Doom Enters Its Halo Era with Dark Ages

During a recent hands-on demo of Doom: The Dark Ages, I found myself unexpectedly reminded of Halo 3. Picture this: I was riding atop a cyborg dragon, unleashing a barrage of machine gun fire against a demonic battle barge. After taking out its defensive turrets, I landed on the ship and stormed through its lower decks, turning its crew into a bloody mess. Moments later, I burst through its hull on my dragon, continuing my assault on the forces of Hell. This aerial assault followed by a devastating boarding action echoed Master Chief's iconic attack on the Covenant's scarab tanks in Halo 3, albeit with a dragon instead of a Hornet and a demonic battle barge in place of a giant mech. However, Doom: The Dark Ages remains distinctly Doom at its core, with its combat mechanics feeling unmistakably familiar to fans of the series.

The demo lasted two and a half hours and included four levels. The first level, the campaign's opener, mirrored the tightly paced and well-designed levels of Doom (2016) and its sequel. The subsequent levels, however, introduced significant departures, featuring me piloting a colossal mech, flying a dragon, and navigating a vast battlefield filled with secrets and powerful minibosses. These elements felt more akin to the likes of Halo, Call of Duty, and even old James Bond games like Nightfire, which are known for their scripted setpieces and novel gameplay mechanics.

A dragon assault on Hell's battle barge. | Image credit: id Software / Bethesda

This direction is intriguing, especially considering Doom's past. The cancelled Doom 4 was poised to be more like Call of Duty, with a modern military aesthetic and a heavy focus on cinematic storytelling and scripted events. Id Software ultimately decided these elements didn't fit the series and opted for the more focused approach seen in Doom (2016). Yet, here in The Dark Ages, released in 2025, these once-rejected ideas are making a comeback.

The campaign introduces new gameplay concepts at a brisk pace, reminiscent of Call of Duty's most innovative moments. My demo began with a lengthy, cinematic cutscene that reintroduced the realm of Argent D'Nur, the opulent Maykrs, and the Night Sentinels, setting the stage for the Doom Slayer's terrifying legend. This approach to storytelling feels new and reminiscent of Halo, with NPC Night Sentinels scattered throughout the environment, giving a sense of being part of a larger force. While the cutscenes are used to set up missions without interrupting the game's intense flow, the introduction of such character-driven narratives raises questions about whether Doom needs this depth of storytelling.

The demo also included significant shifts in gameplay. After the initial mission, I found myself controlling a Pacific Rim-style Atlan mech, battling demonic kaiju, and later flying a cybernetic dragon to take down battle barges. These scripted sequences, while reminiscent of Call of Duty's novelties like the AC-130 gunship or dogfighting missions, felt less engaging compared to Doom's signature on-foot combat. The mech and dragon sequences seemed more like on-rails experiences, lacking the complexity and engagement of Doom's core gameplay.

The mech battles are Pacific Rim-scale punch ups. | Image credit: id Software / Bethesda

Variety is often a strength in FPS campaigns, as seen in classics like Half-Life 2 and Titanfall 2. Halo has also benefited from a mix of vehicular and on-foot sequences. However, the shift in gameplay styles in The Dark Ages feels jarring. While the game's on-foot combat demands constant attention and skill, the mech and dragon sections feel mechanically simpler and less engaging. This contrast is stark, akin to a beginner playing alongside a virtuoso.

The final level I played, "Siege," returned to Doom's excellent gunplay but expanded the level design into a large, open battlefield. The objective was to destroy five Gore Portals, reminiscent of Call of Duty's multi-objective missions. This level's scale and design evoked memories of Halo's varied environments, challenging players to rethink their weapon usage and tactics in larger spaces. However, the expanded playspace occasionally led to pacing issues, with backtracking and empty pathways disrupting the flow. Incorporating the dragon as a transport, similar to Halo's Banshee, could have maintained the pace and integrated the dragon more seamlessly into the gameplay.

The reintroduction of ideas from the cancelled Doom 4, such as scripted setpieces and vehicle sections, raises interesting questions. Were these ideas always a bad fit for Doom, or did they just seem out of place when too closely resembling Call of Duty? While I remain skeptical about the integration of these elements, I'm also excited to see if id Software can successfully blend them with the modern Doom formula.

At its heart, The Dark Ages remains true to Doom's core combat, which continues to be the star of the show. While the new ideas introduced in the demo feel somewhat underwhelming compared to the intense on-foot gameplay, there's still much more to explore. I eagerly await the full release on May 15th, not only to experience id Software's unrivaled gunplay but also to see if Doom: The Dark Ages can successfully marry its traditional elements with the ambitious new directions it's exploring.