DOOM: The Dark Ages

I feel bad for Mick Gordon, but this is an amazing game. Art direction is top tier, and im glad gameplay is not just copy of Doom Eternal because Doom Eternal already exists.

It's alright but falls short of DOOM: Eternal in terms of weapon function and identity. This is a DOOM for those who hated Eternal and the need to rapidly swap weapons when in combat against the hordes of Hell. The shield and melee options can help you beat the game without relying much on weapon swapping so you can stick to your fave gun from start to finish even on Nightmare difficulty. Some people will like that, some people won't.

The dragon and mech sections added a bit of variety to the pacing of the campaign so you don't get fatigued from just mowing down demons on foot.

I like that id Software always experiments with each iteration of DOOM but I'm just not a fan of parrying and the added focus on melee weapons which for me takes away from the shooting experience.

Buy at the normal price for one of the best AAA FPS released this year and if Eternal wasn't your cup of tea, buy on sale if DOOM Eternal is your fave DOOM and you just want more DOOM.

I’m a 40 year old gamer who has been playing DOOM since the 90s, starting with Doom II. After all these years, it’s honestly amazing that this series can still feel fresh.

First rule: don’t compare this to Doom Eternal or Doom. Each game does something different, and The Dark Ages chooses a heavier, more grounded combat style that works beautifully. The parry system sounded weird at first, but once it clicks, combat becomes incredibly satisfying, brutal, rhythmic, and empowering. The visuals are gorgeous, the art direction is wild, and the performance is impressively smooth. Optimization like this deserves praise. The new RT system is in the DNA of the engine and makes the game beautiful, even on low setting.

The soundtrack by Finishing Move Inc fits perfectly. It shouldn’t be compared to Mick Gordon. Just appreciate it on its own terms. And some tracks absolutely slap for real.
Surprisingly, the story is also strong for a DOOM title, filling gaps between previous games while making the Slayer feel more myth than man. I told a friend that even the warriors of Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 don’t feel this unstoppable and wild.

I don't want to waste your time. The final point: Life as a gamer just isn’t the same without DOOM.
It’s not just a game. It’s adrenaline in its purest form. It feels old and in the same time, It's freakin' fresh!

I'm giving this one a recommend, but with caveats. Please note - I have played this game on Nightmare difficulty so your mileage may vary based on what challenge level you choose.
Doom: The Dark Ages is quite a departure from 2016 and Eternal, but I personally think that change is okay. I enjoyed the block mechanics and the chainsaw-shield is just plain cool. All the characters get a dark-medieval themed redesign which looks pretty nice as well, and the level designs overall are also interesting to look at. If you want the frantic running about that exists in Eternal however, this may not be the game for you.
The story, while somewhat nonsensical and over-the-top is pretty enjoyable if you are okay with leaving logic out of the picture, something that kinda goes hand in hand with the Doom games if you ask me. The problem however is the pacing. Past the halfway point the chapters start to drag their feet with not much to offer in the way of "progression". From the 22 chapters that exist, things are great from Chapter 1 to 13 but then only start properly picking up from around Chapter 18 again. I do strongly feel that more story could have been packed in to allow for a richer, more rewarding experience. I understand that a lot of old-timers would like Doom to just be a barebones boomer-shooter game with the story merely existing for the sake of being there, but I believe that modern AAA games need to offer more than just that (I should mention that I'm not a kid either, the original Doom on Windows 95 was my first videogame).
I do wish there were more boss battles spaced out during the chapters too. As it stands, they're all crammed in at the very end, which allows for an exciting finale, but not much in the sense of big milestones along the way.
Having bought the premium edition at full price, I absolutely would not recommend getting this without some sort of sale. The game is just too expensive for what it is, even if you can afford the sticker price. I hope that the campaign DLC that they have promised will come along and remedy this, but only time will tell.
TL;DR : Cool game if you want to try something that is different from Doom Eternal. Pick it up on sale.

It’s okay at best. Maybe worth trying at 50% off or more, but not worth paying full price.

Solid Gameplay, Empty Experience
Is this a bad game? No. This is a top-quality first-person shooter compared to other recent FPS games around. But is Doom The Dark Ages underwhelming? Yes, very much.
Intro
Doom Eternal was a great game, not a flawless one, but it was certainly amazing. It enhances the 2016 experience and perfects the formula.
They tried something different with Doom The Dark Ages, while the large maps filled with exploration and slow but powerful shielded gameplay looked promising, it's got some problems.
Game Design
First of all, the game appeals to a more general audience this time, its kind of easier, you have many more options with the ammo in the weapons, and the tactical, strategic gameplay where you approached every enemy differently in Eternal is gone here. Which makes the gameplay feel like spam left click mindlessly, and block when you see green. This is such a downgrade. Sometimes, mindless games can be way more fun than tactical games, but it doesn't feel like that here.
The Open World
I was very excited for the open-world-ish structure of the levels in the Dark Ages. Maybe we could get a smaller-scope version of Elden Ring? We experienced some unique bosses or rewards for exploring everywhere. Unfortunately, that doesn't exist either. You get the same upgrade materials, and there are no special encounters anywhere present. I 100%'d every map until halfway point, then I got bored since there is absolutely no reason to do so. The finishing animations, are almost non-existing here, which was one of the best parts of Eternal.
The Goods
Do I have to talk about the goods? It's ID Software, of course, and pretty much everything is top quality here. The game feels, the mechanics, gunplay, the vfx, the sound design, animation quality, everything feels amazing to control and engage with.
Optimization and Graphics
I am running a beast myself and it runs great, but I wasn't when this actually launched, and I tried it back then and the performance was pretty bad. The forced ray tracing may overwhelm your pc if you are an AMD user or an old NVIDIA card user. It runs great on RTX 4000 series and above, though. The graphics...I don't know. For some reason, it never looks great for me. Something is wrong with the colors and lightning. Not a fan of how this looks.
Story and Music
The story is very generic and boring, as expected from a Doom game. I've never been a huge fan of Doom's music. Some of Eternal's music is pretty good, just not my style. Here, I didn't recognize any outstanding music.
Wrap-Up
Doom: The Dark Ages is not bad, it's okay, and can be fun from time to time. But it really is underwhelming and forgettable compared with the previous titles.
SILVER MEDAL
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amazing fast-paced action gameplay, with a story that is actually not that bad. easy and straightforward achievements that you can 100% them in the first playthrough under 20 hours. recommended.