«Uncompromised, Energetic and Brutal»: Doom: The Dark Ages Preview and New Gameplay
Game journalists have tried out the initial levels of Doom: The Dark Ages and released the first previews. The shooter is mainly praised for its excellent combat system, unusual ideas, and extremely rich gameplay.
Judging by the first reviews, id Software was able to diversify the gameplay with new weapons that turn running through levels into crazy fun. Various abilities and equipment upgrades allow you to create your own build, and the new approach to the combat system requires players to choose tactics for battles with bosses. In addition, the game no longer has an alternative fire — this slot has been replaced by a chain shield. Flying on a dragon and a level with the Atlan mech also bring a lot of new experience, although controlling the dragon feels constrained, and optional sandbox levels allow you to switch between the pace of the game. PC Gamer separately praised the movements of the Doom Slayer — his moveset feels pleasantly weighted, as if he had been gaining strength for centuries.
Among other things, various publications noted the well-developed plot, well-made cutscenes, convenient mechanics with throwing a chain shield around the arena, and a dark atmosphere in the spirit of the first game. And due to the flexible difficulty settings, Doom: The Dark Ages may become one of the most accessible games in the series, according to IGN.
It’s incredibly fun. It’s uncompromised, energetic, brutal, and rewarding. It is everything that I’d hope and expect from a Doom game, pulled off by a team that’s clearly full of confidence.
I think it's an experiment that's paid off. Doom: The Dark Ages was not what I expected, but it was still a great, ridiculous power fantasy in the few hours I got with it, trading in running-and-gunning for rocking-and-socking in a way that still makes perfect sense for the series.
If you've ever wanted in on the wanton demon destruction but have previously been too intimated to try, Doom: The Dark Ages looks to have you covered. Not only is there an expanded number of difficulty settings to choose from this time, with six different levels of challenge from the exceedingly gentle Aspiring Slayer to the absolutely mental Ultra Nightmare, but there are also tools to tweak almost every aspect of the experience.
Doom: The Dark Ages will be released on May 15 on PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.
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