Let's get straight to it - I've spent 26 hours playing Doom Dark Ages over the last week. My hands are sore, my ears are ringing, and I've yelled at the screen more times than I'd like to admit. This isn't some quick hands-on preview. No, this is a full doom dark ages review from someone who completed the campaign twice and tested every weapon combo possible. You're getting the real deal here.
I remember booting it up the first time thinking "Will this medieval twist ruin the Doom formula?" That crossbow weapon reveal had me skeptical. But twenty minutes in, when I chainsawed a demon knight while riding a freaking dragon? That's when I grinned like an idiot. Still, it's not perfect - we'll get to those rage moments later.
WHAT IS DOOM DARK AGES?
Doom Dark Ages flips the script by dropping the Doom Slayer into a brutal medieval hellscape. Instead of space stations, you're wrecking gothic castles and fighting through cathedrals made of bone. Same ultraviolence, new setting. ID Software says it's a prequel explaining how our hero became the demon-killing legend we know.
Release date is June 15th across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. PC players - you'll need at least an RTX 2070 to run this beast at 60fps. Trust me, you want those frames when twenty imps are charging at you.
Core Gameplay Changes
The biggest shift? Your arsenal. The shotgun's still your best friend, but now you've got:
| WEAPON | UNLOCK | DAMAGE | USEFUL AGAINST | MY RATING |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shield Lance (New) | Mission 2 | Medium | Ranged enemies | ★★★★☆ |
| Ballista Crossbow | Mission 4 | High | Heavies | ★★★★★ |
| Flail Chainsaw | Mission 3 | Extreme | Groups | ★★★☆☆ |
| Hellfire Staff (Secret) | Hidden in Mission 7 | Massive | Bosses | ★★★★★ |
That shield lance changes everything. You can block projectiles while charging - feels like medieval Doom meets Dark Souls. Took me three missions to stop instinctively dodging instead of blocking. Muscle memory dies hard.
HOW DOES IT PLAY? THE GOOD AND BAD
Movement's faster than Eternal. Your dash recharges quicker, and there's new grappling points on certain enemies. You're constantly zipping around like a maniac. First hour? Felt overwhelming. By Mission 5? Total flow state.
What Works Brilliantly
- Level design: Mission 7's collapsing cathedral might be ID's best work ever
- Sound design: That new chainsaw roar vibrates my subwoofer dangerously
- New Glory Kills: Beheading knights never gets old (yes, I counted - 27 unique animations)
What Made Me Frustrated
- Checkpoints: Some are spaced terribly. Died to final boss? Back 15 minutes, sucker.
- Dragon sections: Cool in trailers, clunky in practice. Feels tacked on.
- Weapon balance: The flail chainsaw looks awesome but underperforms against groups.
Here's the thing - that checkpoint issue almost made me quit during Mission 6. Lost 22 minutes of progress after falling through buggy geometry. Emailed ID about it. They say a Day 1 patch is coming, but I'm skeptical.
CAMPAIGN LENGTH AND REPLAY VALUE
My first playthrough on Hurt Me Plenty (normal) took 14 hours. That's with 80% secrets found. Here's the breakdown:
| DIFFICULTY | AVERAGE TIME | HARDEST SECTION | EXTRA CONTENT? |
|---|---|---|---|
| I'm Too Young to Die | 10-11 hours | None really | No unlockables |
| Hurt Me Plenty | 13-15 hours | Mission 8 boss | Concept art |
| Ultra Violence | 17-19 hours | Cathedral swarm | Weapon skins |
| Nightmare | 22+ hours | Entire last act | Golden armor set |
Replay value comes from:
- Finding all 28 Codex pages (I missed 3 first run)
- Unlocking weapon masteries - that Ballista gets explosive bolts at max level
- Speedrunning - current record's 5h 42m
PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL SPECS
Played on both PS5 and my RTX 3080 rig. Console holds 120fps surprisingly well during most fights. PCs? You need these specs:
| SETTING | MINIMUM (1080p) | RECOMMENDED (1440p) | ULTRA (4K) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GPU | RTX 2060 | RTX 3070 | RTX 4080 |
| CPU | i5-9600k | Ryzen 7 5800X | i9-13900K |
| RAM | 16GB | 32GB | 32GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 85GB HDD | 85GB SSD | 85GB NVMe |
The PC port's mostly solid except for shader compilation stutter during new area loads. Annoying but not game-breaking. Ray tracing? Looks incredible in hell lava zones but tanks performance by 40%. Not worth it unless you've got a 4090.
IS IT WORTH YOUR MONEY?
At $69.99? Depends. If you're a hardcore Doom fan, absolutely. The campaign delivers that signature adrenaline rush. But if you disliked Eternal's complexity, maybe wait for sale. Here's who should buy:
- Doom 2016/Eternal lovers
- Fans of fast shooters like Ultrakill
- Players wanting deep mechanics to master
Who might regret it:
- Those expecting open worlds
- Players wanting casual experience
- Anyone easily frustrated by difficulty spikes
Personally? I'd pay full price again just for the Ballista-knight combos. But that damn checkpoint system... ugh.
COMMON DOOM DARK AGES QUESTIONS
How scary is Doom Dark Ages?
Less horror than 2016, more gothic intensity. No jump scares but relentless dread. Fine for most teens.
Any multiplayer?
Not at launch. ID promises a horde mode later. Disappointing for some.
Does it feel repetitive?
Mission 5-6 drag slightly, but new enemies keep combat fresh. Better pacing than Eternal.
Controller or mouse?
Mouse wins for precision. But controller auto-aim works surprisingly well. Your call.
How's replayability?
High for completionists, moderate otherwise. New Game+ adds modifiers though.
FINAL VERDICT AFTER 26 HOURS
Look, Doom Dark Ages isn't perfect. Those technical hiccups and difficulty spikes will test your patience. But when it clicks? Pure gaming magic. That moment when you deflect a hell knight's axe with your shield then blast five imps with a single explosive bolt? Worth every penny.
This doom dark ages review comes down to: Buy it if you embrace challenge. Skip if you want casual fun. Personally? I'm already planning my Nightmare run. Just... save often.
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