Doom The Dark Ages preview — Get ready to rip and tear like never before

Ahead of today’s Xbox Developer Showcase, I received a hands-off preview of Doom The Dark Ages — id Software’s upcoming prequel to Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal. All this did was fuel my intense need for the game — I’ve been a fan since I played the original Doom at a friend's house many years ago. We got to see quite a few teases from upcoming stages, plenty of weapons, and more.

This vast medieval prequel to the modern Doom games is certainly something to be excited about. The original trailer was exciting, but what players will see today is on a whole different level. I cannot overstate how excited I am to eventually get hands-on with Doom The Dark Ages, now that I’ve seen what I have.

---

Doom The Dark Ages is more accessible than ever and that’s a great thing

Now, I wanted to start with Doom The Dark Ages’ accessibility, because I think that is important. Not everyone wants to feel punished by brutal difficulty — though some do and I respect it. However, the ability to adjust and slide around a host of difficulty sliders at any time is important for the overall health of the game.

Who wouldn't want to pilot a giant, demon-slaying robot? (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

These sliders don’t just make the game easier, either. You might feel like the baseline difficulty levels just aren’t hard enough. Do you want more aggressive enemies? Fewer resources? Less time to parry incoming attacks? You can have that and more! Instead of using hacks and console commands, you just have access to these things:

• Damage to Player
• Damage to Demons
• Enemy Projectile Speed
• Enemy Aggression
• Parry Window
• Daze Duration
• Game Speed
• Resource Values

All this does is make the game more accessible for those who want to enjoy the game and rip their way through the forces of Hell. I think the power fantasy of being an unstoppable killing machine is one many share, and you can tinker and adjust the difficulty.

I think that keeps the ideals of the game intact and still offers plenty of challenges — whether it’s in the combat or collecting everything the game has hidden around its surface.

---

Doom The Dark Ages has so many amazing weapons and ways to kill

The Doom Slayer has plenty of tools at his disposal (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

What’s a good Doom game without sick ways to shred through enemy bodies? Doom The Dark Ages has some truly amazing weaponry, such as the Skull Crusher. This might be one of the coolest guns I’ve ever seen. You feed a skull into it and the grinders wear it down, and fire waves of skull fragments at anything in front of you. It’s just beautiful and perfect in gun form.

You also have more melee options than ever before! Sure, you start with the Gauntlet, but there’s also a flail and flanged mace! You can pick whichever one you prefer as you unlock them, and each weapon has its pros and cons. It’s all up to you. But there’s also one more weapon that deserves a highlight — the Shield Saw.

Do I miss the regular chainsaw? Of course, I do. But now, thanks to Doom The Dark Ages, I can throw my chainsaw at enemies! My favorite part about the new Shield Saw is that it turns the Doom Slayer into a gore-soaked Captain America; throw the shield, get into position, and watch as demons are shredded by the combination of chainsaw and shield.

---

Doom The Dark Ages perfectly nails the power fantasy and evolves from the previous games

Cybernetic Dragons are the only way to fly (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

While I love the Doom games just in general, what I adore about them is feeling unstoppable — one of the developers said the game feels like you’re a Monster Truck, and I think that’s a sound way to put it. You’re a tanky, violent, massive force of nature that rips, crushes and smashes through anything unfortunate enough to be on the other side.

I wasn’t as keen on the “jump and shoot” mechanics of Eternal — even if I did enjoy the game. I didn’t want to feel like the Bionic Commando — I wanted to be the Doom Slayer! Doom The Dark Ages feels more like what I expected from the series and every bit of combat we saw just looked crunchy and satisfying.

---

Final Thoughts

Doom The Dark Ages’ release date of May 15, 2025, absolutely cannot get here fast enough. A gross, violent medieval fantasy that serves as a prequel to Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal is just exciting to me. There’s more story — and it’s not hidden behind Codex entries — and violence than ever before.

There’s just something that feels right about tearing demons apart or shooting them until they explode. You’ve got more tools at your disposal and a world filled with unrepentantly evil creatures that need to get destroyed. Rip and tear, until it is done.