Doom: The Darkish Ages goes to be a love-it-or-hate-it entry within the shooter collection. I’ve solely been taking part in the sport for a number of hours thus far, however I already like it. That mentioned, it’s very totally different from Doom Everlasting — and except you may alter to a sport that feels very totally different to play, Darkish Ages will probably be a tricky hold.
However in case you’re me, Darkish Ages is a nonstop thrill. Whereas Doom Everlasting put an enormous emphasis on velocity, the motto of Darkish Ages is “stand and combat.” That’s as a result of the sport truly revolves round parrying and meleeing, not operating and gunning. So, in case you like parrying and melee combating, aka if you’re me, that is the Doom for you.
The star of the present in Darkish Ages is the protect, a brand new addition to the Doom Slayer’s arsenal. Quickly after buying this round protect, you get a power-up for it that provides buzz noticed blades round its edge. Which means if you throw your protect at a demon utilizing a Captain America-like frisbee toss, you may go away them shocked and twitching on the battlefield; this received’t kill them, however it can immobilize them, and you need to use that point to take them out or clear up small fries round them first. This affords you plenty of management over how fights play out.
Picture: id Software program/Bethesda Softworks
Flinging a round buzz noticed across the battlefield feels nice, and the demon-splattering, bone-crunching sound results are supremely satisfying, however that’s not even the most effective half. The large promoting level of the protect is a shield-bash transfer that’s a brand new traversal mechanic; you goal at an enemy and use the shield-bash to zip in direction of them immediately, bashing smaller demons to bits or dealing a hefty blow to the larger guys. This transfer is what makes the sport really feel fluid and quick, when you be taught the rhythm of it. As a result of the shield-bash includes this dashing transfer that may zip you throughout enormous distances, you don’t essentially want the super-fast run velocity you had in Doom Everlasting.
For this reason it’s additionally fascinating to me that “stand and combat” is that this sport’s advertising one-liner. I used to be spending a lot time zipping across the battlefield with the shield-bash that at no level did I actually really feel like the sport’s fight design had slowed me down. However there’s something else necessary to notice in regards to the mechanics right here that’s new and totally different: Your focus now could be on up-close-and-personal fight.
I’ve at all times been a parry sicko and a melee-obsessive who tends to select the heavy attacker in any sport the place I’ve that possibility, so I like this facet of the sport, too, however it can make or break Darkish Ages for you relying on whether or not you may stand it. Most individuals in all probability consider Doom as a sport the place you shoot at demons. And don’t fear — it nonetheless is.
Darkish Ages can also be a sport the place you may parry sure incoming assaults and, in so doing, construct up expenses for a three-part melee assault that does main injury. Is it bizarre to wish to stack up expenses with a purpose to carry out a melee assault, quite than simply being an infinite punch machine? Yeah, kinda. The weapons on this sport do usually really feel like they’ve infinite bullets, in spite of everything; ammo tends to be plentiful, except you’re taking part in on the toughest problem settings. And this isn’t like a Darkish Souls sport the place you should contemplate each transfer you make as a result of stamina is so onerous to return by. So it’d really feel bizarre to have a restrict on an important sport mechanic.
However in Darkish Ages, the melee assault is so highly effective and so satisfying that I get why the sport’s designers didn’t need you to have the ability to carry out it each single second. If that they had let me try this, I would by no means draw a rifle once more and could be punching my approach via the Hellspawn. Having to rebuild melee expenses by utilizing the parry mechanics feels good, as a result of I’m already parrying with my new protect, anyway, so every time I really want to land a trio of massive punches on an enormous man, I’m prepared.
Picture: id Software program/Bethesda Softworks
All that mentioned, I’m just a few hours into Doom: The Darkish Ages. I’m nonetheless in the beginning of its story about how the Doom Slayer is beneath the thrall of some unusual non secular group that’s utilizing him in opposition to his will (though no less than the duty they’ve pressured him into is his normal fare, which is to say, brutally killing a shitload of demons). I don’t know the way the remainder of this sport goes to play out.
I do know one factor: The fight immediately clicked for me. And in case you love the sound of it — and also you’re keen to let go of all your Doom Everlasting muscle reminiscence — it’d simply click on for you too.
Doom: The Darkish Ages will probably be launched Might 15 on PlayStation 5, Home windows PC, and Xbox Collection X. The sport was reviewed on PC utilizing a prerelease obtain code supplied by Bethesda Softworks.
