Doom: The Dark Ages - A Halo-Like Renaissance

When I sat down to play Doom: The Dark Ages, the last thing on my mind was Halo 3. Yet, as I found myself perched atop a cyborg dragon, unleashing a barrage of machine gun fire on a demonic battle barge, the echoes of Master Chief's scarab tank assault in Halo 3 were unmistakable. After obliterating the vessel's defensive turrets, I landed on the ship, stormed through its decks, and reduced the crew to a bloody mess. Moments later, I burst through the hull back onto my dragon, continuing my relentless crusade against Hell's machines.

Fans of Bungie's iconic Xbox 360 shooter will recognize the familiar rhythm of an aerial assault transitioning into a brutal boarding action, even if the Hornet has been replaced by a holographic-winged dragon and the scarab by an occult flying boat. This wasn't the only moment that evoked Halo during the demo. While The Dark Ages retains Doom's signature combat, its campaign design nods to late-2000s shooters with its use of elaborate cutscenes and a focus on novel gameplay experiences.

Over the course of two and a half hours, I experienced four levels of Doom: The Dark Ages. The first level, the campaign's opener, mirrored the tightly paced, meticulously designed levels of Doom (2016) and its sequel. However, subsequent levels introduced me to piloting a colossal mech, soaring on a dragon, and navigating expansive battlefields filled with secrets and formidable minibosses. This shift in design feels more akin to games like Halo, Call of Duty, and even old James Bond titles like Nightfire, which are known for their scripted setpieces and temporary gameplay mechanics.

This direction is intriguing, especially given Doom's past. The cancelled Doom 4 was poised to adopt a Call of Duty-like approach, with a modern military aesthetic and emphasis on characters and cinematic storytelling. Id Software ultimately rejected these ideas in favor of the more focused Doom (2016). Yet, here we are in 2025 with The Dark Ages embracing similar elements.

The campaign's brisk pace is interspersed with new gameplay concepts that echo Call of Duty's most innovative moments. My demo began with an extended cutscene, reintroducing the realm of Argent D'Nur, the opulent Maykrs, and the Night Sentinels—Doom Slayer's knightly comrades. The Doom Slayer is portrayed as a legendary terror, a nuclear-level threat on two legs. This cinematic approach, while familiar to lore enthusiasts, feels new and reminiscent of Halo's storytelling. The levels themselves feature NPC Night Sentinels, akin to UNSC Marines, enhancing the sense of being part of a larger force, much like Master Chief.

The extensive character work in the opening cutscene raises questions about whether Doom needs such depth. Personally, I prefer the subtle storytelling of the previous games, conveyed through environmental design and codex entries, with cinematics reserved for major plot points as in Doom Eternal. Yet, the cutscenes in The Dark Ages are thoughtfully placed, setting up missions without disrupting the game's intense flow.

However, other interruptions arise in the form of gameplay shifts. After the opening mission, which transitioned from shotgun chaos to parrying Hell Knights with the Slayer's new shield, I found myself in the cockpit of a Pacific Rim-inspired Atlan mech, battling demonic kaiju. Then, I was back on the dragon, taking down battle barges and gun emplacements. These scripted sequences, reminiscent of Call of Duty's AC-130 gunship or dogfighting missions, introduce significant changes in pace and gameplay. The Atlan's slow, heavy feel and the dragon's fast, agile maneuverability provide contrasting experiences that diverge from classic Doom's intensity.

Many acclaimed FPS campaigns thrive on such variety, with Half-Life 2 and Titanfall 2 setting the benchmark. Halo's enduring appeal partly stems from its mix of vehicular and on-foot sequences. Yet, I'm uncertain whether this approach suits Doom. The Dark Ages, like Eternal, is a complex shooter demanding constant attention, weaving together shots, shield tosses, parries, and melee combos. In contrast, the mech and dragon sequences feel less engaging, almost like on-rails experiences with combat resembling QTEs.

In Call of Duty, switching to a tank or gunship feels natural because the mechanical complexity aligns closely with on-foot gameplay. In The Dark Ages, the shift between gameplay styles is stark, making the transition jarring. While Doom's core combat remains the highlight, even epic mech battles left me longing for the ground-level intensity of a double-barreled shotgun.

The final hour introduced the "Siege" level, which refocuses on id's exceptional gunplay while expanding the typically claustrophobic level design into a vast battlefield. This level, with its objective to destroy five Gore Portals, echoes Call of Duty's multi-objective missions, yet again reminded me of Halo with its contrast between tight interiors and expansive exteriors. The larger spaces challenge you to rethink weapon ranges and utilize charge attacks and shields in new ways.

Expanding Doom's playspace can lead to unfocused moments, with backtracking and empty pathways disrupting the pace. Integrating the dragon into this level, similar to Halo's Banshee, could maintain momentum and enhance the dragon's role in the gameplay. Whether such a level exists remains to be seen.

It's fascinating to see The Dark Ages revive and reinterpret ideas once deemed unsuitable for Doom. The cancelled Doom 4 was rumored to feature scripted setpieces and vehicle scenes, elements now present in the Atlan and dragon sections. Marty Stratton of id Software confirmed in 2016 that Doom 4 aimed for a more cinematic, character-driven experience akin to Call of Duty. These elements, once scrapped, are now reimagined in The Dark Ages, which promises boarding action setpieces, lush cinematics, a broader cast, and significant lore expansions.

The question remains: were these ideas always a poor fit for Doom, or did they simply need to be integrated differently? I share the skepticism of fans wary of "Call of Doom," yet I'm also intrigued by id Software's attempt to blend these elements with Doom's modern formula.

The heart of The Dark Ages remains its visceral, on-foot combat, which nothing in the demo suggested would be sidelined. This alone could sustain an entire campaign, but id Software has other plans. Some of their new ideas feel mechanically thin, raising concerns about whether they will enhance or detract from the experience. Only time will tell how these fragmented demo missions fit into the broader narrative. As May 15th approaches, I'm eager to dive back into id's unparalleled gunplay and see if Doom: The Dark Ages will be a cohesive late-2000s FPS campaign or a disjointed one.