During a recent hands-on demo with id Software's gothic prequel, Doom: The Dark Ages, I found myself unexpectedly reminded of Halo 3. Picture this: I'm mounted on the back of a cyborg dragon, unleashing a barrage of machine gun fire at a demonic battle barge. After obliterating its defensive turrets, I landed atop the vessel, stormed through its lower decks, and transformed its crew into a gruesome mess. Bursting through the hull, I leaped back onto my dragon to continue my relentless assault on Hell's machines.
Fans of Bungie's iconic Xbox 360 shooter will recognize the similarities to Master Chief's attack on the Covenant's scarab tanks. While the Hornet helicopter is replaced by a holographic-winged dragon and the giant mech by an occult flying boat, the essence remains the same: an exhilarating aerial assault followed by a decisive boarding action. Surprisingly, this wasn't the only moment in the demo that echoed Halo. Despite The Dark Ages maintaining Doom's signature combat, the campaign's design hints at a late-2000s shooter vibe with its elaborate cutscenes and push for gameplay variety.
Across two and a half hours, I experienced four levels of Doom: The Dark Ages. The first level, the campaign's opener, was reminiscent of the tightly paced, meticulously designed levels of Doom (2016) and its sequel. The subsequent levels introduced a colossal mech, the aforementioned dragon, and a vast battlefield filled with secrets and powerful minibosses. This marked a significant departure from Doom's traditional focus on mechanical purity, leaning more towards the likes of Halo, Call of Duty, and even old James Bond games like Nightfire, which are known for their scripted setpieces and novel mechanics.
This new direction for Doom is intriguing, especially considering the series once pivoted away from such elements. The cancelled Doom 4 was poised to resemble Call of Duty with its modern military aesthetic and emphasis on characters, cinematic storytelling, and scripted events. id Software ultimately scrapped these ideas for the more focused Doom (2016). Yet, here they are again in The Dark Ages, set to release in 2025.
The campaign's rapid pace is punctuated by new gameplay ideas that echo Call of Duty's most innovative sequences. My demo began with a lengthy, cinematic cutscene reintroducing the realm of Argent D'Nur, the opulent Maykrs, and the Night Sentinels—the Doom Slayer's knightly comrades. The Slayer is portrayed as a legendary, nuclear-level threat. While familiar to die-hard Doom fans, this deeply cinematic approach feels new and reminiscent of Halo. The levels themselves feature NPC Night Sentinels, akin to UNSC Marines, enhancing the sense of being part of a larger force, much like Master Chief.
The introduction of character work in the cutscenes raises questions about its necessity in Doom. Personally, I favored the subtler storytelling of previous games, but the cutscenes in The Dark Ages serve their purpose well: they set up missions without interrupting the intense flow of combat.
However, other interruptions come in the form of varied gameplay segments. After the opening mission, which transitioned from shotgun slaughter to parrying Hell Knights with the Slayer's new shield, I piloted the Atlan mech to battle demonic kaiju. Then, I soared on the cybernetic dragon, taking down battle barges and gun emplacements. These scripted levels create a significant shift in pace, reminiscent of Call of Duty's novel sequences like the AC-130 gunship mission or Infinite Warfare's dogfighting. The Atlan mech offers a slow, heavy perspective, while the dragon provides fast, agile combat with a wide-angle third-person camera, resulting in an experience far removed from classic Doom.
The best FPS campaigns often thrive on such variety, with Half-Life 2 and Titanfall 2 setting the standard. Halo's longevity partly stems from its mix of vehicular and on-foot sequences. Yet, I'm uncertain if this approach will work for Doom. While The Dark Ages maintains its complex, demanding combat, the mech and dragon sequences feel less engaging and more like on-rails experiences.
In Call of Duty, switching to a tank or gunship isn't far removed from on-foot combat, but The Dark Ages highlights a stark contrast between gameplay styles. Even while piloting a mech and landing rocket-powered punches on giant demons, I found myself yearning for the ground combat and the double-barreled shotgun.
The final hour of my demo introduced the "Siege" level, which refocuses on id's exceptional gunplay but expands the level design into a vast open battlefield. With the objective to destroy five Gore Portals, the level echoed Call of Duty's multi-objective missions and Halo's contrast between interior and exterior environments. This larger space forces players to rethink weapon ranges and use charge attacks and shields strategically.
The downside of this expansive playspace is occasional unfocused moments and backtracking, which disrupt the pace. Integrating the dragon into this level, similar to Halo's Banshee, could maintain momentum and enhance the dragon's role in the campaign.
It's fascinating to see The Dark Ages revisit ideas once deemed unsuitable for Doom. The cancelled Doom 4 featured scripted setpieces and vehicle scenes, which are now evident in the Atlan and dragon sections. id Software's Marty Stratton confirmed in 2016 that Doom 4 was closer to Call of Duty with more cinematic elements and characters. These elements are now integrated into The Dark Ages, which promises boarding action setpieces, lush cinematics, a broader cast, and significant lore reveals.
The question remains: were these ideas always a bad fit for Doom, or were they just poorly executed when resembling Call of Duty too closely? I'm skeptical yet excited to see if id Software can successfully integrate these elements into the modern Doom formula.
Ultimately, the heart of The Dark Ages remains its intense, on-foot combat. While the new ideas introduced feel somewhat underwhelming, the core gameplay is robust enough to carry the campaign. I look forward to May 15th to experience more of id's unparalleled gunplay and to see if Doom: The Dark Ages can deliver a cohesive late-2000s FPS campaign or if it will feel disjointed.
