DOOM: The Dark Ages Review

As someone who absolutely adored DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, I went into DOOM: The Dark Ages with sky-high expectations. Those last two entries redefined what a first-person shooter could feel like—fast, frantic, brutally fluid. They threw you into the chaos with speed, power, and an arsenal that turned the battlefield into a ballet of bullets and blood. Plowing through hordes of demons was pure catharsis. It was gameplay-first design at its best, and it worked because it stayed true to what DOOM has always done well since the ’90s: make you feel like the most dangerous thing in hell.

With The Dark Ages, id Software has taken that rock-solid foundation and built something bold on top of it. This is still unmistakably DOOM, but the developers have reshaped the pacing, tone, and structure in a way that feels fresh, ambitious, and—at times—surprisingly experimental. It’s not just another sequel. It’s a statement piece. And while not every gamble pays off, I respect the hell out of what they’ve attempted here.

Set before the events of DOOM (2016), The Dark Ages serves as a prequel that digs deep into the origins of the Doom Slayer, his place in the war against Hell, and his relationship with the Sentinels. In the previous games, we only got scattered glimpses of this history through codex entries and optional lore—great for the hardcore fans, but easy to miss. Here, it’s front and center.

There’s a genuine focus on storytelling this time around. Missions are bookended with cinematic cutscenes. Conversations happen mid-mission, heard from within the Slayer’s helmet. It’s still a silent protagonist experience, but the world talks around him, giving context and weight to the carnage. I appreciated being more grounded in the narrative, and for once, I wasn’t relying on flavor text to understand the broader mythology of DOOM. That said, there were definitely times where I felt like the longer length cutscenes got in the way. I was itching to get back to the action, not sit through lore dumps. Still, it’s progress—and it’s well-executed more often than not.

Visually and tonally, The Dark Ages stands apart. The medieval sci-fi theme is front and center, from towering gothic architecture to knight-like armor designs. It looks like DOOM collided with Dark Souls, but through a sci-fi lens. It’s metal as hell—literally and figuratively—and the art direction is stunning across the board.

The weapons reflect this shift, too. Yes, you’ve still got shotguns, plasma rifles, and rocket launchers, but they’ve all been reimagined with this archaic-futuristic flair. And then there’s the new stuff—the standout being the Shieldsaw, which you get early on and quickly becomes a core part of your toolkit. Think of it as a hybrid between a shield and a circular saw. You can block incoming attacks, parry for openings, and then toss it like a buzzsaw boomerang into the body of your enemies. It’s defensive and offensive, and it fits right into the rhythm of the new combat style.

Where DOOM Eternal emphasized speed, verticality, and constant motion, The Dark Agesdials that back in favor of something more grounded and deliberate. Leading up to release, id described the new Slayer as an “Iron Tank,” and that’s a perfect way to put it. You’re not dancing around the battlefield anymore—you’re stomping through it like a force of nature.

Combat is still fast-paced, but it’s heavier, more punishing, more melee-focused. Your gauntlet, flail, and mace give you satisfying close-quarters options, and the shield mechanics add a layer of tactical depth. You can’t just bunny-hop your way through every encounter anymore. You need to block, counter, parry, and punish. It forces you to engage in a more methodical rhythm, and it’s honestly refreshing. It’s a different flavor of DOOM, but one that still hits hard.

The arsenal is vast, and the game does a fantastic job of rolling out new weapons and upgrades at a steady pace. Progression feels natural, and you’re never stuck using the same tool for too long. Just like in Eternal, enemy types are designed with specific weaknesses in mind, so weapon swapping is a necessity, not an option. It keeps you on your toes and ensures you’re using everything the game gives you. It’s an incredibly satisfying combat loop—adapt, counter, destroy.

One of the more noticeable shifts in The Dark Ages is how it structures its levels. While previous DOOM games were largely linear with some exploration, this one introduces big, open-zone levels containing objectives you can tackle in your own order. These areas are sprawling and interconnected, filled with hidden paths, secrets, and environmental puzzles. It’s not quite open-world, but it offers far more exploration than previous titles.

I really enjoyed this change. It encourages exploration without bogging down the pace, and the level design is smart enough to guide you naturally toward objectives while still rewarding curiosity. Finding a hidden cache of gold or an secret collectible always felt worth the detour. It adds replayability and depth, especially for completionists who want to uncover every last secret.

Let’s talk about the setpieces—because The Dark Ages definitely swings for the fences. There are moments in the campaign where you pilot a massive Atlan mech or ride on the back of a dragon, and if you’ve seen any of the game’s marketing, you know these sequences were a big deal in the lead-up to release.

In practice, though? They’re… fine. The mech sections are visually awesome, but the combat feels sluggish and overly simple. The dragon-riding, on the other hand, plays out more like an arcade rhythm game than a DOOM sequence when it comes to how combat has been implemented. These missions break up the action in interesting ways, but they never reach the highs of the core combat. I admire id Software for trying something different, but I don’t think these segments quite hit the mark.

If you’re just here for the campaign, you’re looking at a solid 15 hour experience on a standard playthrough. But this game is designed to be replayed. There are multiple difficulty levels, tons of hidden secrets, and optional challenges baked into each level. Whether you’re a first-time DOOM player or a masochist chasing Ultra-Nightmare mode, there’s something here for you.

Each level begs to be replayed. Not just to find every collectible, but to experiment with weapons and strategies. I often found myself revisiting earlier missions just to try out new upgrades or see if I could perfect my combat flow. It’s that kind of game—it pulls you back in.

This part hurts to say, but I found that the soundtrack just doesn’t hit the same. Mick Gordon’s work on DOOM (2016) and Eternal was legendary—feral, chaotic, full of personality. The music here still brings the chugging drop tuned guitars and double bass heavy drums, but it plays it safer, and more in the background. There are moments where it kicks in during big fights, but those standout, adrenaline-surging tracks are fewer and farther between. It’s serviceable, and it fits the tone, but it lacks that unique edge and experimental sound that made the previous soundtracks so unforgettable.

Final Thoughts

DOOM: The Dark Ages is a bold reinvention that retains the soul of the franchise while pushing it in a new direction. It’s more narrative-driven, more methodical, and more melee-focused. It trades some of the speed and chaos of Eternal for raw brutality and deliberate pacing, and while not every experimental idea lands, the ones that do hit like a sledgehammer.

This isn’t just another DOOM game—it’s a new vision for what DOOM can be. And for longtime fans like me, that’s both exciting and reassuring. id Software has once again proven they know exactly what makes this franchise tick, and they’re not afraid to mess with the formula to keep things interesting.

A PS5 review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.

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