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The Star
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Review: 'Doom: The Dark Ages' reinvents run-and-gun formula … again
LOS ANGELES: The rebooted Doom series has been a masterclass in reinvention. Bucking the trend of military shooters, the id Software team crafted a brilliant gameplay loop that's the spiritual successor to the run-and-gun action the developers pioneered in 1993. It relied on movement, herding enemies and creating satisfying combo-based combat while introducing exploratory elements. The sequel Doom Eternal refined that formula, emphasising vertical gameplay that made the Doom Slayer protagonist feel like a fighter jet, according to game director Hugo Martin. The third entry for the reboot goes in a different direction. A vision that works Doom: The Dark Ages is a prequel to the first two games and lets players discover the events leading up to the original reboot. It finds the Doom Slayer as a tool of the Maykrs as he's deployed to help the Sentinels in their battle against the minions of hell. Over the course of 22 levels, players will be in the heart of the Argenta Unholy Wars' politics and drama as the villain Prince Ahzrak searches for the Heart of Argent, a power capable of making him a god. He and his hell minions attack the Sentinels, who are hiding that power and trying to keep it out of his hands. The beauty of The Dark Ages is that players don't need to know much about the past games. They can jump into this chapter and enjoy the spectacle of seeing the Doom Slayer become the ultimate demon-fighting machine. When playing The Dark Ages , veterans will notice that this version of the Doom Slayer is a different beast from the past games. Developers at id Software revamped the combat to emphasise a more ground-based approach. If Doom Eternal made players feel like a jet pilot, The Dark Ages will make them think they're controlling a zippy modern tank. Most of the combat revolves around a shield that can deflect attacks and protect against projectiles while dicing fodder with a Captain America-like throw. Further in the campaign, the shield is imbued with runes that give it other ways to attack. Aside from offence, the shield also has a role in exploration, with players using it almost like a grappling hook at certain nodes. They can also crash through weakened walls or destroy pulleys that hold doors shut. It's a simple tool that's controlled by two buttons, but id Software does a remarkable job of giving it versatility, so that it can do much more, especially when combined with weapons. Weapon versatility The Dark Ages has an arsenal with enough versatility that players won't be leaning on two weapons. The fan favourite Super Shotgun can handle a wide range of encounters, but the Doom Slayer will encounter enemies that move too quickly or have attacks that take advantage of its limited range. That's when players will have to rely on other weapons and their properties, which emerge when they're powered up at the Sentinel Shrine. The team at id smartly crafted weapons to encourage players to switch them up, depending on the circumstances. If players need to stun enemies, the Cycler can shock swarming adversaries, giving players the opportunity to thin the herd. The Rocket Launcher has the ability to regain health when players parry an attack and enter the splash damage zone. Combine this with the melee weapon and shield rune upgrades, and players have several strategies to survive the demon horde onslaught. The weapons and shield forge a fascinating offshoot from the combat of the first two games. It's ground-based but manages to feel fast while satisfying players' desire to combo attacks, showing off the Doom Slayer's maneuverability. The gameplay echoes the original Doom titles that reward players who can circle strafe around attacks and dodge the shower of projectiles that flash across the screen. In The Dark Ages , series veterans do the same thing, albeit with a bigger arsenal and solid defensive moves that make dodging unnecessary. In fact, the campaign has moments where it feels as though the Doom Slayer is slugging it out with Cyber Demons, trading blows while blocking the enemy's melee attacks. At times, combat is essentially a heavyweight prize fight in mid-fisticuffs. A flow state The developers mix up the main gameplay with levels, in which players control an enormous mech called an Atlan and pilot a dragon named Serrat. The giant robot action gives players a sense of scale in these battles where they fight enormous demons mainly with melee attacks. The simple fighting mechanics work as the behemoths don't have much in terms of subtlety of movement. Meanwhile, the dragon levels are less successful but still exhilarating. Flying Serrat is more complicated than controlling the mech and requires a different set of skills. Players have to locate aircraft and shoot them down while also locking in on other adversaries, while dodging attacks, in order to blast them away. The developers do a notable job of mixing these elements of play through the campaign. For example, players fly their dragon and take down a massive enemy hell-icarrier (for lack of a better word) and they can land Serrat atop the vehicle, enter it and wipe out the enemies inside. All of this flows remarkably well, and that's the driving force behind the gameplay. Amid the whirlwind of extreme violence, The Dark Ages builds a momentum in its level design and pushes players along. And though it has secrets and rewards exploration, the team lays out these secrets in way that keeps propelling the Doom Slayer forward. In other words, it's a game that keeps the energy going forward and doesn't stop until its epic conclusion. – The Mercury News/Tribune News Service
Spectator
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
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.
The Review Geek
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Doom: The Dark Ages (2025) Game Review
This new instalment in the long-running FPS franchise has a medieval slant, but despite the 'Dark Ages' setting, it's still the game you know and presumably love. There are still hordes of demons to kill, with an increasingly powerful set of weapons, and the music score is as adrenaline-pumping as ever, to enhance your excitement as you blast monsters into oblivion. The game is a prequel to the last two entries in the series, with a dark, occasionally complicated narrative that leads into the events of the 2016 reboot. Of course, you don't come to a Doom game for a plotline. For the most part, it's very forgettable – a lot of mumbo jumbo about the DoomSlayer being humanity's last hope against the forces of Hell – and a lot of it has been echoed before in previous games in the series. The bolted-on narrative adds some meaning to the run-and-gun gameplay, but whenever a cutscene appears to explain away the plot, you'll probably be itching to hit the skip button, so as to get back into the thick of the very bloody action. And if it's action you want, it's action you'll get, as you battle the hordes of darkness like a medieval badass. Movement is more weighty this time around, so you're not quite as nimble as before (which isn't to say you're particularly slow), but you do have a handy shield that you can fling around the battleground and lay waste to multiple enemies before they swarm to your locale. You also have the ability to shield charge, so even though the Doomslayer is not quite as athletic as he used to be (there is no option to dash or double jump), you can still whiz across the landscape by targeting and jumping to an enemy with your shield. This makes moving around the battleground a lot faster, useful when you're feeling outnumbered, so your chances of survival are increased dramatically. Of course, it's mainly your weapons that do much to boost your survivability. Early on in the game, you're armed with a combat shotgun, the Shredder (the Doom-verse's equivalent of a machine gun), and the Power Gauntlet, a melee weapon that packs a mighty punch. Later on in the game, you're rewarded with more powerful weapons, such as the Accelerator, a pulverising plasma gun that can rip apart the enemies' shields, and the Ballistic Force Crossbow, a limited ammo weapon which is especially useful at taking down the game's bosses. You also get a couple of new melee weapons, including the Flail, a slow but powerful chain weapon that befits the medieval setting, as well as an upgrade to the shield – the Shield Saw – that sticks into and momentarily stuns the enemies, thus boosting your offensive potential. In short, the game lets you be the badass you always want to be in a Doom game as you use your beefed-up armoury to wipe out Hell's minions. Some of these monsters are easier to defeat than others – you should have little trouble ripping apart the slow-walking Zombies and weak-assed Imps. But more of a challenge are the Riders – annoying archers who take pot shots at you while riding giant reptiles – and the Titans, gargantuan beasts that can only be taken down with certain types of weaponry. There are 39 enemy types in total, some of which you'll have seen in other Doom games, and new additions to the franchise that match the medieval setting. So, it's pretty much business as usual for a Doom game then. However, there are a couple of new gameplay additions that will likely prove divisive. The first of these sees you ride on the back of a dragon at various points during the game. Movement via this winged beast is smooth and slick, so you'll have little trouble flying around the corrupted landscape. However, you're required to use this flying lizard to take down building turrets and shields, which can be a little fiddly due to the need to build up a meter by dodging gunfire (easier said than done) before you're allowed to destroy the hellscape's defences. The other new addition is a giant piece of mechanised armour that allows you to tower over the environment and smash your way through obstacles and the minions of Hell below. Unfortunately, this isn't as much fun as it sounds, and like the dragon riding, it proves as a needless distraction to the demon-pulverising at ground level. I can understand id Software's decision to modify the traditional Doom formula – some people will appreciate the variety in gameplay – but franchise purists might get annoyed by these diversions. Despite the occasional change to formula, Doom: The Dark Ages still hearkens back to the franchise's roots. You're still required to find keys to enter previously impassable areas (and find optional secrets) within the game's expansive map, and you're often confined to specific areas until you destroy the hellspawn that litters each battleground. Fans of the franchise will welcome the familiarity, though newcomers to the series might be frustrated at the game's old-school feel and lack of depth in the puzzle department. Doom: The Dark Ages is a fun game with super-smooth combat and a wide variety of graphically impressive environments from which to unleash all manner of glorious kills on the demonic enemies. New variations to the gameplay will please some while irking others, but for the most part, this is still a traditional Doom game at heart, which will be good news for long-time fans of this loud and bombastic series.
BreakingNews.ie
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BreakingNews.ie
Doom: The Dark Ages Review - A medieval brawl with a modern twist
There's just nothing quite like dissecting demons or blasting them in the face with a shotgun. Doom has been a staple of the first-person shooter genre since the 1990s and has set the benchmark for how a shooter should feel to play. id Software are masters at making you feel like a badass demon slayer. With each new iteration, they reinvent the formula without losing the DNA that makes Doom so special. Advertisement Doom: The Dark Ages continues this tradition, offering an action-packed first-person shooter with enough weapons to satisfy anyone's power fantasy. Before delving deeper into the combat, it's worth noting how impressive the game looks. It runs consistently at a smooth 60fps on the Xbox Series X. While the environments are your standard Doom fare—Gothic cathedrals and barren hellscapes—they harness the power of modern consoles with more enemies on screen and larger set pieces. There are plenty of secret areas to discover, including plush toys and Codices, which make each area feel less linear. You can also find new skins for your weapons hidden in nooks and crannies, often behind puzzles that act as a carrot on a stick for players. While Doom Eternal focused on giving players a large variety of weapons, The Dark Ages strips things back and provides a more melee-focused experience. The Shotgun, Chaingun, and Rocket Launcher are still available, but they serve more as companion weapons. Advertisement This change may irk some fans, but those willing to adapt will find it just as satisfying as previous entries. Parrying projectiles The biggest addition is the new shield, which fits the medieval aesthetic while doubling as both an offensive and defensive weapon. The developers said their goal was to make you feel like a tank—to stand and fight rather than dodge and weave. The shield allows you to parry green projectiles from demons—a mechanic that plays a central role in combat, with some mini-bosses requiring well-timed rebounds to break their defences. Offensively, you can lock on and smash into enemies from afar. Later, the shield gets upgraded with a rotating saw that continually stuns tougher enemies while slicing through weaker ones with ease. The shield's versatility makes it one of the most satisfying weapons in the game, evoking the feel of the axe in God of War . Launching it and watching it return is always rewarding. Advertisement It takes time to get used to the melee focus, but once you enter the flow state—slicing through smaller enemies to regain health before tackling behemoths like the Cyberdemon—it clicks. Each enemy has an exploitable weakness. The Pink Rider, for example, is weaker than his mount, while the Shield Soldier becomes vulnerable once his defences are lowered. Robust package The Dark Ages continues Doom's tradition of combat experimentation. You start with the parry ability and later unlock upgrades like Runes, which add even more nuance. 'Ground Fissure' creates a shockwave upon parrying, 'Holy Swarm' unleashes daggers, and 'Auto Turret' does exactly what it says. You can also upgrade melee weapons such as the Power Gauntlets or the medieval-themed Flail by increasing damage or reducing cooldowns. It's a robust package, full of variety and replayability. Advertisement Some fans may miss the emphasis on Doom's signature Glory Kills, but the developers said these would interrupt the pacing with so many enemies on screen. Accessibility options are excellent—sliders adjust incoming and outgoing damage and fine-tune the parry window. Normal difficulty ('Hurt Me Plenty') offers a decent challenge, though seasoned players may prefer the more punishing 'Ultra-Violence' mode. While the gameplay is undoubtedly a blast, some of the missions can be repetitive. You are often dropped into a location, asked to destroy four demon portals or have to take down the bosses' grunts before you can kill them. Advertisement Some missions become repetitive—clear four demon portals, defeat grunts before facing bosses—but detours break things up. You ride dragons and pilot mechs in explosive set pieces. The mech levels are a highlight: giant, punchy, and gloriously straightforward. The dragon segments are less compelling—fiddly lock-on mechanics and underwhelming gameplay drag them down. Dragons and mechs The more traditional missions are balanced out with detours where you get to fly on a dragon and operate a giant mech. The latter is much more fun and straight forward as you are essentially a giant Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot able to smash demon Titans. They do not overcomplicate things and I always looked forward to those levels. While the dragon level help break things up, what you actual do in the levels can be quite dull. To destroy hell ships you have to lock on to their missile launchers and dodge them to break their shields. It is far from thrilling gameplay but there is nice mix between flying around destroying ships and slaying demons on the ground. Where The Dark Ages falters is in its story. As a prequel, it had the chance to delve deeper into the Doom Slayer's origins. While it is more cinematic story than previous games, as a prequel it could have gone much deeper into Doomslayer's origins. Instead, you are dropped into the ongoing war between the forces of Hell and the Night Sentinels and their allies the Maykrs. The Doomslayer is their secret weapon, and you are seeing how he is summoned when their forces are getting overwhelmed. You learn through the game how he is being controlled by them and eventually how he breaks free of their control. It is not a terrible story, but it feels like a missed opportunity not to expand on the lore in a substantial way. At the same time, I did not expect to be an HBO drama, and if it was too earnest it would detract from it. Ultimately, The Dark Ages could turn off hardcore Doom fans who see it as too much of a departure from Eternal. However, if you come in with an open mind, you will find another great entry in a series that is constantly evolving while still honouring its considerable lineage. Our score: 8/10
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Doom The Dark Ages is my favorite kind of nightmare — this is how it runs on an RTX 5090 gaming laptop
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. I got the chance to jump into Doom: The Dark Ages on an RTX 5090 gaming laptop, and let me tell you, it feels good blasting away demons in this high-fidelity, beautiful nightmare. Doom: The Dark Ages is the latest entry in the Doom reboot franchise. It takes place before Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal, at a time when the Slayer was bound by gods and kings to combat the forces of hell. It's like if medieval fantasy and Doom had a baby, and I love it (insert sob emoji here). I played Doom: The Dark Ages on an HP Omen Max 16 outfitted with an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 24GB GPU, 32GB of RAM, and a 16-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, OLED display. Here's how it ran. I wasted no time jumping into the hardest difficulty… Well, not the hardest. I don't have it in me to get my whole save wiped in Pandemonium or Ultra-Nightmare, so I went with regular ol' Nightmare. However, for the graphic settings, I pulled that level like Kronk all the way to Ultra Nightmare, 2560 x 1600, and that applies to all of the following tests below. Now, Nvidia's RTX 5090 and all of its RTX 50-series siblings boast DLSS 4, which is a super sampling technology that boosts visuals and performance. I've been somewhat critical of the technology due to my fear of developers relying on Multi-Frame Generation too heavily in order to optimize their performance (ahem, Monster Hunter Wilds). So naturally, the first thing I did was turn off all of that. I started tearing through demons in the Village of Khalim with the upscaler set to its default, TAA (there's no option to turn off upscaling). After Oblivion: Remastered scorned me with its sub-60 fps performance, I had my doubts that the RTX 5090 could pull through. But to Nvidia's credit, and id Software's for optimizing their game so well, I got a sweet 85 fps. Getting above 60 fps on a laptop with a 1600p display is ideal. However, I do like playing with the DLSS 4 upscaler, especially when set to DLAA, which maintains the native resolution while also enhancing the visuals. I expected the performance to be about the same as TAA or maybe better, but when I thrashed some devils with my new power gauntlet, it came back with 50 fps. It's not terrible, but it's not 60 fps. This is when I turned to Frame Generation (2x) and Multi-Frame Generation (4x). This technology uses AI to create frames for every true frame, 2x being one for one and 4x being one for three. It's pretty cool in theory, but it has its issues, like occasional fuzziness or artifacting. I didn't notice anything egregious in Doom: The Dark Ages, but you may have a different experience than I. I leapt back into the fray, doubling up on my aggression (turning on 2x FG), and I broke demon spines at 82 fps. That's a more comfortable frame rate, but I'm surprised FG couldn't push it further than TAA. But of course, cranking it up to MFG (4x), I saw a blistering 140 fps. Using DLAA provides the most optimal visuals outside of raw performance. However, if you want to make use of that high refresh rate display, set the DLSS to Ultra Performance. I bounced across the battlefield like my child when I say we're going outside, which got me a smooth 131 fps. And that's without frame generation. Popping on FG (2x) bumped me up to 178 fps. Then, meleeing my way to MFG (4x), the RTX 5090 blasted through the Omen's 240Hz display with a score of 260 fps. It's nice to see that id Software took care in optimizing the performance of Doom: The Dark Ages. Some beloved AAA games have failed to present respectable frames at max settings even on the most powerful hardware to date. Right now, id Software's minimum spec requirement for Doom: The Dark Ages is an RTX 2060 Super or AMD RX 6600 GPU. That's a little higher than I'd like it to be, but it feels honest considering the performance I got. But overall, if you're interested in getting one of the best gaming laptops, you can expect some slayer performance.
