DOOM: The Dark Ages Review – READY TO SLAY?!

If the hyper-fast chaos of DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal had you white-knuckling your controller and sweating a bulletstorm, then DOOM: The Dark Ages might just be the knightly change of pace you’ve been waiting for.

A Fresh Take

Being a medieval-themed prequel to the past two games, The Dark Ages is all about the shield, baby! Though not just any old hunka junk. It’s part buzz saw, part battering ram and all sorts of bonkers. Not only can you deflect green projectiles and close gaps in seconds, but it even takes some notes from the Aussie playbook, as you’re able to yeet it through the air and catch it like a fair dinkum boomerang. How good’s that?

Albeit, just like the games that came before it, there’s so much carnage going on at times that it can be tricky to get your rubber duckies in order. Yet somehow, it feels noticeably slower and more ‘tanky’ than the past two entries, giving players a few extra moments to tactically size up the battlefield and shield before all hell literally breaks loose. If you’re still finding it a bit too intense or prefer a custom-tailored massacre, you can adjust a buffet of modifiers like the six different difficulty levels, damage outputs, game speed, enemy aggression and other settings at any time. Accessibility-wise, it’s a winner.

But one of the coolest new features—and palate cleansers—of DOOM: The Dark Ages is its vehicles! Oh, yeah! In certain levels, you can casually hop on a decked-out dragon or even hulk-smash through buildings and giant demons in your way. It’s like Attack on Titan combined with How To Train Your Dragon, but on roids.

Bloody Brilliant

This game’s weapon types and variants are straight-up bangers as well. The Pulveriser is perfect for blitzing through rows of enemies, while the Accelerator rapid-fires plasma, exploding energy shields and taking any nearby suckers down with it in a crunchy blaze of glory. Some of these weapons would make even Darth Vader flinch, not gonna lie. Overall, the game actively implores you to experiment with different tools like the flail that quickly melts through armour. Since most of the time, you’ll do as much damage as a wet sock if you refuse to change weapons, especially in the latter half.

And just like your ever-expanding arsenal, the game actively encourages you to experiment and try out different approaches to combat, while also delving into the more open-ended level traversal. Whether that be through finding rubies and hidden stashes of gold with your noggin, or completing level-specific challenges, The Dark Ages rewards you with goodies galore and gold for handy upgrades that’ll make any nearby demons… a little anxious, to say the least.

While the level count is a lot higher, at 22 this time around, the expanded story isn’t exactly memorable. Look, it’s DOOM. We’re not here for a Shakespearean tragedy. But to summarise, it’s
“Something, something, he has to stop them”. “Something, something, we can’t hold him back, boss!”… I’m actually not too far off the mark there, believe it or not. But in all seriousness, even though Mick Gordon’s not belting out killer riffs here, production team, Finishing Move, have brought the pain with a pounding, industrial-metal style similar to the Aussie legend. Coupled with the game’s gritty sound design, slow-motion executions and varied sci-fi-meets-medieval atmosphere, it all comes together for a marvellous mix of bloody guts and gore for days.

Decision

You probably knew the answer to this one already, but DOOM: The Dark Ages is an absolute feast of a boomer shooter. Even though the story is mostly slick window-dressing to the hardcore action, zooming around the ground at a smooth 60FPS as you annihilate enemies is pure entertainment. It’s so easy to get swept into a flow-state, as you transition from weapon to weapon, battle to battle, all while exploring each of the 22 levels’ secret areas for upgrades and cute little plushie toys. The added mech titan and dragon vehicle stages are a nice touch as well, while the gritty music and sound design really get your heart pumping for more. It may not be as fast and acrobatic as DOOM Eternal, but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying.

By Anthony Culinas – Reviewed on PlayStation 5

Excellent

DOOM: The Dark Ages is exactly what fans were craving: a beefy, brutal evolution of the franchise that mixes medieval mayhem with modern polish. The slower pace won’t appeal to everyone, but it brings its own rhythm and charm that sets it apart. Between the inventive shield combat, over-the-top vehicles, killer soundtrack and upgrade-packed exploration, this is a boomer shooter done right.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Bethesda. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.