The newest Doom installment will be a blast. Here’s why to be excited for the next Bethesda shooter.
When I first saw the gameplay trailer for the Doom back in 2015 my jaw dropped. It was all I ever imagined with a Doom reboot. And it delivered, big time. The setting, mechanics, weapons, pacing, and, of course, the music. It all worked flawlessly. Fortunately for us, the gamers, the game was just as fun as the E3 presentation suggested it would be.
Then we got a sequel, which was simply more of the good stuff and some of the good got even better. It was somehow even faster, more gory, and loads of fun. I still like to replay a level or two from time to time.
I also liked the introduction of the lore. There wasn’t much story in Doom: Eternal, but that is exactly what it needed. Just a few story bits here and there to keep the players involved, but just enough not to lose the game’s identity as a fast-paced shooter.
Now, after patiently waiting, we finally got a reveal of the next Doom installment, which is Doom: The Dark Ages. So, let’s dive into what we saw in the trailer and why I feel like this game will be a hit, both financially and critically.
We have not seen too much yet, but let’s break down the trailer and talk about what can we expect from the next Doom.
Setting
First of all, we gotta talk about the world we will see in the game. Even the title clearly suggests it will play a major role here. This time around we will rip and tear in the medieval setting with futuristic and demonic elements sprinkled here and there. It was a good idea not to go into a futuristic cosmic theme again because it could get stale.
In the trailer, we see castles, battlefields, and medieval weapons, like a mace. Also, a freaking dragon! But more on it in a moment. We also get a glimpse of a spaceship from which the Doom Slayer seems to be launched onto the planet. What planet could it be, we’re not sure yet. Some fans theorize it could be Argent D’Nur, homeworld of the Sentinels, a race of protectors that The Slayer became a part of. Whichever world it might be, the medieval setting looks awesome.
As for when the game takes place, it seems from the tagline at the beginning of the trailer, “Before he became a hero, he was the superweapon of gods and kings”, the game is a prequel and it could take us way back into the past of the demonic universe.
Weapons
Aside from the standard weaponry we all know, we can see that the developers will let us play with some new demon-slaying toys. My favorite from the trailer is the demon skull gun, which grinds the skulls into smaller pieces and shoots the enemies like a shotgun. Whoever came up with this idea deserves a raise.
A shield is another new addition to the Slayer’s arsenal. And while it can be used for protection against projectiles and physical attacks, it can be used as a powerful weapon too, obviously. Slayer will make a weapon out of anything so we should not be surprised. It can be thrown and even work like a chainsaw.
We also saw a chain mace, a gigantic Slayer mech, and the dragon! And we will have a chance to steer both the mech and the dragon it seems. We only had a glimpse of these new transport and arsenal choices, so I can’t say much, but it will for sure be some over-the-top crazy sh*t.
Lore
While presenting Doom: Eternal, the devs already promised to expand the lore and give us more of the story from this universe. As I said, they found a good balance in telling just enough. I hope to see the same story treatment in the newest Doom. There is definitely a great story to tell there. Just the “Middle Ages” setting is enough to fuel the storytelling machine. We will likely get a whole set of new characters, adversaries, and bosses, just like we did in Eternal and the DLC, The Ancient Gods.
I don’t want to spoil anything for the players who might be a bit behind, so let’s just say the story was pretty interesting in both games so far, and I hope to see more.
We will patiently wait for more information about the story and the new worlds in the coming months.
Music
Both Doom and Doom: Eternal were blessed with music from a fantastic composer, Mick Gordon. The soundtrack from both games was electric, I loved each and every track and often listen to them. The composer delivered an original and great blend of electronic and metal music. Unfortunately during the development of Doom: Eternal Gordon fell into a fight with Bethesda, which ended up in the soundtrack for the sequel never being released as a standalone album, and more importantly, the company and composer splitting, with Gordon promising he would not work with Bethesda again.
From what we’ve heard in the trailer for The Dark Ages the composer has most likely changed. No official statement about the game’s soundtrack was released, but you can just hear it is not Gordon. Many fans speculate that Andrew Hulshult, the composer for The Ancient Gods DLC, is involved. Whoever it might be, I just hope for more awesome metal music.
Mechanics and graphics
There’s not much to say here. The most important additions to the game’s mechanics will be the mech and the dragon. Other than that, it seems the game will stick to everything that worked great so far, gameplay-wise.
As for the graphics, it’s definitely still the id Tech engine. The new Doom Looks fantastic, just like the previous games did. One of the prettiest shooters out there for years now.
Summary
I’m excited to play as the Slayer again, just like many other gamers, I’m sure. From what we have been given so far, it seems like id Software will deliver another hit. I’m eagerly waiting for more content from their new game and can’t wait to get my hands on Doom: The Dark Ages.
