Doom: The Dark Ages is shaping up to be a worthy successor to 2020's Doom Eternal, a game that is often considered one of the best first-person-shooters ever made. With Id Software offering an extended look at this new Doom during Xbox's recent Developer_Direct, there's more reason than ever before to be excited about this fresh medieval twist on the modern Doom formula.
It's no secret that Doom has reinvented itself over the years, whether it be through the slower, more atmospheric action-adventure of Doom 3 or the run-and-gun, white-knuckle gameplay of the 2016 Doom reboot, and Doom: The Dark Ages is no different in this regard. Set before the events of Doom (2016), The Dark Ages follows an early invasion of Demons, and the state of the world, alongside the player's suite of unique weaponry, mirrors this stark change in setting. The science-fantasy medieval flavor of its premise means a more brutal and distinct spate of tools at the player's disposal, but the world state also seems to indicate that the Doom Slayer will be fighting alongside an army of human soldiers, suggesting a radical departure from the one man vs. The world elevator pitch of previous entries in the series. Whether this will impact gameplay is unclear, but it is certainly something to note.
One Doom: The Dark Ages Feature May Be Its Secret Weapon
Doom: The Dark Ages will introduce a feature that will be new for the franchise and looks to give players a wealth of great options.
Doom: The Dark Ages Will See Doom Slayer Fight Among His Allies
The Doom Slayer Won't Be Alone, Which Could Be a Good Thing
The Doom Slayer, in all his incarnations, never exactly needs help. His loosely defined persona is characterized by his power as a two-legged killing machine, built and bred for no other purpose than to reign death and terror upon the demonic scourge. This is why most Doom games, especially the last two, don't feature allies fighting alongside him, as it would seem almost ridiculous for such an inhumanly powerful entity, who has no real match in the realm of humanity, to be aided by mere mortals; they would be more likely to slow him down than anything else.
And one might expect this to be the case with the human allies shown in Doom: The Dark Ages' promotional footage. The game may be similar to something like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 in this way: the unstoppable Space Marines are lauded and praised by their human allies, who effectively worship them as they attempt, however feebly, to help drive back the alien forces. This buttresses the feeling of superhuman power that is so central to the Space Marine experience, as it is to the Doom experience.
There's also a lot of promise on the narrative front. The Doom Slayer having more allies to interact with, and being backed by an entire army, could help better communicate his motivations. These allies could firmly represent the humanity that the Doom Slayer is attempting to save from destruction. Plus, there's something to be said about the grand scale of these quasi-medieval battles, which could be best conveyed by having two armies—one human and one demonic—going toe-to-toe with each other, rather than just having one man fighting alone.
The Possible Downside of Doom: The Dark Ages Prominently Featuring Allies
As previously mentioned, no human ally, regardless of talent or even physical augmentation, is likely to hold a candle to the Doom Slayer in terms of raw power. As long as Doom: The Dark Ages is cognizant of this and doesn't, for instance, orchestrate situations where the player is rescued by these allied troops, then all should be well. If something like this were to occur in the game, then it could undermine the brutal power fantasy that is inherent to the Doom franchise.
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
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
