5 things you might have missed from the Doom The Dark Ages trailer

The Xbox Showcase surprised fans with a plethora of upcoming games including Doom The Dark Ages. This prequel to the beloved Doom franchise stood out among all the titles that were presented at the event. Much to the joy of fans, the game is releasing on the Xbox and PC as well as the PS5, meaning players of both consoles can enjoy it upon its release in 2025.

Doom The Dark Ages was first leaked in September 2023, and now the Xbox Showcase has given us the first official look at the game. Players will have to wait for the title to arrive next year, but the trailer has given us plenty of easter eggs to keep us occupied for now. Here we will talk about 5 things you may have missed from the Doom The Dark Ages trailer.

Note: This list is subjective and reflects the author's opinions.

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Doom The Dark Ages was the highlight for many fans from the Xbox Showcase

1) Medieval setting

Medieval times is the new aesthetic for Doom (Image via iD Software)

The opening montage of rocky cliffs, ancient ruins, and medieval landscapes gives fans a look at the setting for the next game in the Doom franchise. While the previous entries featured futuristic environments, it seems that Doom The Dark Ages will have us stepping into the shoes of Slayer the Spartan! The trailer featured dark and gritty environments throughout its runtime, which were quite eerie.

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2) Return of classic enemies

Enemies get a makeover (Image via iD Software)

The trailer gave us a look at some of the classic enemies from the franchise, such as Imps, Hell Knights, and Cacodemons donning medieval armor. This enemy redesign fits the game's aesthetic perfectly and keeps the visuals fresh, without straying too far from the original. This also creates opportunity for potential combat changes.

Bringing back classic enemies is a good sign as it shows that this prequel will stay true to the roots of the beloved franchise.

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3) New combat system

Swords and shields are the main focus here (Image via iD Software)

The trailer shows our protagonist getting ready to kill demons with his skull-themed shotgun and a shield, hinting at new melee combat. The protagonist can be seen killing enemies with his shotgun. But, he also gets up close to slice their limbs off with his chainsaw/shield and a morning star.

The new weapon, which is a combination of a chainsaw and a shield, can be thrown to cut enemies in half, or be used as a melee combat tool, based on the trailer visuals.

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4) Dark magic and sorcery

Enemies seem to cast spells in the upcoming Doom (Image via iD Software)

The new trailer of Doom The Dark Ages shows the enemies casting spells and summoning fireballs in the middle of the battle. This new mechanic may help make the gameplay loop more challenging due to the inclusion of magical threats. There is a chance that the protagonist may unlock magical abilities of his own through player progression, but that is just a speculation.

It would be interesting to see if the traditional Doom combat can be combined with magical abilities that players can unlock as they progress through the game.

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5) A big battle

An epic boss battle! (Image via iD Software)

In the last few seconds of the trailer, our protagonist can be seen controlling a giant machine which seems to be for a boss battle. We also get a glimpse of our protagonist fighting an enemy in the gigantic machine, and hopefully, it is not reserved for just one particular section of the game.

There is also a flying section where the protagonist is seen controlling a large dragon-like creature. If our speculation is true, there is a chance that this dragon can be tamed for traversal in scripted gameplay segments and maybe even for boss fights.