After a long wait, DOOM: The Dark Ages finally arrived. Unlike the more futuristic earlier entries, this game drops you into a dark world inspired by the Middle Ages, but still full of advanced technology.I started playing on June 1 and finished on June 29, 2025, after roughly 21 hours, including ray-tracing experiments and streaming tests that occasionally interrupted my sessions.
I had never played a DOOM game before, so this was my introduction to the series. The Dark Ages isn’t merely a prequel to DOOM (2016). It presents Doomguy in a more cinematic and brutal way, with a grander sense of scale.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Review
Watch my narrated review below, or click here to open it on YouTube.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Gameplay
Fast, Balanced, and Brutal Gameplay
Combat That Works for a Newcomer
Although this was my first DOOM game, the combat clicked almost immediately. On ‘Hurt Me Plenty,’ the second of six difficulty levels, I found the balance between challenge and accessibility satisfying. Fights are fast and responsive, with careful timing essential against relentless waves of enemies.
Every weapon has its own personality. My main choice was the Super Shotgun for its massive close-range damage. Before unlocking it, I enjoyed the Combat Shotgun, the crossbow-like automatic Shredder, and the Accelerator, which develops explosive effects later on.I also liked the Rocket Launcher upgrade that allows it to steal life from enemies. For melee combat, the Dreadmace was my favorite. I jokingly called it my ‘Majapahit mace’ because its blows felt so heavy.
Two weapons saw much less use: the Chainshot and Grenade Launcher. They weren’t necessarily weak; they just didn’t feel as satisfying to me.
Level Design, Enemies, and Relentless Pacing
The levels in DOOM: The Dark Ages became especially compelling from Chapter 15 through the climax in Chapter 22. Enemies keep coming in waves, leaving little room to relax. Tight arenas make fights demanding and chaotic.
The enemy variety forces you to react quickly. There are flying Cacodemon Hybrids, Agaddon Hunters with annoying shields, disappearing Revenants, and powerful Cyberdemons and Cosmic Barons.The Acolyte frustrated me the most. This quick-moving sorcerer requires you to destroy its clones first. Even on normal difficulty the encounters were challenging, and I can only imagine what higher levels are like.
A Confusing Opening, Then a Stronger Story
At first, the story was difficult for me to follow. Doomguy is suddenly thrown into battle, and it seems as though something is controlling him.After Chapter 10, the plot becomes more focused. Doomguy’s desire for revenge after Ahzrak kills him gives the later story a clear emotional direction. I also earned the ‘Too Angry to Die’ achievement, which felt appropriate after such a bloody journey.
One of the most memorable moments was Doomguy’s dragon dying to protect him. From there, his anger at the demons felt even more personal.
Visuals, Sound, and Atmosphere
The graphics in DOOM: The Dark Ages aren’t necessarily the most spectacular I’ve seen, but they serve the game’s dark, war-torn setting. Ray tracing makes the image brighter and more colorful without changing the grim art direction. The world mixes medieval kingdoms with futuristic machinery, an odd combination that works in practice.
The energetic punk-rock soundtrack and forceful sound effects help every battle feel intense. Cutscenes and animation are well made and cinematic without losing the series’ aggressive character.
Performance and Optimization on Modern PCs
As a PC gamer, I was curious to see how demanding this game would be with my new RTX 5070 Ti. DOOM: The Dark Ages pushed my system hard. I played at 1440p with the graphics at their highest settings and Frame Generation set to 4x.
Without ray tracing, I recorded over 250 FPS with DLSS DLAA, which suited the fast combat. Enabling ray tracing made performance much less stable, depending on the DLSS preset:
- DLSS DLAA: 20–50 FPS (about 25 FPS on average)
- DLSS Quality: 30–70 FPS (about 40 FPS on average)
- DLSS Balance: 50–80 FPS (about 50 FPS on average)
- DLSS Performance: 60–120 FPS (about 65 FPS on average)
- DLSS Ultra Performance: I couldn’t evaluate it reliably because of a serious bug. My character stopped moving during the test. I suspected performance might reach 90–150 FPS if the issue were fixed, but that was only a guess.
Under normal conditions, DOOM: The Dark Ages ran well throughout the campaign. I didn’t encounter a major crash or bug that stopped my progress.However, recorded footage sometimes stuttered during particularly intense fights. I suspected the combination of ray tracing and heavy particle effects, but I didn’t confirm the technical cause. That is worth considering if you plan to record or stream the game.
Overall, the game performed well for me on high-end PC hardware, although ray tracing required compromises, especially while recording or streaming. The visuals still looked good without it.
Personally, I preferred turning ray tracing off. The frame rate was too inconsistent above 60 FPS, and I wanted lower latency for responsive combat. With Frame Generation, some movements even looked unnaturally slow to me.Since graphics weren’t the main reason I enjoyed the game, I chose smoother combat over ray-traced lighting.
Replay Value and Price: Is It Worth Buying?
There are plenty of reasons to replay DOOM: The Dark Ages . With six difficulty options, you can take on fresh challenges after finishing the campaign.
The main story was estimated at around 14 hours without extensive exploration. My total playtime reached about 21 hours because I also tested settings and streamed. I estimate that around 18–19 hours were spent on actual gameplay.
Collectibles such as gold, rubies, and wraithstones encourage exploration, while different weapons offer reasons to revisit combat encounters. Quick saves and the 3D map made it easier for me to explore and plan encounters.
I paid Rp1,000,000 for the standard edition. Given the quality, that felt reasonable to me, although I’d suggest around Rp750,000 as a more comfortable price for someone unfamiliar with DOOM.As an FPS fan, I still thought it was worth full price if you enjoy demanding, fast-paced combat.
Conclusion: A Fresh and Brutal DOOM
DOOM: The Dark Ages takes the familiar formula into a medieval-inspired setting without abandoning its identity. It still encourages you to shoot quickly, destroy demons, and keep moving.
As a newcomer, I was impressed by how the game introduced its world. The opening was confusing, but the narrative became stronger later on. Doomguy remains silent, yet his actions, particularly his return from death to seek revenge, communicate plenty.
Combat is the highlight of DOOM: The Dark Ages. Every weapon feels distinct, enemies have different attack patterns, and levels push you to think fast without losing your momentum. Heavy metal music and the oppressive atmosphere made the experience exciting and satisfying.
Performance was solid on my modern PC, though ray tracing needed compromises. Whether it was enabled or not, I could enjoy the game visually, but I preferred the more responsive experience without it.
For newcomers and long-time DOOM fans alike, there is plenty here to enjoy. Multiple difficulty levels, collectibles, and varied weapons give you good reasons to return. I finished it wanting to try a harder setting.
For me, DOOM: The Dark Ages delivered a fast, intense FPS full of moments worth remembering. It showed how the series could try a different setting without abandoning what made it fun.
