70%PC

Mostly felt repetitive. At the last hours of the main campaign the game went on a highway to hell, but the middle parts where boring af.

80%PC

It's Doom.

90%PC

Maybe not my favorite Doom game, but close to it. Had an absolute blast collecting everything in each level.

5%Xbox Series X/S

•▪︎■●{Real Score: 0/10}●■▪︎•

This game is a steaming pile of garbage. The greedy developers are charging $70 for a game that requires internet to download. I got this on Gamepass, so it would've required internet anyway. But my subscription ended back in like May, and I refuse to renew it because Xbox is so freaking dead. Besides, I would've bought a physical version of this game if it weren't on Game Pass. And when I pay for a physical copy, I expect the game to be on the freaking disc. The developers bragged about this being their most ambitious game yet. How is this sad excuse for a game ambitious? By requiring internet to play the campaign? To make matters worse, these lazy developers didn't even give us any online multiplayer; the one thing that actually requires internet. And in spite of all that, you still have the audacity to raise the price to $70? Is that your idea of ambitious? The developers also brag about their games being "innovative." How so? Because you added that shield saw thing? Adding a new stupid gimmick to the gameplay mechanics does not make it innovative, stupid. By that logic, Call of Duty AW was innovative for going from boots-to-ground to boost jumping.

The gameplay from what I remembered was too darn slow when compared to Eternal and Doom 2016. Yes, the gameplay is still fast in general, but too slow for a Doom game. The fast gameplay is what made Doom Eternal and Doom 2016 decent games, but these out-of-touch developers thought it would be a brilliant idea to give us gimmicky features for the sake of being different. God, I hate that stupid shield saw thing. The shield saw would've been fine if it was a side feature, but you good-for-nothing developers made it a main component of the game. Why change the appeal of Doom for? Innovation my ass. This is a "COD same game" type of game, except it takes these lazy and greedy devs 5 years to get the job done. If you want to be innovative, adding gimmicky features isn't the way. It's easy to put gimmicky features into any game. If you want to truly be innovative, you can start by improving the physics, which are garbage in this game. Add more content, detail, multiplayer modes, and stuff like that. Now that's how you become innovative. The soundtrack is terrible and easily the worst of the Doom reboot trilogy. I actually enjoyed the soundtrack of Doom 2016 and Eternal, and this is coming from someone who hates the vast majority of video game OST.

As I mentioned earlier, there's no multiplayer. So once you beat the story, there is literally not a reason to play this game again. Charging $70 for a game with no replay value is a cash grab. I gave Doom Eternal a 7 on Metacritic and I think I was too generous with that score, considering how limited the online multiplayer was. But then again, not many PS4 games gave me both an offline singleplayer experience and an online PvP multiplayer experience, let alone do an exceptional job at both. And if I were to be honest, I did enjoy Eternal's campaign and the multiplayer experience, and I can't really say that about most modern games (PS4/PS5 gen). Also the game was $60, where nowadays these greedy devs want $70 and are pushing for $80. So when all is considered, you can have that 7. That's really what held Eternal back from getting a positive score from me. If only it had Team Deathmatch, other online modes, and more than 3 players, it could've gotten an 8 from me. But in this game, these lazy devs didn't even try to give us multiplayer. This garbage truly lives up to its name. It's doomed alright, doomed for failure. And we are now entering the dark ages of this series. I don't recommend this game at all.

90%PC

Superb game!

70%PC

Fun gameplay, unfortunately pretty inferior to 2016 and Eternal in most other ways

85%Xbox Series X/S

Doom The Dark Ages sur Xbox Series X propose une esthétique médiévale originale qui donne un vrai cachet à la saga, même si certains décors extérieurs paraissent un peu vides. Visuellement, les environnements gothiques et les créatures restent impressionnants, portés par une direction artistique solide. La bande-son mélange riffs agressifs et percussions tribales, mais elle manque parfois de l’impact viscéral des précédents volets. Le gameplay innove avec le bouclier et des armes médiévales, offrant une approche différente mais moins frénétique que Doom Eternal. Le bestiaire est varié, bien qu’une certaine répétitivité dans les affrontements finisse par s’installer. Quant au scénario, plus présent mais prévisible, il reste surtout un prétexte à l’action.

70%Xbox Series X/S

It was fun at the beginning then around the end it was boring and repeating. I think this was my first and last doom/ego shooter.

100%PC

Engaging gameplay, especially good for completionist players and map exploration as everything is relatively easy to get. Felt good to go around and massacre everything.

50%PC

Ray trace and parry slop. Looks like a Warhammer 40k knockoff and runs like shit for a Doom game. Fodders pose literally 0 threat. Maps are padded out for no reason.

85%PC

damnnn this shit was beautiful. I fuck with it so heavy. Weapon switching definitely could've been faster/less clunky but I'm assuming they wanted to make it less like Eternal's gameplay where weapon swapping is a big focus. Maybe to its detriment. Being slower isn't a bad thing, but taking away the shield as you swap makes no sense to me. Sure, swapping to a rocket launcher probably takes two hands, but Doom doesn't pride itself on realism. Environments and sound design are FANTASTIC though, it feels super good to play bar the swapping which is the most important thing. A nitpick I have with the weapons is that because SO MUCH ammo is dropped on melee kills, it's very easy to stick to one weapon and not have a great mechanical reason to switch to another. Shield throws will clear all smaller fodder instantly in a large area, and the weapons don't have a lot of synergy compared to a game like Ultrakill. Each weapon individually feels great to use, but they have a lot of overlap instead of each having unique use cases. Especially because they kept the classic Doom thing of "small weapon big weapon" for each class, I don't know why anyone would ever use the small weapon. I think the ammo idea is intentional, because if this game is supposed to feel like the old games, you rarely have to worry about ammo which isn't necessarily good or bad, just different. It mattered a bit in 2016, a lot in Eternal, and basically not at all in TDA. anyways lots of yapping for a 9 or 9.5/10 because Im the type to say "100 means perfect or favorite." < / 3
holy smokes. you gotta tap in.

100%Xbox Series X/S

EU DESTRUI ESSE JOGO! SIMPLESMENTE 100% TESTOSTERONA, JOGO DE MACHO DA PORRA.2

75%PC

The game is really good, it's hard to get into the slower new gameplay loop coming off the heels of eternal. But once you're comfortable it's a game with really great pacing and fun combat.

75%PC

+ interesting fighting and perry mechanics
+ good flow
+ awesome graphics
+ lots to discover and unlock
+ not too long
+ no stupid micro-management (ammo, health etc)

- open-world areas are a bit fatiguing
- soundtrack just meh
- lackluster bossfights (only a few, non-memerable ones)
- some annoyances for collectibles (not reachable, even though the player should be able to go back)

Overall: I had more fun with this than Doom Eternal. No more micro-management, the fighting feels good and it doesn't overstate its welcome. Yet, it doesn't live up to Doom 2016 with its "in your face" combat.

7/10

90%PlayStation 5

This is another great entry in the modern Doom series. Graphics are great, story was interesting, the new game mechanics are cool and make you feel powerful like the Doom Slayer, and the music was a lot better than expected.

The difficulty was noticeably easier than 2016 and especially Eternal, I only died once during the entire campaign. I found the shield, melee, and new movement mechanics a nice change of pace from the frantic run around and exhaust every weapon option of Eternal. I'm mixed on the game being much more generous with ammo.

This game scores around the same as 2016 for me.

70%PC

It was a good game. I enjoyed the story the most and despite many people's opinions I would like to have more story elements to future Doom games.

100%PC

Easily 10 out of 10. Possibly the best Doom game to date. Love it. Every Doom game brings something new, exciting to the franchise. Doom The Dark Ages is no exception. New combat mechanics are great. I really like the shield. Story and cut scenes are nice addition to the game as well. Overall a lot of action in this doom game. The game is long so be prepared to spend a little bit of time with this one. I am glad that the developer took some risks with t his one

80%PlayStation 5

I didn't like this one at first. The game focuses way too much on the story which is kind of a turn-off in a Doom game. But as you unlock more and more things, the game gets better and better. The parrying mechanic is great, and I do enjoy the shield. My only big gripes with the games are how it falls short to eternal.

Collectables and secrets are pretty lame in this game. In the last game you had a hub you could unlock rooms in with what you find in the levels. Here it's just some weapon skins and toys. Upgrades are now tied to gold instead of the modbots. When I found a modbot in Eternal, I felt excitement at getting to upgrade my guns. When I pick up gold I feel nothing. Instead of having a second firing mode, most guns just have alternatives you can switch too. The issue is that almost all of these are better than their originals so there's just no reason to switch back. It limits the fun of using everything in your kit. I'm also not a fan of the dragon and mech levels, they just slow things down way too much.

The game is worse than Eternal, but maybe better than 2016. It has been years since I've played that though, so it could also be worse.

65%PC

Solid doom game, Eternal was better tho.

85%Xbox Series X/S

Good refresh of the franchise, the new shield/parry mechanic is funny and varies the combat system however makes it easier than former Doom games, specially the latest. Visually does not keep up with current graphical design but makes its job and runs smoothly without bugs. Totally funny and enjoyable but shallower than other games in the franchise.

80%PlayStation 5

fun games

85%Xbox Series X/S

86%

90%Xbox Series X/S

good as doom should be

60%Xbox Series X/S

Worst story I might’ve ever played. Fun game, but about 5 hours too long. Worst of the trilogy, but still worth a play-through if you’ve played the others.

90%PlayStation 5

Pros:
+ Combat is incredibly fun, maybe a bit controversial but it’s the most fun I’ve had with a Doom game so far! Parrying feels great & most of the weapons are fun to use. LOVED THE SHIELD!! It’s gonna be so hard to go back to the others now. I won’t lie & say I wasn’t feeling some repetition towards the end but overall it was incredible.
+ Level design is so good!! Thank GOD the garbage platforming from Eternal is gone, so now I actually wanted to explore the levels! They did such a good job loading these areas up with secrets to find, it always felt rewarding.
+ Don’t listen to anyone who says this soundtrack is bad, people are a bit too slow nowadays. It may not be Mick Gordon but it’s still really good (when the audio mixing isn’t bad & you can actually hear it lol)
+ Don’t listen to anyone saying the Mech & Dragon parts are bad either. Do people not like having fun lil shakeups anymore?? So many gaming journalists are just idiots who love the sound of their own horrendous voices whenever they get to complain about something that’s objectively fun lol

Cons:
- Like said, I was feeling a bit burnt out towards the end. Playing this game was an exercise on my hands & I was actually feeling the burn after a few days of playing. The game felt a smidge too long but honestly I couldn’t point out anything to cut since I still had a lot of fun.
- The story isn’t the selling point here, but it just did nothing to grip me. I felt a bit more invested in Eternal mostly because I liked the general premise there a bit more. I saw many reviewers saying it’s the best Doom story and.. meh? The only time I felt anything aside from Doomguy’s auramaxxing was one really sad moment in one of the final chapters.. iykyk

70%Xbox Series X/S

More violent, more dynamic, more ocultistic - MORE DOOM!

I recommend to:
+ all boomer-shooter lovers
+ all adrenaline freaks
+ to those who like occultistic and demonic landscapes
+ absolutely to all old-school FPS fans

90%PC

I really enjoyed this one. It's completely different in terms of gameplay from the other games but I enjoyed it anyway.

You really feel like a moving tank going through hordes of enemies. It's really awesome that it is truly in the lore that demons are scared of the Doomslayer the most. And the feeling playing him truly puts a smile to my face.

There are a lot of weapons and there are some weapons I played the most (shotgun, ravager) and the BFG weapon surprised me.

The story basically takes place before Doom (2016) and displays the Doomslayer in the era before hell priests betrayed Argent. As a fan of this series I wasn't lost in the story but I heard that someone that plays this one as his first game may be confused by the story. But that's only in the beginning after a while you'll find your way around the story and you'll be fine.

I really recommend playing this one, it's in GP so it's a no-brainer.

9/10

85%PC

To be honest i enjoyed as i played through the new tank-like Slayer gameplay, satisfying dodge mechanics and weapon effects was good.

The game contains many mini-puzzles and secrets in grand maps of the missions, which is sometimes tedious and mandatory to grind to empower yourself and upgrade your weapons. The only downfall is that mastering the weapons doesn't grant upgraded powers but just a skin.

Music's weren't as impactful as eternal. but i can say that they tried something different in this game, as i move slower but sturdier instead i was blazing fast in eternal.

Beaten the game on Nightmare mode in 20 hours, and it's the perfect difficulty for this game i think. 8/10

95%PC

Great engine, and super gameplay!!!

60%PC

Doom the Dark Ages would have been a wonderful game (and likely rated higher) if it was released in between Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. However, given this is the third entry in the modern doom series and coming from the highs Eternal set this game feels wildly slow and monotonous. The combat is a staple in Doom games and this game feels very fun for the first third of the game. However, it gets stale as the game moves on and you realize that the quick gun swapping of previous entries is not really needed here. Additionally, the campaign story seems very forced into the game and is incredibly boring. I am glad I stuck through and beat this game as the final boss was kind of cool but I would not play it again or recommend it to others.

80%PC

8

80%Xbox Series X/S

Lo de los parrys una pasada: nuca pensé que mecánica que empieza a estar trillada le sentará tan bien a un shooter.

Historia bien, pero me da la sensación de que baja unos peldaños con respecto a Eternal en temas como la banda sonora y diseño de niveles.

El robot y el dragón la puta polla.

70%PC

Not bad, but gameplay doesn't feel as kinetic as eternal. Exploration is slow in larger maps and drags down pacing. Slowmo counters goes against combat rhythm. Still a fun doom game though.

80%PC

Was pretty fun, but can get repetitive if played in long sessions.
I always did short bursts.
Story is whatever though, you stay for the gameplay and power fantasy.

80%PC

82

90%Xbox Series X/S

Absolutely awesome. Great graphics, soundtrack and gameplay. Art design/direction is 👌

85%PC

The story is not deep, but good enough. The gameplay and graphics are the best parts. The music and atmosphere...annoying! Although I think it's intended to be annoying!

85%Xbox Series X/S

85

60%PC

Game is okay, it is just too braindead and requires very little resource management. You select a gun, a melee and a passive for a parry and can play entire game by just using it.

90%PC

Amazing shooter, thanks doom

80%Xbox Series X/S

I really enjoy this set of mechanics over Doom Eternal's set of mechanics. I know that is going to really irritate some people, but even on low difficulties there are so many mechanics that you had to juggle in Eternal, that just playing the game became mentally exhausting and playing it on controller as I did was a hassle. This game seems much more casual and as a casual Doom fan I appreciate that. I like being able to turn my brain off and do cool shit sometimes. I know the hardcore community found this game rather lacking, and I hope they do something for them to also cater to them. But I had a good time with this game for the duration I played it.

90%PC

This is very different DOOM compare to the rest of them and it's something different which is good to change the forumula for such old and big franchise of games. It is not as good as Doom Eternal, however it is still probably my second favorite Doom game out of them all, which is very good score to hit. Story is okay but the shooting is really great and the shield is fun to use and instead of dashing around the map you perry and block with shield now. Sections with Mech are nice change of pace and its simple fun since these sections do not last long. Flying sections however are easily the worst parts since they are kinda boring. I still overall really enjoyed it and it's one of the better FPS games I have ever played.

85%Xbox Series X/S

Graphics: 8
Art Design: 9
History: 6
Gameplay: 9
Playable mechanics: 9
Sound: 8.5
Conclusions: Un juego que es adrenalina pura, desprende testosterona por los cuatro costados. Raya a gran nivel en todos los apartados, destacando el diseño de arte, diseño de niveles y una jugabilidad muy pulida y divertida. La única pega que le encuentro es la duración que hace que las últimas hora se vuelvan algo repetitivas para este tipo de juegos.

80%PC

Having just replayed Doom 2016 before this, I must admit my expectations were a bit high. I didn't enjoy the stringent design of Doom Eternal's combat and much preferred the more freeform blasting of 2016's. Doom: The Dark Ages appeared to lean more toward the first game's approach in preview footage. In actuality, it's kind of a whole new thing altogether. While you can use whichever combination of weapons you want to dispatch the demon hordes, the more open areas have changed the feel of combat so much that it feels like a completely different series.

Final score: 8.5/10

85%PlayStation 5

DOOM never disappoints. Every entry in the series switches things up and brings something new to the table — and this time, the shield mechanic is absolutely delicious. Just when I thought the game couldn’t get any better, they added a parry.
Sure, it’s less agile than Eternal, but it’s still a fast-paced experience that gives you exactly what makes DOOM great: tearing demons apart with heavy metal blasting in the background, in the most satisfying ways possible.

I liked the addition of cutscenes. Even if the story is a bit cliché and simple, they work well to further showcase the alpha male that is the Slayer.
Visually and sonically, the game is excellent — but I have to admit, even on a large screen and a PS5 Pro, I was surprised to see that it looked somewhat blurry. I’m not sure if that was intentional, but in my opinion, it could be improved.
As for the soundtrack… well, what we all feared happened. It’s actually really good, don’t get me wrong — but it just doesn’t reach the level Mick Gordon gave us. It’s solid and has some bangers, but Mick is Mick. The man brings pure talent and magic to his work.

In short, a fantastic game and another strong addition to the DOOM series.
My personal take? It doesn’t surpass Eternal.
To me, DOOM’s soundtrack is one of its pillars, and Mick Gordon elevated that game massively. I also preferred Eternal’s less medieval atmosphere.

My ranking of the modern DOOM trilogy would be:

1. DOOM Eternal
2. A tie between DOOM (2016) and this one.
(Let’s not forget how important 2016 was — it completely reinvented the DOOM formula.)

90%PC

As someone who enjoyed Doom (2016) but skipped Eternal, I was curious how Doom: The Dark Ages would feel. The shift to a medieval setting is bold, but it works incredibly well. While the gunplay has evolved, it still delivers that tight, visceral satisfaction Doom is known for. Every weapon feels heavy and purposeful, and the flow of combat is as intense as ever.

One of the highlights for me was the final boss fight—smacking Azhrick with the flail was the perfect, brutal send-off for the campaign. Level pacing is also well-balanced, with each chapter running 30 minutes to an hour. It never feels rushed or bloated.

I also appreciated the addition of large-scale moments like the dragon and mech battles, though I do wish they were more fleshed out. They felt a bit too generic—great visually, but shallow in gameplay.

Cinematics were okay. They do the job of moving the story forward, but they’re clearly not the main focus of the game—and that’s fine. Doom has always been more about how you kill demons, not why.

On the downside, the absence of Mick Gordon’s music is noticeable. The soundtrack is decent, but it lacks that raw, driving energy that made demon-slaying in 2016 feel so iconic. Also, the Berserk power-up shows up way too late in the game. It’s such a fun mechanic, and I wish it had been available earlier and more often.

In the end, Doom: The Dark Ages is a fresh and brutal evolution of the franchise. It stays true to its roots while exploring a new direction, and even with a few minor stumbles, it absolutely delivers.

Score: 9/10