Doom: The Dark Ages’ weighty shield saw and gory melee are vital to its refreshed combat loop: “The guns are more like rhythm guitars this time”

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When you think of Doom it’s easy to think about massive demons and huge guns. But, though combat has often been frantic even back in the 1993 original, how you deal with a room full of hellspawn has always been something of a dynamic puzzle. How do you take out demons efficiently with the tools available to you while conserving resources like ammo and health? Doom: The Dark Ages wants you to think about that more than ever with its revised combat loop that combines shield, melee, and its ever-iconic guns.

“The development of the loop is the trade-offs, and the things that make it a risk and a reward – all of that. It’s fun to play off of those things,” says Doom: The Dark Ages executive producer Marty Stratton. “I often throw the shield and lock them down for a second, take somebody out, and then when you recall it, immediately lock on to that target again and smash into them before they can recover. As you then dive into those mechanics and understand the nuances of how the AIs react to each of them, you learn how to stack the abilities on top of each other.”

The Doom Slayer shooting the Skull Crusher at a demon during the Doom: The Dark Ages trailer.

(Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

“Typically, there’s what you want to do, there’s what the tool can do, and the space in between is filled with player skill,” says game director Hugo Martin on how players have to balance all of this in the moment. “If a heavy-hitting weapon takes out a ton of guys, then it slows down my movement – so I have to be smart about how I use it. That’s where it becomes really engaging.”

Big Preview

A Doom: The Dark Ages Big Preview frame shows key art of the Doom Slayer tearing a horde of demons apart using the shield saw, super shotgun in his off-hand

(Image credit: Bethesda Softworks)

Our Doom: The Dark Ages Big Preview is here, focusing on exclusive access and deep dive insights into id Software’s latest over-the-top FPS