4/5 ★ – DanteHR's review of DOOM: The Dark Ages.

I had the opportunity to try one of the most anticipated games of this year, and the most anticipated FPS of the last few years. DOOM: The Dark Ages, developed by ID Interactive and published by Bethesda, is one of the most enjoyable singleplayer FPS games I've played in a while.. with just a few problems. I've played it for over 20 hours, but in the end, it started to leave a bitter taste in my mouth, so I'm going to start telling you "the beginning of my journey". Doom: The Dark Ages has a very promising beginning, STRONG I could say, where we can see our main character in his total splendor. As a small note, the action takes place before Doom Eternal and Doom 2016, so we see Doomslayer in his weakest form. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how good the art and creative vision that the developers delivered in this game is, the medieval touch is something I would not have expected to receive. Although I haven't played a singleplayer FPS in a very long time, especially on console, I was relieved to see how easy this game is to maneuver with a controller, you have a kind of soft aim assist, which if you are not careful enough, chances are you can ignore it throughout the game. In short, the first few hours of the game really caught my attention and kept me captivated in this fantasy world, especially when it allowed me to explore every corner of the map, and find something. When it comes to combat, this game really delivers, without false promises. Probably the best part is the arsenal itself, a wide range of weapons that you can obtain throughout the game. There are 13 ranged weapons, one of which is special, which I won't talk about for now, and 3 weapons are melee, a gauntlet, a flail and a Dreadmace, each of them has its pros and cons, but for the most part, the last weapon you unlock is the most useful from all points of view. Let's talk a little about the variety of enemies, for the most part, the legendary DOOM series... is not known for a wide range of enemies, well.. it's pretty much the same here, I can't say that this new release has changed anything. Not at all! It managed to disappoint me in terms of bosses, having very few, with many phases like in a soulslike game, something that I disliked. Probably the biggest complaint from the community was the removal of Glory Kills. I've never been a big fan of the EXTRA and Gore-Y animations after I've already killed an enemy, probably because I disliked the fatalities in the Mortal Kombat series, but, back to the topic.. They removed them to make the game an even faster experience, which, it didn't really succeed. The game feels slower-paced than the other games in the new trilogy, but it can be changed with modifiers.. some very good options that the developers gave us. You can speed it up to 2x if you think it's too slow, you can also multiply the damage, if you have difficulty passing a level.. there are options and options, which, more importantly, can make the experience customized in such a way that it is to the liking of each player. But the best part, siii.. which I hoped was changed compared to the other games, is EXPLORING! DOOM: The Dark Ages is a linear game, set in 22 levels, 13 more than in Doom 2016 and Eternal, a drastic change if you ask me. However, the secrets and side content that the game offers is wonderfully addictive. I felt like 8-9 years ago, when I collected every collectible from the LEGO games, a very good feeling. One category in which I was quite disappointed is GRAPHICS.. especially on PS5. The graphic fidelity and textures were embarrassing, not necessarily unacceptable, but in poor taste, especially for a game from 2025.. I had much higher expectations. I can say that Doom Eternal, a game from 2020, is more graphically powerful than The Dark Ages, which is a 5-year difference. However, the artistic direction has added a lot for me, as it says in the name, the main theme of this game is the medieval era.. combined with a little Sci-Fi of course. The sound of the game is pretty good, you can differentiate the sounds of the enemies at 360°, when they are behind you without worries. I can say the same thing about the music, although it is a little more left in the game compared to the OST of the previous games.. it still gives you a very pleasant vibe, especially for all Heavy Metal listeners. As for the story of the game, I can't say much, although the game had more scope in developing our characters and the main plot, it still didn't shine that much for me. In short, as I mentioned above, this game is a prequel, chronologically, the first game of the DOOM trilogy. As a short introduction, without too many spoilers, the Night Sentinels of Argent D'Nur and their allies Maykrs are locked in a savage war against the forces of Hell. Doomslayer (our main character), a weapon of heaven, if I can call him that, is sent by Maykrs to help humanity against the forces of evil, until Doomslayer manages to escape the control that Maykrs has put against him. With an extraordinary combat, a very good music and a top notch artistic direction, Doom: The Dark Ages has become one of the best FPS games I've played lately, with all the minuses it offers us. Another huge minus, which makes the game sell poorly and be criticized as well, is the huge price of $ 80.. in this point of view, it does not justify it, considering that the entire game, with all the side content, is around 25-30 hours, and not very qualitative, at the level of Witcher 3 or Elden Ring. I recommend it on XBOX Game Pass, where you can try it for free! 8/10 Made by DanteHR