Doom: The Dark Ages

"The Dark Ages: Not Just the Game's Setting, But Also My Reflexes"

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We've all got those games that made us as a gamer. Very often these are the games we played during our childhood. In a friend's basement, under the Christmas tree or even on a TV screen with attached controller arms in a shopping center (Yes, we're that old!), with a queue behind you.

For me, Doom is one of those games. My first session of Doom happened in the most unexpected setting you could imagine: My mom's workplace. As a librarian she was not necessarily impressed by computer games. Although she did enjoy the odd round of Tetris. But like every public library at that time, computers were already beginning to be a thing. That's where their IT Guy came into play. He enjoyed computer games just as much as I did. So one day he decided to make a young boy's day, by installing a couple of his all time favorites on a machine in my mom's office. In hindsight, that afternoon changed the way I looked at computer games forever.

While one could argue that Doom might not have been the most child friendly choice, I had an absolute blast playing it. In no time I had learned not to dive in lava, to handle a shotgun and how to mow down hordes of demons.

Even though we're talking about a gaming era where VGA displays were state of the art and sound cards weren't standard, the game had such a lasting impression on me as a kid, that I knew right at that moment that NES and Mega Drive weren't going to cut it anymore.

Lead up to the present

While tastes change when we grow up, one thing was certain: the release of a Doom game always made me come back to take a look at it. I remember how the Horror setting of Doom 3 had me and my friends play in the dark and with headphones on to intensify the scare or how the new setting of Doom Eternal was a welcome breath of fresh air.

Needless to say I was excited when Doom: The Dark Ages was announced and even more stoked when it was unveiled at the Xbox Games Showcase. After watching a beautifully curated lineup of diverse games with surprises like Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 or South of Midnight, it became instantly clear that Doom was unashamedly, directly targeted at the middle-aged gamer. The heavy-metal soundtrack together with a show full of demon slashing and shooting instantly brought me back to those early days (And yes, sound cards weren't a thing, so the heavy metal soundtrack must have been all in my head…).

Getting to know the Slayer

Right upon starting the game, the typical Doom-feeling takes over. The heavy-metal soundtrack and look and feel of the world give strong medieval vibes - a change of scenery that is most welcome. With strong nods to the Army of Darkness Movies and classic Diablo vibes.

The story - while not the center of attention - lays out the foundation of a medieval planet struggling in a conflict between its human inhabitants and a large demonic invasion force. The cutscenes are fun to look at and help set the tone. The Slayer looks like the one man army he is supposed to be.

As soon as the action starts, veterans will feel right at home. The familiar arsenal of killing machines is enhanced by the new shield, brutal melee weapons (with cynical gems like a high-burst-rate) and the skull crusher that shoots sharp fragments of human skulls at the hell spawns.

There I am, busy figuring out the newfound shotgun, when a couple of imps and two Hell Knights creep up on me. I'm so busy feeding them lead that I don't see the Mancubus (Doom's ugly version of the Michelin Man) spamming his projectiles in my direction. All the exciting new combos and melee kill moves suddenly feel very overwhelming, and I confuse myself by pressing buttons wildly in no particular order. Shield parry? Melee attack? Glory kill? My fingers can't keep up with my brain, which can't keep up with the action.

The realization that I'll either die a lot more or have to lower the difficulty hits me harder than a Cyberdemon's rocket. This isn't 1993 anymore. My thumbs don't have the same spring they used to, and my reaction time is now measured in 'dad seconds' - roughly three times slower than regular seconds.

While hacking, bashing and shooting through hordes of enemies is fun, the new skill system does help to give players more choices in order to shape their slayer to their personal preference. Unfortunately, that means picking up all sorts of loot and powerups is mandatory and can lead to situations where busy slayers have to constantly check the mini map for loot locations. Not necessarily what I had in mind when I thought about blowing up demons by the dozen while relaxing on the couch!

On the other hand, Doom: The Dark Ages does everything not to bore: Close-combat fights turn into sections where the slayer hops into what is basically a large medieval combat robot to battle even bigger demons as large as the empire state building. Pair that with the parts that the slayer spends on the back of a nightmarish, winged creature in order to battle flying demons and you have a constantly changing game world with new mechanics per minute.

All in all, the large but linear levels offer chunk-sized action that can be easily split up between evenings and still not feel tedious. As if they knew that busy mid-lifers might struggle with an overarching campaign setting…

Struggles with the shield

One thing that has become apparent in recent times is that a lot of games seem to be in love with parry / blocking mechanics. A fact that doesn't necessarily play into a silver gamer's cards. While the new shield mechanic is fresh and exciting (I especially enjoy a hearty shield throw followed by a push right to where it hurts the most), getting the parrying timed right can feel overwhelming and means one has to be in sync with what limited reflexes are still available! Add to that the many new mechanics like melee attacks or forward charges and things can get out of hand!

Why it is still worth playing

One thing is clear: Doom: The Dark Ages is a game to play when the youngsters are in bed! This can be tricky when Dad starts shouting at the telly in frustration - nothing wakes a sleeping toddler faster than daddy's creative vocabulary after his tenth death.

My advice: Decide early how you want to approach the game. Are you up for a challenge and want to sink your teeth in? Then go with the higher difficulty modes, but prepare for a workout. Your ego might take a beating, but at least you'll feel something close to those 90s glory days.

If you're in the market for a relaxing gaming session and just want to enjoy the nostalgia that Doom radiates, there's absolutely no shame in going with Easy Mode. Call it 'Tactical Difficulty Selection' if it makes you feel better - The demons die just as spectacularly, the story remains the same, and you can actually progress through the game in the limited time between kissing the kids good night and your back telling you it's your bedtime as well.

I settled on 'Hurt Me Plenty' - which at my age should be renamed 'Hurts Me Plenty Already, Thanks.' It provides enough challenge to keep me engaged without requiring the reflexes of a caffeinated teenager.

Next week: 5 Modern Games That Respect Both Your Time AND Your Reflexes (Spoiler: They're all turn-based)

Have you had the opportunity to wear the Slayer's boots and battle the armies of Hell yet? Let me know what you think about the newest iteration of the FPS classic in the comments below.