Ridiculously enjoyable: Doom – The Dark Ages reviewed
Grade: A
In the beginning, there was Doom. The videogame landscape was formless and void. But id Software created a square-headed space marine and several billion two-dimensional demons for him to kill with a shotgun, a chainsaw and a BFG (Big Fracking Gun); and several billion teenage boys saw that it was good, and they called it the First-Person Shooter, and lo, they gave up leaving their bedrooms altogether.
The original Doom (1993) really was the genesis of a genre: dark, intense, relentless, addictive. The latest iteration of the game – which plunks our space marine and his demon hordes in a medieval world rather than a space station – stays true to its vibe, while using all the processing grunt available in next-gen consoles to tune that vibe up. You're still chasing a blue keycard to open that door, still strafing frantically to avoid incoming fireballs, still grunting and panting as the screen throbs red at low health, still mowing down uglies in their hecatombs. The big innovation: Doomguy now has a shield. You can shield-charge distant enemies, throw it like Captain America, bounce incoming projectiles back to source – and, yes, if you must, use it to block attacks. But it doesn't make the game defensive. When you're on the verge of dying, baddies drop more health boosts, so the way to stay alive is… to attack more aggressively. And melee-strikes reward more ammo, so you're further incentivised to get up close and personal. There are so many demons. Even on easy mode ('Hurt Me Plenty') it's frenetic; and the gameplay is rich without being overcomplicated. It's just ridiculously enjoyable. Welcome back, Doomguy.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Rod Stewart's huge Elton John feud - and savage remark about 'retiring'
As legend Rod Stewart prepares to light up the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, we take a look back at one of showbiz royalty's longest running feuds... Sir Elton John and Rod Stewart have kept up one of the longest running fallouts in showbusiness. Despite the veteran rockers having known each other for over 50 years, they have been locked in a hostile feud that's morphed from childish pranks to full blown character assassinations. The catty pair have been handbags at dawn over the years and made some spectacular digs at each other in a seemingly never-ending war of words. As Rod prepares to follow in Elton John's footsteps with a performance on Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage,we take a look back at one of showbiz royalty's wildest ever feuds. After launching music careers in the swinging sixties, Elton and Rod went from chart rivals to pals before amusing fans with a series of escalating pranks. Rod once said he looked on Elton as a 'fierce enemy' in the music biz but said their public put-downs started out on just a 'playful' level before things really turned sour. When Rod launched his Blondes 'ave More Fun Tour back in the 1970s, Elton arranged for billboards with his own face were plastered on the opposite side of the street reading: 'But Brunettes make more money'. In another incident, Elton hired a sniper to shoot down blimps Rod hired to promote his music from the sky. "We had the worst row, like a married couple. It went on forever," Rod previously admitted. Speaking about the fallout in his 2019 autobiography Me, Elton dedicated an entire chapter to his dislike of Rod and there are some incredible digs at him along the way. Elton told readers their disdain for one another reached boiling point when Rod slated him during a TV appearance. The crooner said Elton's epic 300 date Farewell Yellow Brick Road retirement tour was 'dishonest' and 'stunk of selling tickets.' Rod added that he would never dream of announcing his retirement from music so publicly as it was not very 'rock and roll.' The public dig left Elton reeling for months and he exacted his revenge some time later in his no holds-barred autobiography. Putting pen to paper, he scathed: "I certainly didn't feel like I needed a lecture on the feral spirit of rock and roll from someone who'd spent most of the last decade crooning his way through the Great American Songbook and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." And he didn't stop there... "He was accusing me of being dishonest about one of the biggest decisions of my life," fumed the hitmaker. "What's more, I thought he had a f***ing cheek, complaining about me promoting a tour while he was sat on a TV show promoting his own tour." When the book came out Rod made an apology... of sorts. "She (Elton) doesn't like me at the moment. I was bang out of order. Correct, but bang out of order," he told reporters. Rod blamed his loose tongue on TV producers plying him with too booze before the show. "Four big shots of neat vodka and with me being a butch man, I knocked them all back. 'I said that 300 dates in three years sounded a bit money-grabbing to me. Look, I know where's he's coming from. "He's just got two kids very, very late in life but I'm planning my tours around my kids. I think he'll miss it. I can't wait for the next show.' Rod made a plea for peace by inviting Elton's young sons to play football on his personal pitch, an olive branch the Rocketman singer flatly declined. In November 2020, a small thaw began to show in Elton's grudge as he said he hoped to put an end to the disagreement with his old pal in time for Christmas. He promised to send Rod a card and give him a "big hug" but later admitted: "In the end I just sent an email to his assistant. "It said: 'I wanted to be p****d at first but we've known each other for so long it's water under the bridge. Who cares? Good luck with your new album'." Any hopes for a face to face chat were swiftly dissolved when Rod retorted that he would now only speak to Elton in interviews. "I put something out there and it will be in the evening papers and he'll say something in our morning papers. That is how we fight our battles," he explained. Elton said he did try to speak to Rod personally to smooth things over but received a message from Rod's manager that he was on 'constant vocal rest' between his shows and unable to talk. "That seemed fair enough, until I noticed his complete vocal rest didn't preclude him going on more chat shows and radio programmes calling me 'money grabbing' and slagging off [my film] Rocketman," fumed Elton. "He was happy enough chatting away on Loose Women, he just didn't want to speak to me. "I haven't heard from him since... It just seems really strange and sad, not least because it's deprived me of the opportunity to point out how much better my tour's selling.' In another glimmer of hope of the two pals reuniting, just before New Year 2021, Rod was asked what he would say to Elton as he appeared on a US chat show. "Love you baby,' Rod replied. "Just good luck and I am so bloody annoyed that you have a Number One album." The Maggie May star, 76, told viewers: "I miss him. He just had a hip op so I do wish him well. We still love each other."
Fashion United
23-06-2025
- Fashion United
Kingston School of Art's 2024 fashion Show: A display of personal narratives and emerging talent
On June 10th, Kingston School of Art's 2024 graduate fashion show in East London showcased the work of 22 emerging designers. Each presented six-look collections that delved into deeply personal experiences and cultural identities, spanning themes of heritage, sustainability, and individual expression in both menswear and womenswear. Among the notable designers was 22-year-old Ashanti Clark from South London, whose collection drew inspiration from her Caribbean family heritage. Her designs incorporated elements from her grandmother's home, such as lace, mahogany, and vibrant textiles, alongside nods to her mother's 1990s fashion. Clark's innovative "luggage dresses," crafted from original 1970s migration luggage, symbolized themes of home, belonging, and the preservation of cultural memory. West London's Bay Paley, 23, found inspiration in Japanese tea culture, creating garments that explored reflection and healing. Influenced by a three-month internship with Issey Miyake in Japan, Paley's collection featured both literal and abstract interpretations of tea, including a pleated tea bag-inspired skirt and a dress referencing the ritual's medicinal properties. Her designs aimed to encourage pause and reconnection in a fast-paced world. Olivia Williams, 23, from Croydon, presented a collection that bridged rural and urban life. Her work referenced Black hiking groups in the UK and the Windrush generation, reimagining furnishings and outdoor materials like tents and umbrellas into modern hiking apparel. With floral prints inspired by Jamaican flora and homages to her grandmother's wardrobe, the collection celebrated community and safe spaces, both in nature and at home. David Frizzell, course leader of the BA (Hons) Fashion programme, emphasized that this year's collections underscored the course's focus on personal storytelling, sustainability, and technical skill. "Our students are reacting in more personal ways than ever before," Frizzell stated. "They're making meaningful statement collections that aren't wasteful or frivolous.' Sponsored by fashion brands Dewhirst and ME+EM, the show continued Kingston University's tradition of fostering the careers of innovative and socially conscious designers.
Daily Mirror
21-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Dave Myers' widow shares his struggles with illness and heartache before death
Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers, who was previously a makeup artist, died at the age of 66 back in 2024 after being diagnosed with cancer Hairy Bikers' Dave Myers wife has lifted the lid on his tricky early life before finding fame. Dave died when he was 66-years-old in 2024 after being diagnosed with cancer. Now his widow Lili has discussed how he went through a difficult childhood in her new memoir Dave & Me. The pair tied the knot in 2011 and were together up until his death. Lili has talked about her famous husband's childhood in the book where she mentions that he struggled with alopecia and looking after his mother who had multiple sclerosis. Dave's mum Margaret was diagnosed with the condition when he was just eight-years-old which meant he and his father Jim had to become full-time cares. In the memoir, Lili wrote: "Within a year of Margaret's diagnosis, she was in a wheelchair and, in time, became physically and mentally ravaged by illness and medication. Dave and his dad were her full-time carers which was an immense responsibility for a boy not yet ten. "Social services eventually moved them to a ground-floor flat on a new council estate in Barrow and the family lived hand-to-mouth, surviving on Jim's pension money. There were many other challenges to contend with, but Dave found escape in music and painting, two more lifelong loves alongside bikes and food." Both of Dave's parents had died by the time he was just 24 as Jim died from a stroke and Margaret in a care home four years after. Dave also had to deal with his own health issues as he was bullied in school after being diagnosed with alopecia and he lost his hair. Lili said: "Not many people know that Dave Myers, the Hairy Biker, was bald from childhood until his forties. At a very young age he began to suffer with alopecia which made things extremely difficult for him, especially in school where he was already singled out for being a 'poor kid' thanks to his free meal tokens. "He was a target for the bullies and those days were miserable for Dave, sapping his confidence and spirit." Dave thought that his alopecia could have developed as a side effect of the stress of his mother's illness. Dave's hair started to grow bath in his forties which came after another health issue. Dave was working on a film set in 1998 when he collapsed and got taken to hospital where they found an arachnoid cyst on the left side of his brain. It was thought that it had been there since childhood because his brain had grown around it. Dave went for surgery which was a success and he was discharged just five days later on Christmas Eve. Lili explained: "Not long after his op, Dave's hair started to grow in dark and healthy curls. I'm not medically trained and so this is just a hunch, but perhaps that cyst sitting undetected had been pressing on a certain part of the brain ... and maybe a combination of that and the stress of caring for his mum had triggered the alopecia in the first place? We'll never know for sure, but it makes sense to me."
