Shane
The age of darkness has descended upon the world of DOOM with id Software’s latest chapter in the decades long first person shooter franchise.
With a focus more on combat than the hectic fast paced slaughter we have seen in prior games, DOOM: The Dark Ages is a slower jaunt through hellish planets.
Storywise this is a prequel to 2016’s DOOM and furthers the story of the rise of the Doom Slayer, being the Kingdom’s last hope.
Still retaining the first person play and gore fest that we know and love in this mech-tech / horror crossover you are eqipped with the Gauntlet for some up and close melee, an array of automatic weapons and a few new editions such as the bone firing Skull Crusher and Shield Saw for blocking and long range.
Take downs of larger enemies, especially the ‘Leaders’ offer the opportunity to enact a brutal finisher and the environments (Planets) you find yourself in are mostly free roam.
Kill a ‘Leader’ and reap their essence for vitality upgrades and more.
There’s pick ups everywhere, but to find the real good stuff you need to look out for hidden spots, and most are not easily discovered. But there are secrets everywhere, but nowhere. From Codex, gold, chests through to DOOM collectables and more to be located.
Gold can also be gained from completing Mission Challenges.
Finding Sentinel shrines enable upgrades of armor and weapons. You need gold, rubies or wraithstones to spend
Life sigils are another hidden goodie. These if needed will ressurect you on the spot, without, you’ll restart at the last checkpoint if you’re taken down.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a solid play, if you don’t spend the time to look around for hidden treasures it can also be a quick playthrough to with 22 chapters in total.
The game also has unlockable cosmetics include unlockable or secret skins for your character and weapons and there’s a Milestones from the main menu where you can track your play.
At the end of each chapter you are given a summary on your exploits. Something Milestones does not do is allow you to warp back to a Planet you have previously finished, to do this, you need to go to Chapter Select so us completists can revisit an area to find hidden secrets that were missed.
In all DOOM: The Dark Ages gives us the demon filled, blood-lust that we love from the DOOM games, but it paces itself without the chaos and plays out like a satisfying mech, tech, hellish gore fest.
Released: May 2025
Rating: M
Platform reviewed: PlayStation 5,
Genre: FPS
Developer: id Software
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks