There’s nothing like Doom, especially among recent releases, as the series reinvents itself as a fast-paced arcade shooter that’s not afraid to paint the town red with demon blood. A new entry in the series was recently announced, and this time, Doom: Dark Ages will see players wreak medieval carnage as they fight against an army of the cursed.
A dark fantasy game with an over-the-top weapons arsenal and a metallic soundtrack, rumors of a Doom prequel began to emerge after court documents leaked in 2023, with the game tentatively titled Doom: Zero Year. Now that it’s been released, here’s everything we know so far about Doom: Dark Ages.
When will Doom: Dark Ages be released?
As revealed at the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase, Doom: Dark Ages will be released in 2025.
“Doom: Dark Age” platform
“Doom: Dark Ages” will launch multi-platform versions on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5. Microsoft owns the rights to the franchise but will continue to release new entries in the series on competing systems like the PS5. This is a first-party game from Microsoft, so it should be available through Game Pass as well.
Will PS5 Pro enhance Doom: Dark Ages?
The number of games currently labeled as PS5 Pro Enhanced Edition is still very small, and “Doom: Dark Ages” is not currently on the list. Games developed by Id Software are often among the best in class in terms of visuals, and if the next Doom is indeed optimized for high-end Sony consoles, it will certainly benefit from that system’s extra horsepower.
The story, setting and characters of “Doom: Dark Ages”
Doom: Dark Ages bridges the gap between the original game from the ’90s and the 2010s releases of Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. According to the backstory of the previous games, Doomguy ended up in the world of Argent Denur, home of the Night Sentinels, where he was forced to fight in a gladiator pit after being enslaved. After proving his worth in battle, Doomslayer joined the Night Sentinels just in time for Hell’s invasion of Nur’in.
This is where Dark Ages has the potential to tell one of the most exciting chapters in the Doomsday saga, as according to legend, Doom Guy was empowered by Maykr technology in a last-ditch effort to stop the armies of Hell. After the Night Sentinels discover that they were ultimately betrayed by the Mayks, who sided with Hell in order to exploit the conflict to generate the Argent Power, the Warriors and Doom Guy embark on a suicide mission into Hell to disrupt Plan May Killing people.
All we know is that only Doom Guy survived, spent eternity in Hell, and became the legendary Doom Slayer.
Doom: Dark Age gameplay
Like other Doom games, Dark Ages’ main combat is centered around pure running sensation. Dark Ages directors Hugo Martin and Marty Stratton said the game has a distinct sense of forward energy, influenced by the original Doom game.
“At the beginning of the project, everyone was going back and playing the original Doom,” Stratton said. “There’s a lot of things that fueled us in the original game… It’s always evolving, but even the way we develop and the size of our team, there’s a lot of DNA. When we talk about things like Doom [in development]which very much seems to borrow ideas from the original Doom and Doom 2. It’s amazing when playing games.
The directors also explained how the game’s slower-moving projectiles are reminiscent of the first two Doom games.
“I think in the original Doom, in the opening hours, we all remember imps or soldiers firing slow-moving slugs… and they hit really hard,” Martin explained. “If you get hit by one of these, you’re going to be in a lot of trouble… That’s where movement comes in. Instead of building a multi-story arena… if we ground it, reduce Slow down the speed of the projectiles, make them hit harder and create patterns in the space, and then that’s the jungle gym you’re going to traverse.
We haven’t seen yet how the health and ammo economy of Dark Ages will work. 2016’s Doom forced players to essentially use specific tools and actions to get what they needed from their enemies, and Doom Eternal builds on that idea with an action system, chainsaws, flamethrowers weapons and swords. It’s a killer combination of pace and speed, and it’ll be interesting to see how Doom’s emphasis on tearing apart enemies evolves in the Dark Ages.
Doom: Weapons of the Dark Ages
Some of the best arsenals in video games can be found in the Doom games, and Dark Ages looks set to continue this tradition of shocking firepower. So far, we’ve seen the Doom Slayer’s signature super shotgun, a plasma-firing assault rifle, a rifle that fires railroad stakes, and a weapon that grinds away skulls and turns them into deadly high-velocity shrapnel. Officially, this is called the Skull Crusher, but unofficially, we call it our Head Cannon.
Doom: Dark Age Shield
Interestingly, in Dark Ages the Doomsday Slayer also wields a shield in combat, proving that the best defense is a metal-bladed shield saw that can be hurled through demons like a bloodthirsty version of Captain America. Not only can you use your shield to block attacks and push away enemy fire, but when you time it right, you can even parry enemies. In the brief snippets of gameplay we’ve seen so far, the Doom Slayer throws his shield like a demonic Frisbee through cannon fodder enemies, bounces off walls for more damage, and catches it in one fluid motion, ready to use it Fight against the legions of hell.
While you’ll have to wait until 2025 to feel it in action, one enterprising modder has already inserted it into the original Doom game.
Can you ride a dragon in Doom: Dark Ages?
Yes you can! While there aren’t many details yet, we do know that the Doomsday Slayer will be riding a fuel-spewing cybernetic battle dragon in the game.
Can you pilot a Pacific Rim-style mech against a Godzilla-sized demon?
You bet your chainsaw shield can rip apart on a massive scale, thanks to the Atlan Mecha.
Stay tuned to GameSpot in the coming days, weeks, and months for more information on DOOM: Dark Ages!