Round Up: DOOM: The Dark Ages Previews Hype Up a Slower But No Less Brutal PS5 Prequel 1

A batch of hands-on previews have arrived for the hotly anticipated DOOM: The Dark Ages, and it sounds like it'll be worth the wait. This prequel to the modern DOOM series is set for launch on 15th May, 2025, and while that's not very long to wait, these previews have us counting down the days.

Overall, sentiment is very positive for id Software's upcoming FPS. Basically all the previews we've seen agree that it's another uncompromising shooter that plays excellently, with gameplay changes that sound like a departure from the previous two titles.

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Many outlets highlight the shield as a fundamental difference in The Dark Ages, providing you with a versatile tool/weapon that makes your approach a little more defensive and deliberate. It can block, parry, and deflect certain attacks, you can throw it around an arena, you can rush down enemies — it sounds like it's core to the action in the new game.

The shield seemingly doesn't mean you'll be standing still, though — this is DOOM, after all, and it sounds like you'll still be on the move most of the time.

Its utility apparently extends to solving simple environmental puzzles and platforming, with some outlets comparing it to Kratos' Leviathan axe in God of War.

Impressing less consistently are the sections featuring a giant mech and a dragon; these sequences seem to be included to change up the pace, but there are concerns that they aren't as fleshed out as the core action.

Still, there are plenty of reasons for fans to be excited, from the large open maps to the new gameplay tweaks to the heavier emphasis on story. It sounds like another rip-roaring FPS, and we're looking forward to jumping in.

VGC - "Everything that I'd hope and expect from a DOOM game"

While I may not be instantly convinced by some of the game’s more gimmicky elements, the gameplay of Doom: The Dark Ages is unimpeachable. The changes made to movement and weapons make for a game that sits comfortably between 2016 and Eternal, and I think it’s set to outshine both of them.

IGN - "Might well represent the peak of the series’s modern era"

From its satisfying shield-based combat shake-up and enticing sandbox level structures, to its Pacific Rim-rocking skyscraper-sized beatdowns and its dazzling dragon-riding dogfights, the team behind Doom: The Dark Ages is seemingly throwing everything but Hell’s kitchen sink into making this the biggest and best campaign seen to date in the seminal shooter series.

Eurogamer - "Another reinvention, but one that feels less cleanly defined"

Actually, it's id Software's expertise that I keep coming back to, and how nice it is that it not only successfully resurrected Doom in 2016, much to many people's surprise - mine included - but how it's been given time and resources to develop it, to reimagine it, since. This is a bold reimagining, a brave departure, and even though I have reservations about some things in The Dark Ages, I do not have reservations about id.

GameSpot - "Might be the most comprehensive Doom game to date"

Id Software is bringing a lot of new mechanics and ideas to the series, while maintaining its hypnotic flow state. It’s hard to say if they’ll be able to keep that momentum as new ideas and mechanics are introduced, but it’s made an excellent first impression.

GamesRadar+ - "Every addition to the core loop feels like an amazing idea"

Doom: The Dark Ages is, I'm told before my demo, built around the concept of 'stand and fight', and every moment I'm directly in control of the Doom Slayer lives up to that. Taking hits and dealing them back twofold is the most aggressive Doom has ever felt.

Are you excited for DOOM: The Dark Ages? Hold your shields aloft in the comments section below.