Tips and Tricks for DOOM The Dark Ages

Although the DOOM franchise has been around since the early nineties, it remains incredibly accessible to new players. This is particularly evident in DOOM: The Dark Ages, with the game's informative tutorials and excellent accessibility options helping to guide beginners through the main story.

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By Tom Bowen

However, there are one or two things that the game doesn't tell you, as well as a few simple methods that players can use to avoid missing out on secrets and bonus objectives. With these DOOM: The Dark Ages tips and tricks, beginners can ensure that they're getting the most out of their first playthrough.

1 Make the Most of Difficulty Modifiers

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When players first boot up the game, they'll be able to choose from six difficulty settings. What some might not realize, though, is that it's possible to further refine the game's difficulty via the Settings menu. From widening the parry window to increasing or decreasing the amount of damage they do to or take from demons, players can tweak and tailor the experience so that it provides the perfect amount of challenge. If ever things start to feel too easy or too difficult, they can simply hop back into the Difficulty Modifiers menu and adjust as required.

2 Always Check the Map Before Progressing

Although DOOM: The Dark Ages lets players replay chapters at any point, completionists will probably want to find all of the secrets and collectibles during their first playthrough before moving on to a Pandemonium or Ultra-Nightmare run. With this in mind, it's a good idea to double-check the map before leaving an area to ensure that no gold or other items are left behind. Some secrets will only show up when players get close to them, but most will be there from the moment players arrive in the area. They'll be able to tell when they're about to leave an area for good thanks to the orange arrow icon that shows up at exits and points of no return.

3 Keep Track of Challenges

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From Chapter 4 onward, all but one of the chapters in DOOM: The Dark Ages has two or three optional challenges for players to complete. If they head to the Challenges menu, players will be able to pin these to the left side of their screen so that they can keep track of them as they make their way through the chapter. For those who prefer a clean HUD, it's a good idea to make a note of the challenges at the start of each chapter. It's also worth re-checking the Challenges menu every time a new weapon or rune is unlocked, as some challenges will only become active once their respective equipment has been obtained.

4 Be Mindful of Weapon Mastery

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If players completely upgrade one of their weapons, they'll unlock a special challenge through which they can get their hands on a gold skin. These usually involve getting a certain number of kills with the weapon or using one of its upgrade skills a certain number of times. Those hoping to master every weapon in DOOM: The Dark Ages should keep track of their weapon challenges and ensure that they're making progress as they play. It is possible to farm mastery for every weapon in an hour or two after finishing the main story, although players can save themselves this time by doing it during their initial playthrough.

5 Follow the Trails of Gold

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Those hoping to upgrade equipment in DOOM: The Dark Ages are going to need a healthy supply of gold. However, this rare commodity can sometimes serve a secondary purpose, with gold trails often guiding players towards collectibles and secret areas. Once they find a secret area, players should keep their thinking inside the box. If there's no door, they'll probably need to shield charge their way through a wall, or look for a ledge they can drop down to. If the door is locked and the means to unlock it isn't on the other side, they should look for a switch or lever, or a blue gear that they can throw their shield at.

6 Combat Tips for DOOM: The Dark Ages

Always try to parry green projectiles, as doing so will usually take out surrounding demons as well as the demon firing them. Later on, parrying projectiles will also activate your shield rune for a few additional kills.
Keep an eye on ammo and be sure not to waste it on fodder demons. If you constantly find yourself running out of ammo, consider switching Resource Values to high in the Difficulty Modifiers menu.
Try to take out the bigger demons first, particularly in more open areas where there are a lot of enemies around. If you let yourself get surrounded by several large demons, you're going to have a bad time.
Use shield charge to escape from dangerous situations. If you do find yourself getting overwhelmed, a well-placed shield charge can instantly take you to safety and give you a few moments to regroup.
Understand how all of the weapon upgrades work. Many of them have the potential to deal powerful secondary damage, but will need to be triggered in a very specific way before they can take effect.

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