DOOM The Dark Ages : RIP & TEAR

Today at Xbox’s Developer Direct we got a new look at DOOM : The Dark Ages. And it’s safe to say, fans will be ready to rip & tear more than ever. With the team at id Software showing off incredible gameplay featuring our favorite, now caped, demon slayer, DOOM has arguably never looked better.

While the sizzle reel above gets you excited, the Developer Direct presentation featured a little over 11 minutes of the team at id highlighting the work going into the latest entry in the legendary franchise. A few specific aspects were called out with regard to The Dark Ages specifically.

First, the combat focus for The Dark Ages is “stand and fight.” This is more a mantra in how the game is designed when compared to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal. Combined with the chainsaw shield, in the The Dark Ages you’ll have a range of melee weapons to obliterate hordes of demons including a fully dynamic glory-kill system.

The action in DOOM: The Dark Ages is a grounded experience focused on the sheer power that the Slayer wields – devastating melee abilities, and the return of strafing, a classic DOOM maneuver. The team puts it best: In DOOM Eternal, you felt like a fighter jet, but in DOOM: The Dark Ages you’ll be an iron tank, ready to stand and fight. A loadout of new melee weapons, plus a brand-new melee skill tree means you’ll be able to get up close and personal to your demons and deliver some serious damage.  

During the show, we were introduced to the Shield Saw, packed with features to both block incoming fire, decapitate foes from afar, or traverse the environment. The segment also showed us a huge, spiked flail, an electric gauntlet built to pummel and paralyze incoming foes, and a fierce spiked mace; three new weapons that all come with their own combos and upgrade options.  

It’s all about engagement; creating a loop or “dance” that’s intuitive, innovative and loaded with depth – fun on the outside smart on the inside,” Game Director Hugo Martin says. “An appealing power fantasy that’s new but familiar – who hasn’t wanted to feel like an iron tank in the middle of a medieval war against hell?” 

Of course it wouldn’t be DOOM without a heavy focus on the guns and the team at id is introducing a new range of weaponry made to “butcher, impale, and shred the minions of hell.”

Obviously, DOOM is also all about the guns, and that trademark top-shelf shooting is here in abundance too. We saw a handful of the ranged weapons in action – a hulking double-barrel shotgun packing a punch, a mean, energy-powered gun spewing paralysing shots, and, perhaps the most impressive – a preposterous-looking machine gun that fashions high-speed rounds by breaking down actual skulls. It’s an utterly menacing arsenal built to take on the biggest and baddest demons you’ve ever faced in a DOOM game.  

Adding to the gameplay variety are levels using a 30-story tall Atlan mech, and a cybernetic dragon. According to id, these are not “one-off” events in the game. They have a full suite of abilities and you will also fight unique bosses using the monstrosities.

Bigger demons means bigger battles, and mech fans, rejoice – you’re in for an absolute treat. In DOOM: The Dark Ages, you’ll be able to pilot your own gigantic Atlan, a mech of gargantuan proportion built to take on baddies on a colossal scale. One clip in the segment looks like a kaiju movie, showing the Atlan throwing annihilating hits at a demon the size of a building – it’s Doom’s epic, brutal combat moments on a literally next level scale.  

If that wasn’t enough, the team has also leaned more into the fantasy flair with another new weapon – a giant cybernetic dragon complete with mounted gatling guns, able to swoop in from above and absolutely drill through anything standing in its way – letting you hop on and take the fight to the skies. 

Exploration is another key aspect for the development team within the largest DOOM play-space ever developed open to players. Along the way you’ll find upgrade abilities, secrets, and more in the open sandbox.

In DOOM: The Dark Ages, we’re met with a mysterious world from the Slayer’s past, shrouded in dark forests and towering structures, alongside dangerous dungeons, and ancient battlefields. The setting blends DOOM’s signature, recognizable hellscapes with a menacing medieval twist, and the juxtaposition of hi-tech weapons and cybernetically enhanced demons against this imposing fantasy backdrop is truly remarkable. 

You’ll also be able to fully explore these levels with a level of freedom that has rarely been possible in a DOOM game. The levels in DOOM: The Dark Ages are less linear than previous installments – you have autonomy over which areas to explore and which objectives to pursue. It’s a DOOM sandbox, your playground to cause carnage in whichever you want, and the biggest player space ever seen in DOOM.  

The Shield Saw we mentioned earlier also doubles up as a cool exploration tool – you can use it to traverse across broken bridges, scale up ledges, smash through hidden paths, and crack into treasure troves nestled in every corner of the world. Exploration isn’t just encouraged, it’s rewarded with loot, upgrades, and secrets. 

“It’s power through progression – which leads to exploration,” Hugo adds. “Every critical item you need to dominate in Dark Ages is either held by your enemies or hidden in the world. Seek, discover, destroy!” 

Finally, The Dark Ages features a brand new story that leads right into 2016’s Slayer’s Testaments. Perhaps one of the largest changes is that narrative has been pulled from the Codex and The Dark Ages will now feature full cut-scenes with memorable characters, enemies, and moments. At the start of the story, DOOM Slayer is imprisoned and “the balance of power between good and evil is shifting…with time running out.”

“Our hero is a feared outsider among an imperilled people, his strength controlled by the gods they serve, in a world under siege by an ancient evil.” 

The main plot is being kept under wraps for now, but the team shares that we’re expected to meet exciting new characters alongside old allies and of course, terrifying new villains. This story also leads right into the Slayer’s testaments in DOOM (2016), serving as something of an origin story for the two previous games. It’s an action story worthy of the Slayer’s legend, and we can’t wait to uncover it.  

The best part is that there’s not too long to wait before you can become a medieval super weapon. DOOM: The Dark Ages launches May 15, for Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox App for Windows PC, Steam, and PlayStation 5 – and you can play it day one with Game Pass. There’s also a Premium Edition upgrade path for Game Pass subscribers, a stand-alone Premium Edition, and of course, a collector’s edition should you be so inclined…