The Latest on Doom: The Dark Ages

Doom: The Dark Ages is shifting its approach to combat by moving away from fixed animations in favor of a dynamic gameplay experience. At the recent Xbox Developer Direct presentation, id Software unveiled significant changes to the game, focusing on making the action more fluid.

Key Changes in Gameplay

• Canned animations are out: The game introduces a system of free-form finishers, allowing players to execute kills without interrupting their combat flow.

• Contextual Mechanics: Combat now includes new tools such as the Saw Shield, enabling blocking and parrying in addition to offensive capabilities.

• Enhanced Glory Kills: Unlike previous installments, where specific animations were required, players can perform Glory Kills at their discretion, creating a personalized combat experience. As Martin emphasizes, “It’s an all-new, un-synced, completely in the player’s control Glory Kill system—from any angle, in and out as you see fit.”

The Feel of Combat

The game aims to deliver a grounded combat experience, with Martin describing the shift from the aerial combat of Doom Eternal to a precisely controlled style in The Dark Ages. He notes, “You’ll be an iron tank—heavy, strong, but still fast.”

Doom: The Dark Ages is slated for release on May 15, 2025.