DOOM: The Dark Ages Reviews
The Slayer feels like an agile tank: precise and brutal. Every step, every blow feels weighty and satisfying, while the game's varied combat and puzzles continually add new twists and turns. The mix of explosive action and hidden secrets makes for an overall motivating experience.
Review in German | Read full review
id Software has done it again this time. DOOM: The Dark Ages is a fun and satisfying title that succeeds in embracing a wide audience thanks to multiple accessibility options and an increased focus on the content on offer. We look forward to new content to satiate our thirst for hellish blood even more.
Review in Italian | Read full review
One of the world's most infamous mass-slayers returns to the battlefield once again to save the universe. Despite a few minor missteps, DOOM: The Dark Ages is an excellent shooter that stands firmly on its own, offering a unique package compared to its predecessors. I was genuinely surprised by how strongly it drew me in: its learning curve is well-designed, and the gameplay innovations worked extremely well for me. Adding to that, a well-made progression system with collectible treasures like the familiar satanic plushies, the experience is easy to recommend – both to longtime DOOM fans and those who may have skipped the previous entries. Demons, tremble!
Review in Finnish | Read full review
Id Software takes its best-known saga to unexpected places keeping intact the virtues that made Doom start a new chapter in the history of video games.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
id Software has delivered an exceptional game, staying true to the beloved and brutal gameplay style that DOOM fans have come to expect, while also introducing new weapons, abilities, and mechanics.
DOOM: The Dark Ages feels packed with situations that test a player and challenge them to use every element in their arsenal.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is more than a sequel. It is a re-foundation. A declaration of intent. A celebration of everything that made the saga great, but also a challenge to its own limitations. It reduces, simplifies, cleans - but in doing so, adds weight, intensity, meaning. It is the most concentrated chapter of the new trilogy, but also the one densest with ideas. It recaptures the spirit of the classics, but reworks it in a modern, coherent structure. It is no longer a Slayer against the world, but a vengeful spirit carved in iron, spanning an era that is both ancient and future. Are there imperfections? Yes. Some sections with the Atlan could have offered more variety. The difficulty should have been better calibrated by default. But these are details, creases in an armour that remains solid and menacing. As a whole, The Dark Ages is a fully aware, confident DOOM, capable of reinventing itself once again and doing so fearlessly. The Doom Slayer is back and in the Dark Ages, brighter than ever.
Review in Italian | Read full review
DOOM: THE DARK AGES feels like a reboot of its own, a sideways step back away from a lot of the changes made in DOOM Eternal. DOOM: THE DARK AGES doesn't have the same pressure on you to be absolutely perfect, the fun zone has been widened pretty dramatically and the game is much better for it. Of course if you want to ratchet it all the way up to ultra-violence difficult setting you absolutely can. The choice this time round, is completely yours.
Despite what its title may suggest, DOOM: The Dark Ages plays more like a brutal renaissance for DOOM, trading the aerial flair of DOOM (2016) and Eternal for a grittier, boots-on-the-ground combat loop. With a mech, a dragon, a darker story, and a crusade-sized campaign, it's everything you'd want to sink your chainsaw shield into.
DOOM The Dark Ages is an extraordinary game, a title that, as already mentioned, forcefully positions itself as one of the best of the year. It's DOOM to the nth degree, succeeding in evolving the formula without betraying its spirit; in fact, in some ways, it even returns to the saga's roots. It could definitively win the hearts of long-time fans, captivated by its level design and its more "grounded" feeling. It might appeal slightly less, but still immensely, to those who idolized the aerial frenzy of Eternal, yet they will still find themselves facing a deep, satisfying, and technically flawless gaming experience. It is, in my opinion, the most complete and narratively well-crafted DOOM of the modern trilogy, and that's why I was prompted to give it our Editor's Choice. We are looking at a title of exceptional caliber, a must-buy for every shooter enthusiast and another gem in the already rich Xbox Game Pass catalog. Prepare to unleash hell. Again.
Review in Italian | Read full review
DOOM: The Dark Ages masterfully balances nostalgic boomer shooter vibes with fresh gameplay ideas, delivering a visceral, addictive combat loop. While some forced innovations dilute the pace and highlight level design flaws, it’s still a thrilling ride for FPS fans and a worthy evolution of the series.
Review in Italian | Read full review
DOOM: The Dark Ages is perhaps the toughest DOOM title to date. The new weapons, especially the Shield Saw, are great. The story and the Slayer mythology are told in a cool way. The combination of brutal combat, immersive atmosphere and impressive level design make this one of the best single-player shooters of the year. Where other games stick to safe formulas, this game dares to do something really new, without losing that raw, tough DOOM feeling.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a fantastic next step for the franchise and a nice return to its roots. The horizontal-movement focus is easier to wrap my head around, and with a great assortment of weapons and the new shield, there were so many chaotic and destructive moments that I always found myself having a great time in the beautiful world. There were some moments when the shield would disrupt the flow of my movement, and there wasn't much to do outside of completing the campaign and collecting the secrets, but it's hard not to recommend the game just based on its addictive and refined gunplay.
I liked Doom: The Dark Ages, which is a bit more innovative, may not be liked by old fans but has a game system that can attract new players, and also comes with official Turkish language support, and I even had more fun playing it than Doom Eternal.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
The best way to summarize DOOM: The Dark Ages is that it lets you live out the ultimate fantasy of a testosterone-fueled, steroid-pumped gym bro who goes to space and slaughters demons—and nothing can stop him. There’s truly nothing else like it on the market right now, especially in today’s overly sanitized, pussy ass snowflake-infested gaming landscape. So thank you, Bethesda, for delivering the ultimate male power fantasy we all deserve.
Doom: The Dark Ages proves that there's no need to fear change, as long as it's done with purpose, respect, and solid design. It’s a tribute to what Doom once was, an evolution of what it is today, and perhaps a glimpse of where it’s headed in the future. If you're a fan of intense, demanding shooters with a strong personality, this game won't disappoint you. And if you're looking for something fresh within the genre, this might be exactly what you needed.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a remarkable addition to the DOOM franchise, showcasing an impressive evolution in gameplay and storytelling.
As someone who wants story in my single player games, Doom: The Dark Ages delivered in a way previous Doom games never did while keeping the core fans happy with the crisp, varied gun play. Doom: The Dark Ages is a must play for fans and is a great place to start for newcomers.
Doom: The Dark Ages is a brutal, strategic, and satisfying shooter that dares to try something new without abandoning what fans love. It’s another classic in the making, and a clear sign that the series has a lot of room to grow.
Doom: The Dark Ages marks a definite and conscious turning point for the franchise, offering a more mature, visceral and atmospheric dark fantasy/fantasy single-player experience. Abandoning the ultratechnical frenzy of Doom Eternal, the game draws on dark, Lovecraftian medieval imagery, resulting in a slower, but no less brutal or satisfying shooter. The introduction of new parry mechanics (thanks to the incredible shield saw), melee weapons, new and devastating mouths of fire, and sections aboard mechs and dragons makes the gameplay surprisingly varied and consistent with the setting. Despite some risk of repetitiveness and the absence of a multiplayer segment, The Dark Ages succeeds in revamping the formula without betraying the identity of the Doom Slayer and making it-thanks to the many accessibility features-accessible to any player. It is a different Doom and, for that very reason, damn fascinating!
Review in Italian | Read full review