A journey through the origins of the Slayer legend up to the latest title announced at the Xbox Showcase. Doom: The Dark Ages.
During the Xbox Showcase on June 9th, the first teaser of Doom: The Dark Ages was presented. This new title, which belongs to the long Doom saga, is a prequel to the narrative arc told from Doom 2016 to Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2. This new chapter of the saga has a lot of potential both from a gameplay perspective, which has been significantly modified, and from a story point of view, which will cover a very dark period, with great battles and betrayals. Doom: The Dark Ages is surely just the beginning of a prequel saga that will lead us to Doom 2016: there is a lot of potential, and it just needs to be fully exploited
Doom’s New Gameplay
As confirmed by the trailer and Marty Stratton, the new gameplay will be much tougher and less agility-based. This can be noticed from the Slayer’s armor: the shield. Unlike the chainsaw, it allows parrying, countering enemy attacks, and quickly eliminating them with automatic blades. The weapons have a greater weight and require higher precision compared to the past, particularly the stake launcher, heavily inspired by Painkiller, which allows you to impale enemies up on walls. The iconic double-barreled shotgun returns, but in this chapter, it does not feature the hook. Another interesting feature is a machine gun that uses skulls as munitions, very devastating but somehow imprecise.
Considering that the title will cover the origins of the Slayer from his rise as a survivor to a Night Sentinel and finally to Regent of King Novak, it is likely that the shield and the new armor will be featured in an advanced section of the game. Some of the most interesting novelties involve the use of vehicles belonging to the Night Sentinels: the trailer confirms that it will be possible to pilot Atlans, enormous mechs used to take down major demons like the Titans. Another usable vehicle is the dragon: during the preview, a flight section was shown, featuring the same character that appears in Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 2. A significant absence is composed by the Argent energy weapons, such as the Crucible or the ranged weapons that appeared in the aforementioned chapter.
Doom: The Dark Ages’ Story
From the teaser, it is already possible to notice two very important moments: the enhancement phase of the Slayer, already hinted at in a flashback in Doom Eternal, which represents a crucial point in the character’s life; and the change of armor, from the standard version to the heavy version with the cloak, symbolizing the Slayer’s sovereignty. Another crucial element we can mention are the ancestors of the Doom Hunters, created to eliminate the Slayer during the unholy crusades.
By now, it is still not possible to define a precise plot or a definite enemy. The most important points of the past that might be covered are surely the Slayer’s first encounter with demons and his arrival in the arena, the Slayer’s rise to power, the gift of Argent energy from the Makyr and its resulting corruption, the relationship with the Khan Makyr, Marauders’ story, appeared in Doom Eternal, Commander Valen’s betrayal, and the birth of the Icon of Sin.
Exclusivity Matter
A major question that has troubled users was the possible release of Doom: The Dark Ages just for the Xbox ecosystem. During a recent interview, Phil Spencer stated that after discussions with Marty Stratton, they agreed that it would be fair for this title to be available on all platforms.
Music Background and O.S.T.
With Doom Eternal, there were several contractual and legal issues with Mick Gordon, which were not resolved the best way, leading to a very quick replacement. This did not damage the title, but it is clear that his iconic style has been altered. The new soundtrack will have a medieval metal style and, from the first taste, it already seems extremely powerful and engaging.
Doom: The Dark Ages will arrive in 2025.
Stay tuned, Slayers!
