"Doom: The Dark Ages": once to hell and back
Id Software's prequel "Doom: The Dark Ages" focuses on breathless action for finger acrobats: exciting, fast and bigger than its predecessors.
(Image: id Software)
Expectations are high. With the successful 'Doom' reboot from 2016, id Software has swung itself onto the first-person shooter throne. With 'Doom: The Dark Ages', it's back to the past. This time, the "Slayer" not only gets to pull out the shotgun, but also the morning star and iron fist. The result is a wild mix of classic "Doom" action and a touch of "Warhammer 40 K".
Once upon a time
The plot begins long before the stories of the well-known "Doom" saga. The Slayer is a mysterious and powerful warrior who has been enslaved by a cult. As a mercenary without a will, he is deployed where there is no hope. This time he has to save an entire kingdom and take on the forces of hell to do so. But instead of simply following orders, the "one-man army" develops something of a consciousness and does its own thing: brutally and uncompromisingly.
"Doom: The Dark Ages" im Test (5 Bilder)
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)The story only serves as a hook to string together one mission after the next. Anyone who would like to find out who this Slayer actually is and where he comes from will be disappointed. The prequel is a typical "Doom" adventure in a new, exciting scenario with sometimes huge battlefields that are somewhat reminiscent of "Warhammer 40K". The tried-and-tested gameplay delivers exactly what fans expect.
God of carnage
Above all, this means: speed, speed, speed. As Slayers, we leap from one enemy to the next. On the way, we smash a few skulls with the morning star or mow down hordes of enemies with a medieval railgun. There's no time to catch your breath or think. Like its predecessors, "Doom" is a game of intuition, in which every movement meshes with the next. The term "flow" was invented for games like this.
In the missions, the Slayer usually has to destroy dimension gates or break through the defenses of a fortress. They range from large battlefields and temples to hell. At one point, the Slayer even fights his way through the entrails of a giant monster. In other areas, particularly strong enemies await, offering health or ammunition upgrades as loot. Despite the non-stop action, a little tactic is also required. In order to survive, the Slayer must constantly farm life and armor points from small enemies. Fans are already familiar with this exciting game principle from the previous games.
The Slayer now has a new arsenal of melee weapons to fall back on. The most important weapon is the shield. It serves as an anchor point to pounce on enemies or paralyze them with an integrated circular saw that drills into the demons' bodies. Later in the game, it becomes increasingly important to parry enemy blows at the perfect moment. If you don't want to bother with this, you can extend the time window for parrying in the game settings.
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In addition to the shield, there is also the iron fist, morning star and club, which offer fast or particularly powerful blows. The ranged weapons correspond to the usual genre expectations. In addition to the beloved shotgun, the Slayer fires energy balls or heats up the enemies with the grenade launcher. Every weapon can be upgraded at weapon shrines. Equipped in this way, the Slayer unleashes an orgy of destruction that will make even its two predecessors jealous.
Dragon taming made easy
The Slayer is not only on foot this time. On the back of a dragon, he not only attacks enemy flying ships, but also destroys protective towers and fortresses. In the cockpit of a giant robot, he takes on giant monsters. Unfortunately, the good impression of the pre-release version has not been confirmed: The flight missions lack variety and the "mech" action relies too much on simple hit-and-run tactics. Dodging, striking and occasionally using a mesh gun - that's all you need to do. There is a huge gap between variety and gameplay.
"The Dark Ages" plays its trump card in classic first-person shooter action. The Slayer shoots his way mercilessly through temples and through hell. Although these are mostly the usual kill arenas, the game area has been expanded. These are huge battlefields that not only offer many dangers, but also plenty to discover. The gold or rubies needed for the weapons are hidden in remote places, for which players need code cards or have to solve side quests and small puzzles. If you want to see everything, you should plan around 25 hours of gameplay for the 22 missions of this action spectacle.
Good: In the game options, fans can customize the level of difficulty from aiming assistance to the time window for parrying. There are also a few options for accessibility, such as color accents for enemy recognition. Visually, the in-house id Tech 8 engine delivers spectacular images, but requires ray-tracing-capable graphics cards on the PC. However, path tracing will only be added with a patch after release.
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Conclusion
"Doom: The Dark Ages" is uncompromising and brutal action. Id Software pushes the pace from the very first moment. It is varied and exciting, but can be stressful. Fortunately, players are allowed to catch their breath from time to time and explore the large game areas to find extras. While the new melee combat abilities on the battlefield harmonize wonderfully with the classic "Doom" action, the giant robot fights in particular seem undemanding and monotonous. But the rest is the "Doom" that fans love. A fast-paced trip to hell that develops a pull through its playful flow that the competition can't keep up with.
"Doom: The Dark Ages" will be released on May 15 for Windows, PS5 and Xbox Series. It costs around €80 and is included in the Game Pass. We played through the Windows version for our text.
(mki)
