Doom: The Dark Ages doesn’t just rip and tear — it bellows from cathedral spires, crushes bone beneath iron boots, and makes hell feel ancient, sacred, and furious. It takes the classic Doom formula and adds some bold, brutal and new ideas of its own.
But while this prequel takes the series forward in unique ways, it’s not without its flaws. The Dark Ages is plagued with a slow story and occasional repetitive gameplay sequences.
The Slayer
The story didn’t grab me at first, but it’s there if you want it — it gets better as you go. The Slayer is being wielded and on a tight leash, but the sense of control is slipping away.
The Dark Ages delivers one of the most metal twists in the series to date, and by the final levels it all comes together like the icing on a flaming undead cake.
It builds to a proper pinnacle and I felt it stuck the landing, but only just. By the end, I was whelmed. Should Doom even have a story?
The Slayer hits hard and fast, with 22 levels of ripping and tearing. He may be a man of few words, but his fists, flail, and arsenal of overpowered weapons say more than enough. Using a chainsaw shield — Captain America style — to mow down demons was gratifying and shield rushing hit just right.
That said, I spent quite a bit of time getting into a rhythm — then, by the end of the game, I felt unstoppable.
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There’s a decent variety of weapon types, with each gun offering a secondary firing style. I stuck mostly with my Shotgun/Super Shotgun and the Cycler/Accelerator, relying on R1 to quick-swap between them. The weapon wheel isn’t the greatest design, I reckon if could be a bit smoother on controller — pausing time helps, but it still breaks the rhythm. I found myself ignoring certain weapons unless a challenge required them.
Melee options are solid, with fists, a flail, and a late-game weapon that I won’t spoil — but trust me, it rules. It’s tied to a cooldown, which only makes it more satisfying when it finally comes back online.
Combat is as tight as ever — though not without its issues. At one point, I found myself longing for more breathing room, eventually dropping the difficulty so I could carve through fodder and simply enjoy the ride. There are plenty of accessibility options to cater to just about any playstyle.
Some of the Slayer’s most epic moments saw him enter a titan mech — taller than a city — and wield the power to punch other demon titans to pieces. As epic as it was, these sequences were my least favourite; they were slow, repetitive and the dodge mechanic didn’t feel right — one of these levels would’ve been more than enough for me.
Every time the Slayer hits the ground — whether from a big jump or just landing after a hop — there’s a satisfying thud and screen shake that sells his raw physicality.
Leaping from high ledges to shield-slam enemies into pieces became my go-to move. It never stopped being satisfying: the shockwave sends debris flying, the ground shakes beneath your boots, and the DualSense rumbles like it’s barely holding together.
DualSense Controller Features
Adaptive triggers add a little resistance — that shotgun trigger in particular never gets old — and even the controller speaker adds to the mayhem, though it often got a bit too loud. I found myself turning the controller volume down low to avoid blowing my ears out.
Compared to other modern PlayStation 5 titles, the DualSense’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback are underutilised in Doom: The Dark Ages.
The Slayer’s Had An Upgrade
The game’s upgrade system is intricate without being overwhelming. Gold and power up items are hidden throughout each level — often in secret rooms or gated platforming sequences — and used to improve your weapons or unlock abilities.
Each level wraps up with a summary screen outlining everything you found — or didn’t. I winced every time I missed a secret. There are also optional challenges that offer upgrade items, weapon skins and gold as rewards, sometimes nudging you to try different weapons.
Enemies of Hell
Enemy variety is solid and escalates smartly. Demons that felt like threats early in the game eventually become fodder, especially as your arsenal grows. Boss fights are satisfying and sometimes demand clever tactics — like killing surrounding demons to drop a shield before you can do real damage. It feels like a proper test of your progression.
That said, major boss battles were limited. More often than not, a big baddie will simply appear and something you thought was a unique boss type will show up multiple times down the track.
My favourite demon is hands down the Komodo, a chainsaw staff wielding lizard demon. It’s super fast, dangerous and simply looks badass.
Exploring the Dark Ages
The game’s environments are worth savouring — if you’re given the chance. The game can move at such a fast pace you’ll miss some of the work that’s gone into bringing it all to life.
Level detail is exceptional: weathered brickwork in gothic castles, paintings lining halls, swampy forests straight out of Returnal, and grotesque Alien-like labyrinths.
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Among the chaos, there’s a few level highlights. The standout saw me launching through levitating rings, diving into gravity-defying wells and weaving between enemy waves. It changed the tone of the game and brought me back to DOOM Eternal.
I also enjoyed the later dragon riding levels, which allow you to have a bit more freedom to where you hop on and hop off.
All up, there are 22 levels of ripping and tearing and I spent about 30 hours in the game.
Metal Riffs
The soundtrack is another place where things falter slightly. While undeniably metal in tone, it lacks consistency. Guitars ramp up as you enter a fight, but the music often cuts out mid-battle or gets drowned out by the chaos. It’s disappointing, because when it works, it absolutely slaps. But too often it fades into the background, never quite reaching the iconic heights of past Doom entries.
Still, the sound design overall is excellent. Gunfire, melee hits, the roar of demons — it’s all chunky and aggressive. The controller speaker, while ear drum bustlingly loud, makes every pick-up feel like a reward dropped from the heavens (or, more accurately, hell).
Should I Buy Doom: The Dark Ages?
Doom: The Dark Ages isn’t without its demons. Its slower story struggles to keep pace with the chaos, and the metal soundtrack rarely reaches its iconic heights. But when it works, it really works — crushing combat, intricate exploration, and a Slayer who still defines fury in motion.
It may not be the best in the series, but it’s a hell of a good time.
Quest Daily scores Doom: The Dark Ages:
7.5/10
Doom: The Dark Ages is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC on May 15th — it’s also coming to Game Pass.
Early access to Doom: The Dark Ages was provided to Quest Daily by the publisher.
