Summary
After several rumors surrounding the upcoming prequel,DOOM: The Dark Ageswas revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase, showing the Doom Slayer in a medieval-type setting equipped with an array of weapons that introduce more modern advancements to this era. Throughout thisreveal trailer, Doom Slayer could be seen with a shotgun, futuristic armor - now with a fur cape - and more to aid him in fighting off hordes of enemies, merging them with weapons of the time, such as a mace, and a shield lined with a chainsaw rim to deliver the kind of brutal combat that players have come to expect from the series over the past three decades.
WhileDOOM: The Dark Agesmay see the Doom Slayer venture into the past, it seems this mentality was also a key part to the game’s creation with its developers at id Software. Creative director Hugo Martin recently spoke toGamesRadar+about his approach to any newDOOMtitle, which often begins with revisiting the 1993 classic. Through revisiting the game that started it all,Martin claimed to have an epiphany that would bringDOOM: The Dark Agescloser to the series' roots, despite its new setting, and it came down to one key element of gameplay: projectiles.
DOOM: The Dark Ages - Release Window, Story, Setting, & New Gameplay
Here’s everything to know about the upcoming DOOM game DOOM: The Dark Ages, which takes the familiar hero of the Doom Slayer to a new context.
Doom Slayer Feels More Powerful And Grounded In DOOM: The Dark Ages
With Combat In Flatter Yet Denser Combat Arenas
Whereas the last game in the series, 2020’sDOOM Eternalsaw an increase in fast-paced combat in more vertical battlegrounds,DOOM: The Dark Ageswill see a return to the somewhat more grounded movement of the earlier games, with Martin stating “If you were an F22 fighter jet in DOOM Eternal, this time around we wanted you to feel like an Abrams tank.” While there were sequences in which Doom Slayer could be seen riding atop a mechanized dragon inDOOM: The Dark Ages' trailer, most of the combat shown definitely reflects Martin’s statement, asDoom Slayer could be seen engaging in more grounded gameplay,using his shield to parrybefore dealing out damage with his more close-range weaponry.
This movement seems to be drawing more heavily from the earlier games, with Martin reiterating “You’re heavier, more powerful, and grounded” before going on to reveal thatstrafing-to-aim is returning as a mechanic, with players encouraged to weave between projectiles, just like they did in the originalDOOM. This should come in handy as the game is set to have flatter environments thanDOOM Eternal, but also ones that are far more densely populated, so switching up these projectiles and approaches to combat will be essential in taking on these larger groups of foes due to the advancements in technology allowing more to appear on screen at once. That’s not to say that Doom Slayer will feel particularly overwhelmed by the odds stacked against him, however, as Martindescribed the weaponsas feeling like “the most powerful you’ve ever held in a DOOM game.”
Doom Slayer’s chainsaw-rimmed shield is one such projectile, as it will often be equipped to his left arm and can be used defensively or thrown to remotely dismember enemies.
