Doom: The Dark Ages will supercharge demon kills with a deadly shield saw on May 15

Id Software, a division of Microsoft’s Bethesda, unveiled the details of Doom: The Dark Ages, a prequel to Doom 2016 coming on May 15.

It’s a big reveal for a game that is the third in a series of modern Doom games — Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal in 2020 — and this one is about the “medieval war against hell.” It got a “shield saw” that flies and cuts demons to pieces and a lot of heavy armor. But make no mistake that the weapons are out of this world. I expect this to be one of the biggest Xbox games of the year. And it was cool to hear the developers answer questions about the direct presentation in a press event.

With music blasting, id’s leaders unveiled a video of the gameplay for the first time since Microsoft mentioned the game in passing at its Summer Game Fest event in June 2024. The game is coming on  Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC.

“This is a prequel to Doom 2016, and it’s given us the opportunity to reimagine every aspect of this experience,” said Marty Stratton, executive producer at id Software, in a press briefing.

One of the most interesting things about the notoriously difficult Doom series is that, in this game, id will give you the choice to dial up and dial down the difficulty of many different aspects of the game so that it suits your play style, the developers said.

“So if you’re new to the franchise, then Doom the Dark Agent will be the perfect entry point into the series. And if you’re a longtime fan, then you’ll be proud to see, in a lot of ways, The feel of the game is really a return to form. So let’s break it down, starting with the combat,” said Hugo Martin, game director at id Software.

He added, “In Doom Eternal, you felt like a fighter jet. In Doom The Dark Ages, you’ll be an iron tank, heavy, strong but still fast. A grounded combat system with an emphasis on power over the acrobatics of Doom Eternal.”

He noted that the balance between enemy projectiles and player movement space. You can move in a more classic way.

“Innovation is the goal always and so for Doom: The Dark Ages it’s an all-new world with new tools mechanics to master,” said Martin.

He showed off video of shield, which you can wield with a single button push.

“So in 2016, we introduced the run and gun. In Doom Eternal, we introduced” jumping and shooting. In the new game, the weapons will be melee-focused with things like an iron flail, an electrified gauntlet, and a boom spike mace. There will be guns galore that you’ll control with the trigger.

“That’s right, we have three melee options that are part of a melee system, all on one input, complete with combos and upgrades. And it’s totally awesome,” Martin said.

There’s a new glory kill system, where you gain extra energy and points for taking down an enemy in a glorious way — like a finishing move in other games.

“It feels amazing you’ll feel unstoppable smashing your way through the board with total freedom and that seems like a ton but that’s just two inputs,” he said. “We got one more really important button that we haven’t talked about yet. It’s very good That’s right, we’ve saved the best for last. In the past, people always knew me all about the guns. And Dark Ages has some of the most ridiculously powerful weapons that we’ve ever created.”

In this game, as the Slayer (the human “demon” that wipes out all the enemy demons), has the power to mix medieval mechanics and environment to create a new combat loop for Doom: The Dark Ages. Combat is both more flexible and approachable, with sliders on the difficulty levels.

“It’s a doom for all slayers. And the gameplay doesn’t end with just the slayer. We finally have for you,” Martin said. “We’ve been waiting for two games to get you your very own 30-story athlete which is amazing size and ability it’s powerful. And if that wasn’t enough we also have for you your very own fire breathing definitely done coding cybernetic dragons.”

Martin said, “We’re excited to share with you not just the gunplay but the world up to the Dark Ages. Your hero’s journey will take you to the far reaches of the Doom universe — mysterious worlds from the Slayer’s past: dark forests dungeons, ancient landscapes, battlefields, and worlds beyond. And through exploration, you’ll be unlocking new abilities and godlike powers every step of the way.”

In the game, you’re going to cut, leap, smash your way through environments full of secrets and treasures, Martin said.

“There’s always something new waiting to be discovered or destroyed,” he said.

The devs showed off a mission you’ll experience in Doom: The Dark Ages. In this level, you will meet the enemy at the gates and save a city from certain destruction. You can explore the medieval battlefield outside the castle walls, seeking out targets and enemy formations along the way to engage with as you see fit. It is the largest play space ever in a Doom game.

“Discovering secret caves and dungeon-like mines in search of vital resources,” he said. “This award-winning team, providing you with a metal soundscape that’s loaded with guitars. Medieval vibes and pure adrenaline. You’ll feel like you’re expanding the legend of the Slayer with every mission you complete.”

Martin also said that the story of Doom: The Dark Ages, like everything else in the game, is big. It’s a summer blockbuster event with everything on the live star of the show. Your power is coveted by your enemies and withheld from your allies.

The Slayer imprisoned at the start of the story and time is running out. And instead of embedding the story in a Codex that you read along the way, the narrative will be taken out of the Codex and put into cutscenes, Martin said.

“It brings new characters, old allies, and powerful new villains. And for returning players, it leads directly into the 2016 Slayers chapter. It’s an action story and worthy of a Slayers legend,” Martin said. “The power fantasy is like anything we’ve ever made at id.”

Ten years of work at id

The team has now been working on modern Doom games together for a decade.

“We’ve done better with every game we’ve made. The hope with all this, the goal, is to give players an experience that’s as fun to play as it was to make, and make something that’s good enough to become the best game id has ever made but that is for you to decide,” he said.

The prequel has been in the works for a while, as it’s been four-plus years since Doom Eternal came out.

As for the medieval setting, Martin said, “We wanted to do it from the beginning. When we started out rebooting the franchise. There’s kind of like a how-to book on creating IPs, sort of established by great brands like The Lord of the Rings and directors like George Lucas. Usually you want to create an interesting world and give that world a history. And then you want to have heroes with a great and interesting past. And if you’re lucky enough and the fans are happy enough with what you did, you’ll get to make more iterations of your IP, your game, your movie. And you’ll be fortunate enough to explore some of that past. And that’s what we’ve been able to do. We wanted to make this from the beginning. This is very much like a full realization of the Slayers’ Testaments. And we’re super psyched.”

Stratton said you can make the game speed faster or slower, making it easier or harder. Stratton said the difficulty adjustments will let you fine tune things like how much damage you take. He said this works for the approachability of the game and how accessible it can be for players who have different motor difficulties. You can dial it in and it will still be an experience that is hard to master, Martin said. You’ll still be able to do an Ultra Nightmare mode.

“Obviously, that’s always the goal. And despite it being incredibly accessible, it is still really challenging,” Martin said.

Stratton said the game is campaign only and it will not have a multiplayer mode.

As for the changes, Martin said, “We don’t want to repeat ourselves. The core essence of being aggressive is still there. Weaving between projectiles and things. Which is actually not really emphasized in 2016 or Eternal, but it’s a major feature in Dark Ages, like it was in the original Doom. So it’s really about each game standing on its own. I always think if you were to buy the modern Doom trilogy, you’d really want each game to have its own feel. So there’s that goal right away. We just want to try to make something new.”

The company wants to challenge itself, and not just be repetitive.

There will still be a codex, but it will be less of a requirement this time. Enemies will vary in terms of the kinds of projectiles they throw at you and their movement. It’s like chess pieces in that way. The board is flatter to create more space for the straight-to-aim combat loop that is similar to Classic Doom. You dodge the slow-moving projectiles and you weave between them as you deliver damage to demons.

“We’ve balanced the range of the weapons to be medium to short range. So that way you’re encouraged to take the fight to the enemies, move through that maze of projectiles, just like in Classic Doom, if they’re whizzing by and delivering that killing blow with melee shield and guns. So there’s a lot that’s been balanced out to create this new loop,” Martin said.

The game is not an open world game, but it’s one of the most expansive worlds that id has ever built, Stratton said. The game will have a lot of progression, where you unlock spaces and new items.

“It’s the most expansive world we have ever created,” Stratton said. The combat is a throwback to classic Doom like where you return to spaces and uncover secret progression items, Martin said. The economies are streamlined and skill trees are less confusing, he said.

At predetermined points, you can bring in your giant monsters like the robot or the dragon.

“I would say the visual style of Dark Ages is a combination of Eternal and 2016, more of like the visual style of 2016, more cinematic and gritty, with elements of gameplay of Eternal, but streamlined,” Martin said. “It’s the biggest game. It’s the biggest we have ever built by a bit.”

There’s a gun called the Skull Crusher that grinds up skulls and shoots skull fragments.

The movement will be fluid, and you can use the shield to mow your way through the world and move from one thing to another like from a melee combo to a glory kill to another move with a different weapon, Martin said.

There will be tough enemies like the Marauder in Doom Eternal. They are like the “black belts on the battlefield,” and they will test your skill and knowledge and your ability to parry.