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I thought I knew what Doom was.
Doom: The Dark Ages doesn’t fit that image at all.
It has a shield.
You move slowly, deliberately.
But it’s not this Doom Eternal sequel that has it wrong, it was me.
Game director Hugo Martin explains it to me succinctly: “You feel aggressive, always, in Doom.
If you don’t feel aggressive, it doesn’t feel like a Doom game.”
Doom: The Dark Age’s shield saw is more than just a new option.
Going hands-on with the game, I’m constantly using it, constantly thinking about it.
But one thing it isn’t is something to cower behind.
When you raise your shield it’s to allow you to charge headlong into danger.
You might move slowly and deliberately compared toDoom Eternal, but it’s always with purpose.
Taking hits and dealing them back twofold is the most aggressive Doom has ever felt.
Lost in space
TheDoom: The Dark Ages Big Previewstarts here!
Stay tuned for more exclusive access and deep dives over the coming days.
That’s very much by design.
It’s sci-fi to the max.
Having played lots of Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal, I jump in ready to play more of that.
Ah, that’s right, I have a shield.
And I’m expected to use it.
And you’re not the only one with enhanced defensive capabilities.
Enemies too now pack shields and armor.
Again, at first glance, I was worried this wouldn’t feel all that Doom.
The flow of action, says Martin, “was very much inspired by 300.
The game is built on that, you’re supposed to feel like that at times.”
You might feel weighty, but you might still cleave through forces at speed.
Hell’s arsenal
What about the last game?
I’ve spoken a lot about the shield.
Because, yes, if you remember, Doom: The Dark Ages has parries.A lot of parries.
Which means, yeah you could stand and fight.
No need to run and gun.
Just plant your feet and bring the pain there and then.
“We’ve got four different shield runes,” Martin tells me.
“One of them is like a shoulder mounted turret.
What used to be an epic kill moment now feels a bit limp in comparison to dedicated melee.
You’re not always standing and fighting just as the Doom Slayer on the ground, though.
“They’re not just cheap gimmicks.
We approach them as almost a game within itself,” notes Stratton.
There’s a heft to both your and enemy movement, which makes sense because of their size.
I feel similarly about the dragon section I get to go hands-on with.
“We always want to make a different game,” says Martin.
“Nothing we do is necessarily a reaction to what we did before.”
If Doom: The Dark Ages can pull it off, it might join ourbest FPS gameslist!
