Doom Dark Ages

DOOM: The Dark Ages ended up being a really enjoyable return to the series for me. I liked it quite a bit more than DOOM Eternal, although it still doesn’t quite reach the level of DOOM (2016). That game felt like a massive reset for the franchise—simple, aggressive, fast, and incredibly satisfying—and The Dark Ages feels like another attempt to shake up the formula rather than simply making another Eternal.

The biggest improvement for me is the combat. Eternal was a great game, but at times it felt like I was constantly managing cooldowns, ammo, glory kills, chainsaws, and specific weapons for specific enemies. The Dark Ages still requires you to think during fights, but I found the combat more enjoyable and less restrictive. I especially liked the alternate weapons and the shield. The Shield Saw adds another layer to combat without making everything feel overly complicated, and blocking, parrying, throwing it into enemies, and then following up with your weapons makes you feel ridiculously powerful.

I also really enjoyed the heavier feel of the Doom Slayer. Instead of constantly flying around arenas like in Eternal, The Dark Ages makes you feel more like a walking tank. There’s still plenty of movement and chaos, but the combat has more weight behind it. Combined with the medieval setting, huge environments, demons, and absurd weaponry, it gives the game its own identity instead of feeling like DOOM Eternal 2.

Not everything works perfectly, and I still think DOOM (2016) had the best overall balance. There was something about the simplicity, atmosphere, soundtrack, and surprise of that game that made it special. After years without a great modern DOOM game, 2016 completely reinvented the franchise while somehow still feeling like classic DOOM.

The Dark Ages doesn't have quite that same impact, but it's probably my favorite direction the series has taken since then. It takes some chances, gives you some great new toys—especially the shield and alternate weapons—and lets you concentrate more on destroying demons than constantly managing combat systems.

My DOOM ranking: DOOM (2016) > The Dark Ages > DOOM Eternal

8/10