Revealed during today’s Xbox Developer Direct, Doom: the dark ages will be released on May 15. Developer ID Software shared a new extended look at the upcoming shooter during the showcase and Digital Trends learned additional details about what the studio describes as a return to form that takes cues from the original Condemn.
Doom: the dark ages was first revealed during Xbox Games Summer Showcase in 2024. It is a prequel to 2016 Condemn Reboot that reinvents the shooter as a medieval fantasy. Since then, we haven’t seen much, but it just triggered a more comprehensive look at the project, detailing its design philosophy, new weapons, and more.
Instead of iterating on eternal doomThe game of heavy mobility, The dark ages It focuses on raw power. ID says it was inspired in 1993 Condemn This time, with a more robust approach to combat. The developer’s direct presentation notes, for example, that players will find Strafe Doding Enemy Projectiles more viable this time around. In a Q&A ahead of today’s reveal, director Hugo Martin explained how The dark ages connects to the original Condemn.
“. “There was a really deep dive. There is at the beginning of each project, but I only realize that the original Condemn And why it’s stood the test of time is that it’s truly one of the most accessible shooter, first-person single-player campaigns ever made… when it comes to combat, it’s incredibly streamlined and that’s why it’s still fun for the day. The first thing I say is that it is more powerful and based on the acrobatics of eternal doomand that’s what that means. When I say that when you see when you play it, it’s really a return to form, that’s what I’m saying. It feels more like classic Condemn than any game we’ve made up to this point.”
Although that look is familiar The dark ages brings some major changes to the series. In addition to a number of new weapons, the Doom Slayer now carries a shield saw, which has multiple functions. It can block, parry, and deflect attacks, and can be thrown at enemies like Captain America’s shield. All this happens with the press of a contextual button. He also has three equal melee weapons: an iron soul, a mace, and an electrified glove, which is also operated with a single button. Glory Kills has also seen an overhaul with a more flexible system that allows players to unleash them at any angle.
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The dark ages Will also includes more flexible accessibility options, allowing players to dial in the speed and down of the game, among other features.
In addition to its shooting and scanning core, The dark ages features some much bigger creative changes. The Doom Slayer will pilot both a 30-story Atlan Mech and a dragon equipped with a Gatling gun. ID says that these aren’t just quick mini-games, but that they built in a mechanic with their own boss fights.
As for its story, which begins with an imprisoned Doom Slayer, ID compares the project to a Hollywood blockbuster. It emphasizes large set pieces and a heavier focus on narrative. To achieve the latter, the story will happen more in cutscenes than in lore codes this time (although they will still exist alongside other collectibles). Hugo Martin cites the Batman comics, including Frank Miller’s work on the series, as a guiding inspiration.
“The inspiration was actually the Batman comic BATMAN: Year One“Says Martin in response to a question from IGN. “When we wrote the fic for 2016, I’m a huge comic nerd, there are bigger comic fans than me, but I’m a fan, and I loved it. BATMAN: Year One. As we write the fic for the Slayer and his story and the Slayer testimony stuff, that’s what we call it internally. The rumor was that we were calling him Slayer: first year. That’s what it was really called for a while.”
There is one thing that The dark ages You won’t have this time: multiplayer. ID’s Marty Stratton confirmed that the series’ usual suite of modes was cut this time around to focus on the single-player experience.
“It’s just a campaign. . “We basically wanted to free ourselves to create things like Atlan. The mech experience and the dragon experience, both are almost like mini-games within the game. “We know that our campaigns are largely what people have come to modern Doom games to play, so we decided to leave all our efforts behind and create the biggest and best doom game we’ve ever made.”
Doom: the dark ages It launches on May 15 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
