Hey, everyone! This time, we're actually reviewing a recent release for once! This time, I look at the latest entry of one of the most influential series of games in general. Does this game truly live up to the Romero name? Or, is this game merely a pretender?
Let's find out!
I know, I know, I know. I'm supposed to be on summer break right now, continuing on with my playthrough of Half-Life: Alyx. Well, in this case, I have decided to make an exception. Here are the reasons why.
Over the past few months, my channel has been on and off like a faulty light bulb. Now, I have explained the reason why in recent channel updates. Also, this review is to thank a friend of mine, Gerig "OG Loc" Freeland.
About a month after my family member's first knee surgery, this person was someone looking through the deliveries that came into the shop. In the process of doing this task, he noticed this little dude. As I have said before, instead of simply reserving it, thus allowing me to call "first dibs" on it, he outright bought it for me as an emotional pick-me-up.
When I showed the item to my colleagues at work, they took turns to hug it!
Now, it may not be the biggest, and it sent him back only £8, but it's the thought that counts. I actively encourage supporting fellow members of the community when they are going through a personal crisis. It is always good to help one another. It makes life a lot easier to bear.
All this aside, let's get on with this review!
Now, everyone. Tell me, what can I say about the Doom series that has not already been said?
The series' origins were a 3D-based World War II shooter, originally called Catacombs 3-D.
This game is known as Wolfenstein 3-D, released exclusively for the PC in 1992, developed by Id Software, and published by Apogee. Wolfenstein 3-D is hailed as the grandfather of the Boomer shooter genre. It is a well-known fact that the game only sets the stage for the absolute revolution that was to come....
That revolution began in 1993, when Id Software released the first game of the series exclusively for the PC. This release single-handedly turned gaming, in general, on its head. Even today, the game's lead developer, John Romero still remains a senior figurehead in the gaming industry as a whole.
It is a well-known fact that, at the time, Doom was installed on more PCs than Windows 95. The massive success of the first game spawned a direct sequel. One year later, Doom 2 was released again, exclusively for the PC. Edited what's good about the original game in the series, and cranked them tenfold.
FUN FACT: Did you know that the first two games of the series had references to Wolfenstein? In the map E1M4 Command Control, there is a platform, and the shape of a swastika is on the level. Obviously, in later releases, that Easter egg was scrubbed completely.
Also, two levels are present in Doom 2 as secret levels. The entirety of the first level can be played, and the final boss battle is also present in the game. The only change is that Mecha Hitler is replaced by a Cyber Demon.
Our next stop on our tour of the franchise is Doom 3, released for the PC in 2004. This series entry was released to a mixed reaction from critics and the community. The game received an expansion, the Resurrection of Evil. This title also received the remaster treatment in 2012. This remaster also contained the first two games of the series.
In 2016, the franchise received a much-needed reboot. In my honest opinion, Doom (2016) brought Boomer shooters back into focus by reminding us what Bremer shooters are all about: fast-paced, in-your-face, balls-to-the-wall action. Our last stop on our retrospective of the Doom franchise is Doom Eternal, which was released to the public in 2020.
Ironically enough, the same day as Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The game later received two DLC expansion packs, The Ancient Gods.
So, here we are in 2025 Doom the Dark Ages. This title acts as the prequel to the two titles of the reboot trilogy. The game takes place long before Hell invades Mars and Earth. The Makyrs and the Sentinels have formed a coalition against the forces of Hell itself.
You play as gaming's biggest badass, The Doom Slayer. It is up to you to buy the power source of an agent relic before the leader of the forces of hell, Prince Ahzrak, does. then hunt that daemonic son of a bitch down!
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready to stand and fight! The accessibility scores are as follows –
Visibility 11
In terms of this category, it seems as though that Id oftware wasn't screwing around when they were developing this game. The accessibility section of the graphics tab of the options menu is very extensive. There is a plethora of accessibility options available.
First off, a colourblind mode? Id Software has got you covered! You can add a colourblind filter, this makes all elements of the screen a lot more colourblind friendly. Colourblind modes? You bet! You can customise which colour certain attacks appear. Now, this game as heavily reliant on parries (more on that in a minute!) This feature is an absolute lifeline when it comes to playing this game with a visual impairment.
So, a player with a visual impairment should be able to play this game with absolutely no issues whatsoever!
Audibility 11
I said it once, and I will say it again Id Software spared absolutely no expense in terms of the accessibility features of this game. Subtitle support? They got it! Subtitle support is available in this game, these subtitles appear in both cutscenes and during levels. You could add back grown to these subtitles, in the same way that subtitles look during a TV programme. This makes the subtitles easier to read.
Customisable font sizes? Big tick! You can customise the sizes of text that appear in both menus and subtitles. This title also has another feature that makes the combat on what's more accessible. You could turn on threat indicators.
This feature comes into play when the slayer is in combat. When an enemy is about to attack you, arrows will point to the direction of where the attacker is, these indicators share the same colour scheme you set. This makes the game by far more accessible for a player with a hearing impairment as the player knows where to turn to Parry in attack, glass saving the slayer from damage. When the slayer's health, or ammo is low, notifications will appear in the centre of the screen.
So, this game is easily playable for a player with a mobility impairment
Mobility 11
In the PC version, which we used to test it, when using a keyboard and mouse, the controls can be fully customised to suit your impairments.
Also, when using a controller, the button layouts can be fully customised. However, there is no way to customise stick layouts. The only fault that I have with this game!
Also, using the difficulties section of the options menu, you can customise the parry window. This feature, again, comes into play when the slayer is in combat. When an enemy is about to use a parryable attack against you, you can give yourself more time to react when performing this move. In later difficulties, parrying becomes the biggest tool for your survival.
Using this feature, a player with slow reaction times can play this game a lot easier. So, despite the shortfall, a player with a mobility impairment to play this game with absolutely no issues whatsoever.
Gameplay 11
In my honest opinion, Id Software has done an excellent job at combining the traditional Boomer shooter, while adding Soulsborne elements to make this game relevant today.
The fluid gunplay that you would expect from a traditional Boomer shooter is still there, retaining the charm of the originals. The Parry mechanic, which is present in a lot of games, for example, Final Fantasy VII remake, and of course, Elden Ring. As I have said before, you can customise the amount of time that is allowed to perform a Parry. This is important as a perfectly timed Parry can send an attack right back!
Although the is no multiplayer element of the game (the multiplayer element of Eternal seemed pretty half-assed, so, good riddance!). After all, the core element of the traditional Doom game has a lot of focus on the single player experience.
Similar to a lot of games in the Doom series, the game rewards you for taking your time and being thorough with your exploration of each level. Each level has secrets to find, challenges to complete, and collectables. You can use gold at Sentinel statues to purchase upgrades for your guns, shield, and melee weapons. For example, you can purchase burst fire and incendiary ammo for the combat shotgun. This makeskicking daemonic ass a breeze.
In terms of the PC version, the system requirements seem a little steep. It requires an 8 GB graphics card, and an eight core processor as minimum requirements. This is due to mandatory ray tracing due to the new engine which this title is running on.
Now, this change seems a bit controversial, but Id Software is the master of optimisation. My RTX 3070 can run this game at low graphics settings at 120 frames per second, or, at medium settings, a stable 60 frames per second.
In summary, Doom the Dark Ages lives up to the sky high reputation of the genre defining Doom franchise. It shows us what a Boomer shooter plays like, and feels like, combining testosterone fuelled the gunplay, with melee combat, and Parry system thrown in the mix.
The slayer's ability to physically floor hey shield at enemies, and certain places in the environment, allows you to take multiple enemies at the same time, while adding a unique tool for exploration of the levels. If you are a Boomer shooter enthusiast, and are looking for a first-person shooter to enjoy over the summer, and have the raw hardware power to run this, I seriously cannot recommend this game enough to you!
OVERALL SCORE 110%
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