Stand And Deliver; Doom: The Dark Ages Arrives

The Shield Takes The Spotlight, Which Happens To Be Green

Doom: The Dark Ages got a thorough look by both Ars Technica and Rock, Paper, SHOTGUN and in many cases both sites had similar experiences; the shield is your best friend and the green flashes the game gives you to indicate you need to block an incoming attack must be obeyed.  The run and gun play style which has defined Doom from the very beginning is still there but it takes a sideline to a new mechanic, blocking, parrying, and stunning enemies with the shield.  You can blast away at the cannon fodder but when you run into a heavy duty demon you had best stop running and start blocking.

The other big change in Doom: The Dark Ages is the removal of all the secondary weapon attacks you needed to master in Doom: Eternal, which could be a pain to deal with but was absolutely required in order to win fights.  For some this will be a disappointment but for many, myself included, it seemed an odd addition to Doom and is no great loss.  Unfortunately, the new features which include piloting a 30′ tall mech and flying a cyber dragon failed to impress either reviewer; same with the cutscenes that break up your gameplay.

It wasn’t all bad, a new take on some familiar mechanics does lead to enjoyable moments but it seems that both would rather replay Doom: Eternal rather than trying a second go at Doom: The Dark Ages.