Doom: The Dark Ages – A Bloody Good Time, But Does the Story Matter?
Doom: The Dark Ages is here, and it's a glorious, gory mess of demon-slaying action. But does the plot make any sense? According to early player impressions, not really. But honestly, who cares when you're wielding a chainsaw shield and piloting a mech suit?
One player recounts their experience diving into Doom: The Dark Ages expecting a coherent prequel story, only to come away with a head full of bloody, nonsensical vibes. "That shit doesn’t make any sense. And it doesn’t matter. We got demons to kill," they declared. The game throws you into the role of the Slayer, an unstoppable force against the hordes of Hell, with little explanation as to why he's so damn good at it. The story involves alien groups, techno-medieval humans, and a MacGuffin of some sort. But let's be real, you'll be too busy parrying attacks with your chainsaw shield to worry about the finer points of the narrative.
The gameplay, however, is where Doom: The Dark Ages truly shines. The emphasis on melee combat and parrying adds a welcome variety to the demon-slaying experience. By the end of the game, players will feel like an unstoppable force, swapping between weapons like the skullcrusher, the accelerator, and the BFC (Big Fucking Crossbow). The plot may be baffling, but by the end, you'll understand why demons fear the Doomguy.
But what to listen to while you are ripping and tearing? The medieval setting of Doom: The Dark Ages lends itself to a different kind of metal than its predecessors. Suggestions from other players include Whitechapel's Hymns In Dissonance, whose album is literally a concept album about a prisoner of Hell breaching his confinement and starting a demonic cult to raze the planet. Sounds about right for the Slayer!
Interestingly, Doom: The Dark Ages also requires ray tracing on PC, which, according to id Software, significantly sped up the game's development. By no longer having to bake the lighting during development, countless hours of work were saved. While this requirement has caused some grumbling among players with older graphics cards, it also signals a shift towards more advanced rendering techniques in game development. As Samuel Tolbert notes, "There are a number of factors impacting game development and causing even iterative sequels to take years and years longer to produce than in times past. I don't expect ray tracing to be a silver bullet completely tackling this problem, but id Software has already proved that it's extremely helpful."
So, should you play Doom: The Dark Ages? Absolutely. Just don't expect a deeply philosophical narrative. Instead, prepare for a face-melting, demon-slaying spectacle that will leave you feeling like the ultimate badass.
What are your thoughts on Doom: The Dark Ages? Does the story matter to you, or are you just here for the carnage? Let us know in the comments below!
