Doom: The Dark Ages – The masters of FPS strike gold again in biggest Doom yet

Doom: The Dark Ages could have played it safe with id Software’s winning formula. Instead, the script has been flipped as the FPS franchise pivots to not just a new setting, but a new, more expansive approach to level design as well. Both proved an absolute treat in our early hands-on preview.

A bloody brilliant comeback in 2016 revitalized the dormant franchise before Doom: Eternal upped the ante in 2020. With some of the most satisfying gunplay and fluid movement systems in the genre, id reclaimed its seat on the FPS throne.

Now in 2025, how do you follow it up? In their third crack at a modern Doom game, the developers are taking a few bold swings. Will they all hit the target? Perhaps not. But they certainly can’t be accused of selling us the same game with a new coat of paint.

After just over two hours of hands-on time with Doom: The Dark Ages, it’s clear how the jump back in time is far from the most important change. Entirely new styles of gameplay and FPS features add a newfound rhythm to every fight, a more intricate narrative, and best of all, the biggest areas Doom has ever seen all help elevate this new entry to greater heights.

There’s a lot on offer here and after getting a small taste, it’s climbed the ranks as one of my most anticipated games of the year.

Bigger is actually better in The Dark Ages

After setting the tone with an introductory level and a glimpse at new levels, I wasn’t entirely sold on the need for The Dark Ages. It wasn’t until the final slice of the preview build that I had the lightbulb moment and it all clicked.

While the first two games certainly had their fair share of larger environments, they’re nothing compared to the sprawling open lands on display in The Dark Ages. Scale alone is one thing, but it’s how densely packed these bigger areas are that truly makes them shine.

It would be simple enough to merely go a step beyond levels from the past two games. Make them a bit bigger and pad them out with a few more enemies – easy. But that’s not quite the case here. Open areas are jam-packed full of upgrades to collect, secret areas to uncover, puzzles to solve, and even optional bosses to put in their place.

Although the preview tried to push me in a certain direction, I made it my mission to stay in the open area and see as much as possible. About an hour later and I still hadn’t ticked every box.

I stumbled upon underwater chasms no other journalist in the preview session did. I gathered a bunch of the rarest resource in the demo to upgrade my arsenal beyond what was likely intended. I found unfinished weapon skins, codex entries, and, of course, a handful of toys too. All great rewards in their own right, but the pure sense of joy from exploring and finding a hidden path provided the greatest sense of satisfaction.

As you venture off the beaten path, you’ll still be bumping into all sorts of demonic baddies, but they’re almost just set dressing as you make your way to the next hidden tomb. One moment you’re tracking down three statues to destroy to unlock a gem. The next, placing your shield throws just right to open a new path and get to a hidden bit of gear. All of this is deeply engaging.

That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of fighting to be done as well. The world is at war and you’re a pawn on the board, taking out countless foes on your path of destruction. The main objective will obviously drop you into plenty of combat scenarios, but I found the optional tasks to be even more thrilling.

Scattered throughout our preview level were a handful of Leaders. These uniquely powerful enemies are untouchable until you meet a certain condition. On this occasion, I had to wipe out every other demon in the vicinity before the Leader’s shield would be disabled.

What ensued from there was a challenging one-on-one encounter that demanded a great deal from me. Rest assured, FPS purists looking for another near-impossible run are in for a treat here, especially with the game’s many difficulty sliders in the settings.

This period of exploration stuck with me over all else. Even now I can’t wait to get stuck into the full release and see what I may have missed in that one area, let alone what else awaits in the many other sprawling environments.

Familiar gameplay with a few sensational new tricks

At its core, The Dark Ages is of course still very much a Doom game. You’re still blitzing through dozens of enemies at a time, mincing weaker foes while hot-swapping weapons and equipment while expertly maneuvering through the map to take down more challenging targets. The heart of the combat we all know and love is intact.

Though id Software has a few more clever tricks up its sleeve this time around, and one of them is an outright game-changer. While on the surface, the addition of the shield we saw in the first trailers may not look all too significant, it fundamentally changes your entire approach to gunplay.

Red projectiles hurt, but green projectiles provide an opportunity. Timing your block just right can send the green blast flying back at its shooter. If you’re up close, countering at just the right moment can leave your enemy staggering.

Meanwhile, unloading certain types of ammunition into enemy shields can effectively heat up the metal plating. When it’s glowing hot, a quick shield throw can leave them exposed as it crumbles their own shields to dust.

Not to mention, when larger targets are on the field, you can wedge your chainsaw-infused shield into their chest, delaying incoming attacks for a few seconds.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how versatile the shield can be in combat. Fights feel like much more of a dance now, remembering which step to take next and when to time your next move. It coalesces into this hypnotic loop that once you’re aligned with, is just pure ecstasy.

The masters of the FPS genre have struck gold once again.

A bigger emphasis on narrative

The first two games of the modern era had their storylines but they certainly weren’t the selling point. Much of the broader narrative was packed away in codex entries, with odd exposition dumps being the only thing to break up an otherwise relentless stream of combat.

Here, that’s finally changing, as The Dark Ages brings the narrative to the forefront. That means proper cutscenes, fleshed out characters, and far more intrigue than the first two entires allowed for. There are warring factions with their own motives, new antagonists to conquer, and plenty more to add a new layer of depth to the action.

Now, will The Dark Ages be winning any awards for its exceptional writing? Probably not. It won’t be setting our world on fire quite like those in-game, but it’s nonetheless a notable improvement and will be a welcome change of pace for experienced fans.

Especially when considering this game’s place on the timeline, a prequel set well before Doom 2016, it’s fascinating to consider just how this piece it fits into the greater puzzle.

Putting the controller down after two and bit hours, I was left surprised in more ways than one. Above all else, I was relieved to find the vast open areas weren’t just large for the sake of being large, but they’ve been meaningfully crafted with exploration in mind. I can’t wait to get lost again.

But it was the rhythmic combat and the intriguing narrative hook that has kept me thinking about it long after wrapping up the preview session. Admittedly, not everything was stellar. A few gameplay elements in particular felt like subpar distractions from everything I’ve raved about here. But on the whole, Doom: The Dark Ages is shaping up to be far better than most are expecting.