I remember as a kid, running home from school to fire up the family computer and play games, one of which included Doom.
Originally released in 1993, it was a fun, run-and-gun first person shooter. Little did we know that Doom was set to become a worldwide sensation and subsequent internet meme with the term; “Can it run Doom?”, which saw the global gaming community run the game on everything from phones and watches to graphic calculators. I even saw someone got it to run on a Myki machine!
Since its release in the 90s, Doom has seen many sequels and ports to other platforms, but there hasn’t really been much of an origin story of the Slayer and his rise to become the soul protector against the forces of Hell. Well, that is, until now.
Published by Bethesda Softworks and developed by id Software, Doom: The Dark Ages is a brand-new game in the series that is set as a prequel to Doom (2016). For the purposes of this review, I played on the PlayStation 5 and made it to Chapter 8 of 22.
In a time, long before Earth and Mars were invaded by the forces of Hell, the Night Sentients of Argent D’Nur and their allies, the Maykrs, are engaged in a war with Hell. Led by King Novik, with assistance from the Doom Slayer, they must prevent the leader of hell’s forces, Prince Ahzrak, from finding the Heart of Argent.
However, the Doom Slayer is being controlled by the Maykrs. His master, Kreed Maykr, has suppressed the Slayer’s mind with a device known as the Tether. Under control of the Maykrs, the Doom Slayer is sent to help protect King Novik’s forces and fight alongside his commanders against Hell.
I have not played a game like Doom: The Dark Ages in such a long time. It’s a classic first person run-and-gun frantic slasher, and I was excited. When setting up the gameplay on the PlayStation 5, I was presented with multiple difficulties. Knowing I was probably going to die a lot, I chose the second hardest option: ‘Hurt Me Plenty’. But for the hardcore Slayers out there, there is one that is just diabolical called ‘Ultra Nightmare’, giving the player one death before the campaign ends and only allowing saves when the chapter is completed, not to mention there’s extremely hard and aggressive enemies. With six difficulties to choose from, including customised settings, there is a choice for any skill level.
Upon jumping into the first chapter, ‘Village of Khalim’, I got a feel for the gameplay. As a first-person game, there is a HUD showing your weapon, shield, armour and health, as well as a navigation compass at the very top. There’s even the classic head at the centre of the HUD, direct from the original Doom game. In my left hand is a shield and in my right is a shotgun. Here, I’m taught how to move, sprint, shoot and use my shield to both defend and attack against enemies.
The movement does take some getting used to and my aiming on the DualSense Controller is abysmal, so I turned on aim assist to aide in my terrible gameplay. Right Trigger fires your weapon, and the Left Trigger holds up your shield. With the shield up, you can also Shield Charge the enemies by pressing L2, find the target and then press R2. It is a great technique to use, but being the clumsy user that I am, I found myself shielding from incoming fire and then engaging a Shield Charge instead of firing my weapon. Eventually, I did get used to the combinations, even mastering the Parry by using the shield to fend of incoming melee and ranged attacks, firing a blast back at the enemy.
As the chapters and campaign progresses, the game will introduce to you new foes within the forces of hell. Each have their own strengths and weaknesses. These are displayed as a mini tutorial on a first encounter, providing intel on how best to defeat them. Some are weaker against certain weapons, and some have armour that you need to destroy with a combination of weapon fire and a Shield Throw. If you ever find yourself unsure, these tutorials and more are available in the Pause Menu. From weapon, exploration, demons and other tutorials, everything is readily available to review as you need.
And of course, there are a myriad of new weapons to find. These are presented to you at critical points in the game, leading to some enemies that are suited for the weapon you just picked up. You can carry all of the weapons with you and can quick switch by pressing R1. You can also hold down R1 to present the weapon selection wheel. Some weapons also have dual modes that can easily switch by pressing Square.
The frantic nature of this game is more than just first-person mayhem. During certain chapters, you get to jump into a large mech known as the Atlan. With nothing but your giant armoured fists, you must hit combos and unleash special strikes and finishers to take down the gigantic demons that threaten the city. In another chapter, you can also fly a dragon that is equipped with weaponry. This wasn’t the easiest to control and I found myself taking more damage than I probably should have. Of the two, the Atlan is definitely more fun. Almost like I was in some sort of Doom x Pacific Rim crossover event!
Throughout each of the different chapters, there are a series of collectibles and hidden treasures. From armour reserves to gold, hidden keys and Codex Entries. There are even Collectible Toys and Skins to find. If you don’t find them on your first run of the chapter, you can always revisit an area to seek them out. The most important item would have to be the Life Sigil. It gives you an extra life, allowing you to continue the chapter without having to restart from your last checkpoint. There are also Heath Jars and Packs to help heal you as you run around. And if your health is low enough, killing enemies in certain ways also helps replenish your health and ammo.
Overall, the gameplay is fun and very frantic. I found myself having to really lock in to defeat certain campaigns and waves of hell’s forces. I died more times that I care to admit, but I definitely had fun doing it. Doom: The Dark Ages is not a casual game and can be quite overstimulating at times. There are the odd puzzles here and there that you need to solve, but mostly it is just mayhem and lots and lots of enemies to kill.
Directed by Hugo Martin, Doom: The Dark Ages has plenty of lore that leads into the evolution of the Doom Slayer as a character. The narrative is interesting to follow, making the cut scenes enjoyable and a well-deserved break between the hectic gameplay. Not to mention, the music is amazing! A heavy metal themed rock soundtrack is bloody fantastic accompaniment to the wicked gameplay, really highlighting the epic, hellish nature that Doom is known for.
After playing Doom: The Dark Ages on and off for about a week, I can safely say that this instalment to the Doom franchise is great and one that I hope many fans of the franchise will welcome with open arms. I, for one, am looking forward to jumping back in to complete the remaining chapters and maybe even revisit to find those hidden items. I found one Collectible Toy and it’s so damn cute, I just have to find more of them.
Doom: The Dark Ages is available worldwide from the 15th of May 2025. Playable on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Windows, this is one game you don’t want to sleep on.