Doom: The Dark Ages Lets Us Feel Like Leonidas of Sparta. Dark Shooter Is Set to Draw Handfuls From Classics
Doom: The Dark Ages will make us feel like Leonidas. The creative director of id Software studio, Hugo Martin, talked about what we can expect from the latest installment of the series.
During Sunday's Xbox Games Showcase, we had the pleasure of seeing for the first time what the next installment of the iconic Doom series looks like. At the beginning of the ongoing week, we learned more details about it in turn. Hugo Martin, the creative director of the game from id Software studio, revealed this while speaking with GamesRadar.
Doom: The Dark Ages inspired by the first installment of the series
As Martin said, The Dark Ages will place more emphasis on bullet dodging mechanics than previous installments in the series. They will fly towards the protagonist at a slightly slower pace, thereby giving the player a chance to dodge. In this way, the devs want to refer to the solution from 1993's Doom.
What's more, the new Doom will be filled with demons (supposedly there will be more of them than ever before), which we will have to eliminate in larger arenas. Our character will also be slower, but much more powerful in clashes. In addition, the creative director mentioned the return of the mechanics known from the first installment of the series, known as strafing-to-aim or strafe aim. This aiming method involves moving in the same or opposite direction as the opponent - left or right - to keep them in your sights while staying mobile and avoiding bullets, and minimizing mouse or joystick movements.
It's worth mentioning that the slower action pace in The Dark Ages is a significant departure from the formula of Doom Eternal from 2020. The gameplay in this game was extremely dynamic, and the main character moved agilely and swiftly through vertical locations. There were numerous platforming elements in the game that many players complained about. We won't find them in the sixth installment.
The most powerful weapons in Doom's history?
The developers demonstrated the shield concealing blades in action in the trailer. Hugo Martin mentioned that we will be equipped with it almost all the time and we will feel like Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings - this is a strange comparison, because Tolkien's character didn't use a shield in battle - or Leonidas when he fought at Thermopylae.
With this shield, we can not only "mow down" the attacking demons, but also block their attacks or the bullets they fire. Furthermore, we will use it alongside other armaments (several types of which we have already seen in the trailer), wreaking havoc on the battlefield.
Speaking of other weapons, the devs want to create the most powerful arsenal in the history of the entire series. It will contain, for instance, the so-called skull crusher, rail spike gun, or the previously mentioned shield, simply named shield saw.
Let's hope that id Software fully realizes its plans, because both the trailer and the words of Hugo Martin carry the promise of a great game. Let's remind that Doom: The Dark Ages is set to premiere in 2025. The title will be released on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5.
