Summary
- Doom: The Dark Ages boasts a significant leap in visual fidelity, notably in detailed armor and realistic rendering of characters.
- The game features ray tracing, wind-affected vegetation, and improved lighting effects.
- While praised for its beauty, Doom: The Dark Ages may pose performance issues on consoles or lower-end PCs due to enhanced graphics.
A side-by-side image comparison between Doom: The Dark Ages and Doom Eternal reveals a notable leap in visual fidelity. Doom: The Dark Ages, the latest installment in the legendary first-person shooter franchise, has transitioned to a medieval setting that benefits greatly from the game's modern rendering capabilities. Gamers have voiced their appreciation for the darker tone while also worrying about the consequences of better graphics.
Doom Eternal, released in 2020, featured a sci-fi aesthetic with fast-paced gameplay. While much of the ripping and tearing remains intact in the new Doom: The Dark Ages, the game has updated graphics to take advantage of modern hardware. Although a great-looking game by 2020's standards, Doom Eternal benefited from graphics upgrades released post-launch. Now, with a darker, more serious tone, Doom: The Dark Ages delivers a more realistic visual experience.
Five Years Ago, Doom Eternal Put the Pedal to the Metal
Doom Eternal is now five years old, and it continues to be a showcase of how developer iD Software is not afraid to take chances.
A user known as DependentImmediate40 on the Doom subreddit has shared a side-by-side picture that compares the details of Doom Slayer's armor between the two game titles. The distinction is a noticeable one, with Doom Eternal showing a smooth surface with hardly any detail. Although the Doom: The Dark Ages side of the picture features slightly different gear, making apples-to-apples comparison more difficult, the new game clearly offers much more character. Not only are there scratches, gradients, and highlights, but the reflections, likely due to better ray tracing in Doom: The Dark Ages, are present as well.
Doom: The Dark Ages Presents a Massive Leap in Detail
The community has noticed a significant change in how human characters, like Commander Thira, are rendered in Doom: The Dark Ages. Slightly cartoonish looks have made way for more realistic renderings, which include much-improved skin textures and facial detail. Although the landscapes between the two games are hardly identical, gamers have also noted a tremendous upgrade in visual fidelity of environments and objects.
Players even noted new features like wind-affected vegetation, layered damage to surfaces, better blood and gore detail, and modern lighting effects, all of which contribute to a prettier game. Gamers also benefit from a long list of settings in Doom: The Dark Ages, which makes it easier to find the sweet spot for graphics and smoothness.
While the improvements have been praised by many gamers, others are feeling the brunt of improved fidelity. There have been performance issues with Doom: The Dark Ages on some of the console versions, and the game can be a harsh experience for lower-end PCs, as noted by some Reddit comments. However, for gamers looking for photorealism and intricate detail in a first-person shooter, Doom: The Dark Ages might be hard to beat.
DOOM: The Dark Ages
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- May 15, 2025
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
WHERE TO PLAY
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine.
REIGN IN HELL
As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for.
STAND AND FIGHT
Experience an epic story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id's largest and most expansive levels to date.
- Engine
- id Tech
- Franchise
- DOOM
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5
