Doom: The Dark Ages
Preview
Hands-on with the Doom Slayer
by William Thompson
previewed on PC
Back in the helmet
I am of an age where I played the original Doom when it first came out. Freely distributed as shareware, it was a game that gave players a few levels with which to sink their teeth into before spending their hard-earned on the full game - much like Steam demos these days. I have pretty much been a fan of first person shooters ever since I got to shoot the plasma rifle and BFG 9000 as I wandered through the labyrinths of Doom.
So, when Hooked Gamers were lucky enough to be invited to the Bethesda office in Sydney to get a hands-on with four sections from the upcoming Doom prequel Doom: The Dark Ages, I eagerly volunteered myself. And I admit, after about four hours of gameplay across the different levels, I came away wanting more.
Captain America - Hell Edition
The first section that we played through was basically a tutorial mission, allowing players to navigate through the basics, getting them familiar with the all-important shield and its functionality. I do like a good FPS, but I generally prefer the sniper class, methodically taking down enemies from a distance. Although players can still do this to a degree, Doom: The Dark Ages tends to be more about getting up close and personal with enemies.
The shield bash is the first indication of this, allowing players to target an opponent and bashing them back into oblivion along with several other nearby pawn characters. To begin with, the Doom Slayer wields the shield like he is Captain America, knocking opponents down or flinging the shield at them with it returning to your arm like a boomerang. As you progress through the game, more powerful enemies will take more than a single shield bash to overcome and will often send their own projectiles towards you. Timely parrying of their attacks and projectiles will enable the Doom Slayer to temporarily daze enemies, allowing players to go in for the final kill.
Later on, the Shield gets a circular saw-like attachment and becomes the Shield Saw, a device that has multiple functions…each of them quite deadly. As well as the Shield Saw which is just as effective as a weapon as it is a defensive object, players will acquire several new as well as some of the well-known weapons from the Doom series. One of my favourites in the preview was the flail, a spiked ball on a chain that does a tremendous amount of damage to enemies within range. All the weapons (projectile and melee) feel quite different to wield, and along with the movement, provide a smooth combat experience.
Dracarys
From the levels that we played through, it seems like the level design has a more open world style than previous titles. There are still areas that have the close quarters dungeon feel that Doom players have come to enjoy, but there are large outdoor areas that give the world a vastness. The open-world nature is never more evident when players become a dragon rider, flying atop a cybernetic dragon. I have to admit, I felt like a futuristic Daenerys Targaryen as I swooped and ascended and then locked onto my desired target.
Although it is a small thing, I love the map in The Dark Ages. It is reminiscent of the original, letting players take a breather and chart their course towards the end goal (or towards the multitude of secrets). The map is also advantageous if you've somehow gotten yourself lost. The game does have an indicator to direct you towards your current goal, but if you're like me and wander off to search for collectibles, then the map can come in handy. And like the original, The Dark Ages has plenty of secrets and collectibles to find. Gold is also scattered around the levels, and this gold can be spent at special altars to upgrade your skills.
The controls have been refined somewhat since Doom Eternal and for the most part are much simpler to master. Having said that, there was one section of the Dragon mission where it took me several attempts to destroy a tower...but I soon worked out that I was positioned in a sub-optimal location to the side of the tower rather than directly front on.
All the Power of Hell cowering before one Man
Whilst the action is frenetic, the game does allow the player a chance for a breather during the cutscenes, which do a wonderful job of telling the story and setting the tone of what lies next. If you've played the 2016 Doom remake, you'll already know the end result, as the game leads directly up to the beginning of that game. But from my time with the preview, the journey of the Doom Slayer is an enjoyable one. The weaponry - particularly the Shield Saw - is a joy to use, the hard metal soundtrack fits in perfectly with the tone of the game, and the visuals are stunning in their gory detail. The release date in May can't come around soon enough.
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