eternal's platforming elements, focusing on intense, strafe-heavy combat. While the iconic arsenal returns – including the skull-crushing new weapon showcased in the reveal trailer – The Dark Ages significantly emphasizes melee combat. Three melee weapons take center stage: the charged electrified gauntlet, the flail, and the versatile Shield Saw (throwable, blockable, parryable, and deflecting). As game director Hugo Martin stated, "You're gonna stand and fight."

Martin cites three key inspirations: 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. The Glory Kill system is now unsynced, allowing for dynamic finishing moves from any angle, a necessity given the intense, 300-esque combat encounters. Levels are designed as expansive arenas, allowing for flexible objective completion and exploration, with a target playtime of around an hour per level.

Addressing criticism of Doom Eternal's Codex-based storytelling, The Dark Ages utilizes cutscenes to unfold its narrative, promising a "summer blockbuster event" within the Doom universe. The development team has also streamlined the control scheme, aiming for intuitive gameplay to enhance the player experience under pressure. Melee weapons are equipped individually, and the game's economy is simplified to a single currency (gold), with secrets rewarding skill progression through tangible gameplay enhancements.

Difficulty is highly customizable via in-game sliders, allowing players to tailor the experience to their preferences.

The impressive giant Atlan mech and cybernetic dragon sequences from the trailer are not one-off events but offer unique abilities and mini-boss encounters. Importantly, The Dark Ages will feature a single-player-only campaign, foregoing the multiplayer mode of Eternal to fully focus resources on the core experience.

Martin highlights the deliberate shift from Eternal's direction, emphasizing a return to the core principles of the original Doom: "It's just gotta be different [from Eternal], especially if I loved the game. [If] I wanna play a Doom game, I wanna feel strong, but I'm OK with changing what that power fantasy is, especially if that change brings it closer to classic Doom." This commitment to a refined, classic Doom experience has generated significant excitement. The May 15th release date can't come soon enough.