Doom: The Dark Ages

Doom: The Dark Ages is a single-player first-person shooter with action elements, set in a dark medieval fantasy world. It is the third game in the modern Doom series, serving as a prequel to Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal (2020). The story focuses on the early days of the Punisher Roka and the events described in Eternal — the confrontation with the forces of Hell on the planet Argent D'Nur. Compared to its predecessors, it features heavy combat, almost no platforming or parkour, and a slower pace. The Punisher Roka brutally fights enemies: tearing them apart, smashing them with a club, parrying attacks with a shield, riding a cyber-dragon, and crushing demons by controlling a giant mech robot.

The game runs on the idTech 8 engine, which significantly improved the visuals compared to previous parts of the series. Out of the box, it offers ray tracing, 4K resolution, high-detail textures, realistic lighting, and rich visual effects with brutal finishing animations. All this is achieved with good game optimization and stable frame rate.

The events of The Dark Ages reveal a new page in Doom lore, previously only mentioned in Eternal. Long ago, the world of Argent D'Nur, inhabited by humanoid beings and ruled by angels, conducted sacred conquests, conquering one dimension after another. Everything changed when their armies clashed with Hell. A brutal slaughter began: even the resilient Night Guards, elite warriors of Argent, barely withstood the onslaught of countless demons. Argent D'Nur — a techno-medieval civilization — was drawn into a exhausting war with demonic invasion.

That’s when the Punisher Roka appeared. At that time, he did not yet bear the title. Some knew him as an ordinary marine, others — as Dugaya. According to legends, he traveled between dimensions, destroying demons and cleansing entire worlds, until one day he ended up on a planet with the Night Guards. How he moved between dimensions is unknown, but during a joint battle with demons, he so impressed the warriors of Argent that they took him with them to their home planet and accepted him into their ranks.

The Dark Ages expands the traditional Doom formula, emphasizing exploration and spatial orientation. Levels have become larger, with a more open structure and filled with nonlinear routes. Players will need to find keys (blue, red), decode “golden trails” — hidden optimal paths — and discover secrets not marked on the map. Most of the time will be spent on the demon-occupied planet Argent D'Nur: among ruined castles, battlefields, dark forests, and ancient hellish landscapes. At the same time, the game offers new, unusual locations, such as the Cosmic Realm — a world with Lovecraftian motifs and gloomy architecture.

Due to the increased scale of arenas, the developers have increased the density of enemies: now, victory requires not only accuracy and aggression but also the ability to use the environment. For example, the player can crush a barricade with a shield to open a path to resources or find an alternative route. The importance of controlling space is growing: you need to move wisely, split the crowd, and prevent enemies from surrounding you. Levels are often divided into contrasting acts — from narrow dungeons to wide battlefields. This gives the gameplay a dynamic structure and allows the player to choose how exactly to reach the goal.

The Dark Ages reveals the secrets of the past of the Doom Slayer, which were only hinted at in Doom and Eternal. The story begins with an unnamed marine being captured by the Makrovs — a powerful race that appears benevolent but is actually very afraid of his destructive power. Seeing him as a weapon against Hell, they send him to Argent D'Nur — the homeland of the Night Sentinels.

The main story covers the period of the Holy Wars — a fierce confrontation between Argent and the armies of Hell, led by the demonic prince Azrak. At first, the Doom Slayer fights under the control of the Makrovs — through a Tether device that limits his will. But at a crucial moment, he frees himself from their influence, is reborn in a new form, and leads a counterattack, trying to save the doomed planet.

The narrative shows the path of the Doom Slayer from an ordinary warrior to a legendary figure feared even in the Underworld. As the story unfolds, betrayal within the Night Sentinels and the tragedy behind the fall of Argent D'Nur are revealed. The leaders of the Sentinels — King Novik, commanders Tira and Valen — each play an important role, connected in their own way to the fate of the Doom Slayer and the unfolding catastrophe.

The focus of the story has shifted towards visual storytelling. The main milestones of the Doom Slayer's biography and the story of his allies — Novik, Tira, and Valen — are now revealed through a system of cutscenes, while lore details are still thoroughly presented in the codex entries. This makes the story more understandable, structured, and emotionally rich.

The Dark Ages changes the direction of the game dynamics: replacing the vertical gameplay and acrobatic jumps of Eternal, a crushing ground-based power has taken over. The Doom Slayer now feels not just a fast fighter but an unstoppable "heavy train." Thanks to the new sprint mechanic, he gains tremendous speed, breaking through enemy ranks through inertia and weight.

The combat system has become more straightforward. Instead of constant resource management and juggling arsenals, it focuses on controlling your position, dodging projectiles, and effectively using the shield in the heat of battle. The role of melee combat has increased significantly, demonstrating the incredible physical strength of our protagonist.

The glory kill system has also been optimized: execution animations have become shorter and more brutal.This allows maintaining a high pace of combat and instantly switching between targets, turning the battle into one continuous stream of fury. In Eternal, players would momentarily lose the flow during such moments.

The Executioner's Arsenal includes 12 types of destructive firearms, featuring both futuristic innovations and legendary classics — a super shotgun and a rocket launcher. Instead of the traditional BFG, a ballistic crossbow (BFC) was introduced — a monumental weapon that fires energy spears capable of destroying entire groups of demons with one explosion.

The main innovation is the versatile shield-saw, replacing the classic chainsaw as the primary combat control tool. It serves both for defense and parrying attacks (using a timing system), and for offense: the shield can be used in melee or thrown at enemies, then it returns to the Paladin, similar to Thor's legendary hammer. Besides combat, the shield helps solve puzzles, such as cutting chains. The arsenal is complemented by three auxiliary weapons — a mace, a chain, and a power glove, which allow you to literally extract resources from demons during the fight.

Also introduced are new melee weapons: a chain for destroying armor and shields, a massive spiked mace that restores resources, and a glove with an electro-shocker for quick combo attacks. The line of firearms was expanded with models fitting the techno-medieval theme: the Skullbreaker minigun, firing bone shards; the Stabber (nail gun); and Chain Shot — a projectile attached to a chain.

The game's bestiary includes over 35 enemies, combining classic Doom demons from (2016) and Eternal, with entirely new threats. Familiar foes like Imps, Arachnotrons, and Lost Souls appear in updated designs adapted to a harsh medieval aesthetic. However, the main innovation is mechanized enemies and heavy hellish machinery, turning each encounter into a large-scale battle involving not only flesh but also steel.

Among the new enemies are massive crab-like creatures and flying cultists. Sub-bosses — enhanced enemies with squads of minions — have been added. Defeating them requires first eliminating the entire entourage. Full bosses are also promised, each with unique combat patterns and mechanics. These battles are integrated into the campaign and can occur in both main and side missions.

For the first time in the series, players can control transportation. Among them are the cybernetic fire-breathing dragon Winterin (Serat), and a giant 30-story combat mech Atlas, available in certain campaign episodes.

The upgrade system allows you to accumulate resources and direct them towards improving the weapon and abilities of the Executioner, enhancing your individual playstyle and providing room for tactical adaptation.

New customizable difficulty settings have been added: players can modify the timing windows for parrying projectiles, overall game speed, and other elements, tailoring the game to their reaction time and gameplay quality.

All these changes mark a shift towards a more methodical and intense combat style. Now, the focus is on frontal pressure and complete control over the arena. Mastery of the saw-shield and understanding the level's geometry allow the player not just to survive, but to literally crush enemy ranks, choosing between devastating attacks and impenetrable defense.