I played DOOM: The Dark Ages for three hours, and my expectations shattered like demon parts! This fresh game keeps the fast combat, bloody looks, and loud music from recent DOOM titles. Yet it pushes way beyond what came before. The team let me try four different parts of the game, each showing something new. Let me tell you about them.
First came a story mission with actual cutscenes, not just text entries. We see planet Argent D'Nur, the god-like Makyrs, and our hero kept prisoner until needed. They gave me a shotgun and shield; then I started smashing demons. Levels switch between tight hallways and open fighting areas. Your weapons feel super powerful, and you must attack to stay alive.
The shield changes everything because enemy shots come at you more often. You can block, then charge with your shield to close gaps and hurt multiple enemies. Green-marked attacks can be parried to stun demons. Later, I found the Shield Saw that cuts weak enemies in half when thrown. The upgrade system adds cool options rather than just better stats. My spike-firing Shredder could plant ammo in enemies and blow up when I threw my shield at them.
The second part showed off mech combat with The Atlan. This plays slower but much stronger than normal DOOM. You punch giant demons to build combo meters for special moves like stomps or knockout hits. You need to dodge attacks because one hit resets your combo to zero. During my session, I received massive miniguns from orbit to finish the level with crazy firepower.
For my third mission, I rode a cybernetic dragon with heavy guns to defend a flying city. After locking onto enemies, you can strafe around them. Successful dodges boost your weapons to stun enemies before your dragon performs finishing moves. The real surprise? Each enemy ship becomes its mini-level. You shoot outside parts first, then land and fight through on foot until you reach the engine. Destroy it, and you skydive back to your dragon through the explosion.
The final section completely changed what I thought DOOM could be. They put me in an open sandbox area with just one goal: close five demon portals. How I did it was up to me. Extra goals filled the map - artillery batteries to destroy, gold caches for upgrades, and random surprises. A huge tentacle burst from the ground during my exploration without warning or prompt.
Each portal worked differently. Some transported me to dungeons with puzzles. Others had Leader enemies who stayed invincible until I killed enough of their followers. I found new guns throughout the area. The developers kept throwing fresh ideas at me constantly, not just new enemies or weapons but entire new ways to play.
DOOM: The Dark Ages launches May 15, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PC (Xbox app, Steam, Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and cloud. It will hit Game Pass on release day. This feels like a team excited about what DOOM can become, not just what it already is. I expected a new story, guns, and demons—I never expected these brand new gameplay styles.
First came a story mission with actual cutscenes, not just text entries. We see planet Argent D'Nur, the god-like Makyrs, and our hero kept prisoner until needed. They gave me a shotgun and shield; then I started smashing demons. Levels switch between tight hallways and open fighting areas. Your weapons feel super powerful, and you must attack to stay alive.
The shield changes everything because enemy shots come at you more often. You can block, then charge with your shield to close gaps and hurt multiple enemies. Green-marked attacks can be parried to stun demons. Later, I found the Shield Saw that cuts weak enemies in half when thrown. The upgrade system adds cool options rather than just better stats. My spike-firing Shredder could plant ammo in enemies and blow up when I threw my shield at them.
The second part showed off mech combat with The Atlan. This plays slower but much stronger than normal DOOM. You punch giant demons to build combo meters for special moves like stomps or knockout hits. You need to dodge attacks because one hit resets your combo to zero. During my session, I received massive miniguns from orbit to finish the level with crazy firepower.
For my third mission, I rode a cybernetic dragon with heavy guns to defend a flying city. After locking onto enemies, you can strafe around them. Successful dodges boost your weapons to stun enemies before your dragon performs finishing moves. The real surprise? Each enemy ship becomes its mini-level. You shoot outside parts first, then land and fight through on foot until you reach the engine. Destroy it, and you skydive back to your dragon through the explosion.
The final section completely changed what I thought DOOM could be. They put me in an open sandbox area with just one goal: close five demon portals. How I did it was up to me. Extra goals filled the map - artillery batteries to destroy, gold caches for upgrades, and random surprises. A huge tentacle burst from the ground during my exploration without warning or prompt.
Each portal worked differently. Some transported me to dungeons with puzzles. Others had Leader enemies who stayed invincible until I killed enough of their followers. I found new guns throughout the area. The developers kept throwing fresh ideas at me constantly, not just new enemies or weapons but entire new ways to play.
DOOM: The Dark Ages launches May 15, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PC (Xbox app, Steam, Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and cloud. It will hit Game Pass on release day. This feels like a team excited about what DOOM can become, not just what it already is. I expected a new story, guns, and demons—I never expected these brand new gameplay styles.
