While a popular franchise nowadays can be seen as an opportunity to milk an IP with annualised releases, id Software’s DOOM series has thrived since its first release in 1993. While no game can arguably compete against the original, what with it being available officially on many platforms – and heck, thanks to the fan community, everything from a microwave to a graphics calculator – each instalment has had its charms and, for the most part, been worth checking out. The eighth main entry in the franchise, Doom: The Dark Ages, is set to release on the PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S this coming week. But do id Software and Bethesda Softworks have another hit coming to store shelves? Read on to find out!
Set during what appears to be an alternate Dark Ages-inspired era of the DOOM mythos, set before the events of many of the previous games, DOOM: The Dark Ages wastes no time establishing its grim, blood-drenched tone. While earlier entries such as DOOM Eternal dabbled in lore-rich codices and sprawling cosmic mythologies, this latest entry leans more heavily into an operatic sense of medieval doom and destiny. From the outset, players are cast not just as the Slayer, but as a near-mythical figure embroiled in an age-old conflict between Hell and the fractured remnants of celestial order. The sparse dialogue and haunting environmental storytelling paint a bleak world ravaged by endless war. And once again, the Doom Slayer could stand as the world’s final hope.
What stands out in DOOM: The Dark Ages’ narrative is not so much its complexity, but its mood and gravitas. There are cutscenes and narrative events dispersed throughout the 22 chapters. However, much of the experience comes from what unfolds as you traverse the different environments, even if you may not hear everything the first time as you try to take down masses of demonic entities. While there are some welcome nods to previous entries for returning fans, this instalment does a commendable job of carving out its own identity, with a Slayer who feels more like a wrathful knight of prophecy than a lone marine. Whether you connect with this darker, more sombre take will depend on how much you enjoy the storytelling on offer.
Visually, DOOM: The Dark Ages starkly contrasts its sci-fi-heavy predecessors by fully embracing a grimdark, techno-medieval aesthetic – an appealing fusion of the old and new. Crumbling castles, molten forges, and desecrated battlegrounds are drenched in reds, greys, and eerie greens, with level geometry evoking a blend of ancient brutality and heavy metal album covers. Ultimately, id Software continues to excel at environmental storytelling through careful use of lighting, verticality, and combat arena design. Larger open zones break up the corridor-crawling of earlier entries, allowing players to experiment with movement and tactics, while at the same time retaining the series’ sense of momentum and aggression which continues to be satisfying.
The level design is not just skin deep, but it also supports gameplay functionally. Important combat cues such as parryable projectiles and destructible enemy armour are signposted with strong visual effects, ensuring the rhythm of battle doesn’t catch players out, and at least on the easier difficulty levels, can rely on aesthetic just as much as skill to get through the game. Secrets and side objectives remain abundant, though many are now easier to spot than prior entries, perhaps a trade-off to encourage exploration without frustrating less thorough players. The world is richly detailed, but what’s most impressive is how it maintains coherence even as it shifts from grounded medieval squalor to cosmic horror in later stages.
Music has always been a significant factor in the DOOM series. While the series arguably peaked with Mick Gordon’s compositions in DOOM (2016) and DOOM: Eternal, the compositions by Finishing Move Inc. in DOOM: The Dark Ages are very much on-brand and resonate well with the gameplay. The music offers aggressive tunes that amplify the game’s combat with down-tuned guitars, sludgy riffs, and rhythmic pulses of industrial noise, reinforcing this entry’s darker, more grounded mood. Playing on the PlayStation 5, my only primary concern was the audio coming out of the Dualsense controller – very loud by default, repetitive and not the greatest of quality sound. Voice acting is used sparingly, but effectively, particularly for key figures like King Novik and the demonic Prince Ahzrak, who add gravitas without overstaying their welcome. The Doom Slayer remains largely mute, letting his actions speak, though subtle gestures and body language continue to give his character surprising nuance.
DOOM: The Dark Ages pivots away from the hyper-mobility of some earlier entries and instead delivers a more grounded, deliberate combat style. Its central mechanic, the shield, accomplishes this. This is an oft-underappreciated element of combat games, with the shield serving equally in both defensive and offensive utility this time. The shield is a multifaceted weapon that can parry, bash, and be thrown like a boomerang, and is also one of the first “weapons” unlocked, serving as your trusty companion from start to finish. Much of the game’s rhythm is built around the “stand and fight” philosophy, encouraging players to hold their ground and tactically dismantle enemies.
With the Chainsaw now absent, a trio of melee weapons takes centre stage, each offering distinct styles and upgrade paths. A new ammo economy ties melee finishers directly to resource management, requiring players to engage up close and personal to restock on vital supplies, with availability and how many times you risk being low on ammo dependent on your difficulty setting. This change makes every encounter a calculated dance of resource harvesting and target prioritisation, adding a layer of strategy that complements the more intimate combat design.
Ranged weaponry hasn’t been sidelined. DOOM: The Dark Ages features a sizable arsenal of new and returning guns, many of which can be hot-swapped between sister weapons of the same ammo type. While secondary fire modes are now largely passive upgrades rather than active toggles, this simplification keeps players focused on core shooting mechanics rather than UI juggling. While some long-time fans may lament the loss of deeper weapon mod customisation, the impact and variety in DOOM: The Dark Ages’ arsenal remain undeniably satisfying.
What truly elevates the gameplay is its enemy design. DOOM: The Dark Ages throws a staggering number of demons onto the field, including reimagined classics and new foes tailored to test the new parry-heavy combat system. Certain enemies are armoured and require specific interactions, like heating up shields to detonate them or parrying energy blasts to stagger targets. Boss battles are especially memorable, often pushing the player to combine every tool and tactic in their arsenal – or at the very least offering a few quirks that shake up each encounter, even when the level count has considerably increased with this instalment.
To break up the action, DOOM: The Dark Ages introduces vehicular segments including mech combat and dragon-mounted aerial assaults. While these moments are visually impressive and provide a welcome shift in pace, they lack the depth of the on-foot gameplay. Nonetheless, they succeed in offering spectacle and scale, mainly when used sparingly between major chapters. Alongside sprawling open arenas with optional objectives and secrets, these sections round out an experience that, while structurally familiar, does throw more than a few fresh ideas into the mix.
Though not without its stumbles, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a bold experiment that refines and redefines the franchise’s combat identity. It is not a tightly wound experience. It feels just as much a new DOOM experience featuring tried-and-tested mechanics as an experimental instalment looking to shake up a few things. It slows things down to spotlight deliberate brutality, fusing medieval weight and high-tech mayhem to satisfying effect. Its tweaks to exploration, thematic shifts, and the parry-heavy mechanics may not appeal equally to every long-time fan, but id Software has crafted a worthy entry that dares to push the boundaries of what a DOOM game can be. The result is a visceral and consistently entertaining shooter who still knows how to rip, tear, and surprise.
Final Score for DOOM: The Dark Ages
This review was conducted on a PlayStation 5 digital copy of DOOM: The Dark Ages, and reviewed on a PlayStation 5 Pro retail unit. A review code was kindly provided by the Bethesda ANZ PR Representatives to facilitate this review.
DOOM: The Dark Ages will be available on the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC starting 15 May 2025.
