Doom: The Dark Agesis a fascinatingDoomentry that makes good onDoom(2016) andDoom Eternal’s promise of a medieval- or fantasy-inspired landscape, while also not being afraid to trim what it perceives to be fat or add new mechanics that redefineDoom’s FPS gameplay, advocating for players to “stand and fight.”Doom’s core gunplayisn’t the only aspect that’s been altered dramatically, though, even if there remains a sense of familiarity in every new feature; for instance, exploration still has players search for secrets scattered throughout chapter levels, with 3D maps being a godsend in that regard, but players get a lot of mileage out of the sprint mechanic as most maps’ real estate is far vaster than in previous installments.
Likewise, anyone hopping intoDoom: The Dark Ageswho grew accustomed toDoom(2016) andDoom Eternal’s progression formulas may be taken aback by how alien its upgrade system is. One of the most surprising changes made to upgrades in id’s soft reboot trilogy is that this prequel entry abandons its predecessors’ weapon mods. Yet,The Dark Agesis proof that the franchise has grown beyond traditional weapon mods in favor of a simpler system of upgrade branches.
Weapon Mods May Now Be a Relic of the Doom Slayer’s Past
InDoom(2016) andDoom Eternal, the Doom Slayer locates flying drones that he procures weapon mods from. Players select one of two mods available for a weapon they possess, which basically reorients that weapon’s playstyle. Each mod then has upgrades and its progression concludes with a Mastery challenge. Of course, players might enjoy wielding every single weapon in the game and swapping between different mods for a particular circumstance or demon type.
Doom Eternalemphasizes enemy weaknesses, for example, lending itself to mods that players are highly incentivized to equip if they hope to swiftly exploit a demon’s vulnerability. Indeed, weapon mods themselves aren’t inherently disappointing.
The obligation to swap between them at all can be a chore when players have already invested a lot in one mod rather than another, and many mods can fall by the wayside and go unused if it’s decided early that players prefer one mod’s prescribed playstyle more. Considering how frantic and panickedDoom Eternal’s gameplay can become, as well, having to concern oneself with mods arguably stretches gameplay a bit too thinly, even if it does spoil players with a commendable amount of choice in terms of how they tackle gunplay.
Doom: The Dark Ages’ Sentinel Shrine Upgrades Prove the Concept of ‘Mods’ is Obsolete
Doom’s foray into medieval and Lovecraftian biomes features skills for each weapon, only without mods. Rather,Doom: The Dark Agesdebuts a weapon class swap system that pairs almost every weapon with another in the Doom Slayer’s arsenal.
The Dark Agesis proof that the franchise has grown beyond traditional weapon mods in favor of a simpler system of upgrade branches.
General upgrades for each weapon are a milder and more approachable take onDoom(2016) andDoom Eternal’s mods, allowing each weapon to be all-encompassing and thoroughly satisfying without having to swap to a mod that transforms the weapon and bestows upon it a distinct alt-fire mechanic. Plus,Doom: The Dark Agestechnically keeps the spirit of mods alive with some weapons’ branches gifting players the choice between one or another in a ‘dual upgrade tier,’ such as Pincushion versus Ricochet for the Shredder or Cooked versus Blood Sacrifice for the Rocket Launcher.
Thankfully, players only spend currency once for both dual upgrade tier options and are free to equip one or the other whenever they wish. Progression and upgrades are streamlined, and they both boil down to currency—gold, rubies, and wraithstones—that players collect throughout a level and spend at intermittentSentinel Shrines inDoom: The Dark Ages.
Alongside upgrades purchased for guns, players also purchase upgrades forDoom: The Dark Ages’ Shield Saw(including Rune ability upgrades) and melee weapons (the Power Gauntlet, Flail, and Dreadmace).
Here, new upgrades are unlocked via a branch for each weapon, and upgrades become more costly, requiring higher-tier resource currency, as players progress through an individual weapon’s branch. It’s impossible to predict whether weapon mods will be reprised ina futureDoomgame, butThe Dark Ageshas a salient case prepared as to why a tailored, refined branch of upgrades can be more palatable and equally gratifying for progression.
WHERE TO PLAY
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELLDOOM: 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 HELLAs 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 FIGHTExperience 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 REALMSIn 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.
