Doom's Dark Ages: A Halo-Like Moment

During a recent hands-on demo of Doom: The Dark Ages, I was unexpectedly reminded of Halo 3. Midway through the session, I found myself mounted on the back of a cyborg dragon, unleashing a barrage of machine gun fire at a demonic battle barge. After taking out its defensive turrets, I landed atop the vessel and charged through its decks, reducing the crew to mere red slop. Moments later, I burst through the hull on my dragon, continuing my relentless assault on Hell's machines.

Fans of Bungie's iconic Xbox 360 title will recognize the similarity to Master Chief's assault on Covenant scarab tanks. The transition from an aerial assault to a devastating boarding action, while featuring a holographic-winged dragon and an occult flying boat instead of the Hornet and a giant laser-firing mech, mirrors the core experience of Halo. Interestingly, this wasn't the only moment in the demo that evoked memories of Halo. While The Dark Ages' combat remains unmistakably Doom, its campaign design leans into a "late-2000s shooter" vibe with its use of elaborate cutscenes and a push for gameplay novelty.

Over the course of two and a half hours, I experienced four levels of Doom: The Dark Ages. The opening level echoed the tightly paced, meticulously designed levels of Doom (2016) and its sequel. Subsequent levels, however, introduced a colossal mech, the aforementioned dragon, and expansive battlefields filled with secrets and powerful minibosses. This marks a significant departure from Doom's traditional focus on mechanical purity, instead drawing parallels to games like Halo, Call of Duty, and even older James Bond titles like Nightfire, which are known for their scripted setpieces and novel mechanics.

This direction is intriguing, especially given Doom's history. The cancelled Doom 4 was initially envisioned to resemble Call of Duty with its modern military aesthetic, emphasis on characters, cinematic storytelling, and scripted events. Id Software eventually abandoned this approach in favor of the more focused Doom (2016). Yet, here we are in 2025, seeing these elements re-emerge in The Dark Ages.

The campaign's fast pace is punctuated by new gameplay ideas that echo Call of Duty's most memorable novelties. The demo began with a long, detailed cutscene introducing Argent D'Nur, the Maykrs, and the Night Sentinels, positioning the Doom Slayer as a legendary figure. While this lore is familiar to dedicated fans, its cinematic presentation feels new and reminiscent of Halo. The presence of NPC Night Sentinels throughout the environment further enhances this feeling, suggesting a larger force behind the player, much like Master Chief's UNSC Marines.

While I appreciate the subtle storytelling of the previous Doom games, the use of cutscenes in The Dark Ages is handled well, serving to set up missions without disrupting the game's intense flow. However, other interruptions come in the form of new gameplay sections. After the opening mission, I piloted a Pacific Rim-like Atlan mech to battle demonic kaiju, followed by soaring on a cybernetic dragon to take down battle barges. These tightly scripted sequences introduce a significant shift in gameplay, reminiscent of Call of Duty's AC-130 gunship or dogfighting missions. The mech's slow, heavy combat and the dragon's fast, agile maneuvers create experiences distinct from traditional Doom gameplay.

Variety in gameplay is a hallmark of some of the best FPS campaigns, as seen in Half-Life 2 and Titanfall 2. Halo's enduring appeal also stems from its mix of vehicular and on-foot sequences. However, I'm uncertain if this approach will suit Doom. The Dark Ages remains a complex and engaging shooter, demanding constant attention as players juggle shots, shield tosses, parries, and brutal melee combos. In contrast, the mech and dragon sequences feel less dynamic and more controlled, akin to QTEs.

In Call of Duty, switching to a tank or gunship feels seamless because the mechanical complexity aligns with on-foot missions. In The Dark Ages, however, the difference in gameplay styles is stark, like a novice musician trying to keep up with a virtuoso. While the core combat remains the star, the mech and dragon sequences left me yearning for the ground-based intensity of the double-barreled shotgun.

The final hour of my demo introduced "Siege," a level that refocuses on id's exceptional gunplay within a vast, open battlefield. The mission to destroy five Gore Portals, with its multi-objective, flexible completion style, evokes Call of Duty, but the expansive map and varied combat arenas reminded me of Halo's contrasting interior and exterior environments. Here, the core shooter systems are given new context in larger spaces, requiring players to adapt their weapon choices and tactics to cover greater distances and deflect artillery.

Expanding Doom's playspace can lead to pacing issues, as I experienced some backtracking through empty paths. Incorporating the dragon as a transport, similar to Halo's Banshee, could maintain the pace and integrate the dragon more seamlessly into the gameplay. If such a level exists, it would be a welcome addition.

It's fascinating to see The Dark Ages resurrect and reinterpret ideas from the cancelled Doom 4, which was described as having scripted setpieces and an "obligatory vehicle scene." Id Software's Marty Stratton confirmed Doom 4's original direction was closer to Call of Duty with its cinematic focus and larger cast of characters. Now, The Dark Ages brings back these elements, featuring boarding action setpieces, lush cinematics, and expansive lore reveals.

The question remains: were these ideas always a bad fit for Doom, or were they just poorly executed when they resembled Call of Duty too closely? While skeptical, I'm also intrigued by id Software's attempt to integrate these elements into the modern Doom formula.

The core of The Dark Ages remains its intense, on-foot combat, which continues to be the highlight of the experience. Despite my concerns about the new, less dynamic gameplay sections, I'm eager to see how these elements will fit into the full campaign. As May 15th approaches, I look forward to diving back into id's unparalleled gunplay and discovering whether Doom: The Dark Ages will be a cohesive late-2000s FPS campaign or a disjointed one.