DOOM: The Dark Ages – Experience Storytelling, Open Worlds, Mechs, and Dragons First-Hand

The moment I dove into The Dark Ages, everything felt different. During the final and longest stretch of the demo, I found myself in a sprawling, sandbox-style arena created by id, where I was left to my own devices. My mission was simple: close five demon-spewing portals. Yet, the path I chose and the distractions I entertained along the way were completely up to me. The experience throughout that hour was a constant reminder that this wasn’t just another DOOM game.

As you’d hope, this sandbox is brimming with optional objectives. There’s a variety of heavily fortified artillery batteries to dismantle, tantalizing caches of gold for upgrades, and plenty more. At one point, while I was just making my way through the area, a gigantic tentacle suddenly erupted from the ground, launching an unexpected assault. This wasn’t part of the main script, not even a side objective—just a wild surprise to keep me on my toes.

Even the primary goals kept me guessing. In that initial story mission, shutting down portals was all about clearing an arena. But here, things took a surprising twist. Some portals led me to dungeons where I had to crack puzzles to unearth the energy source fueling them. Others brought forth Leader enemies—formidable foes immune to my attacks until I’d taken down enough of their minions. Defeating these bosses granted me lasting upgrades. Throughout, I stumbled upon new weaponry, expanding my arsenal with fresh possibilities. The creativity here was boundless, as though id has been itching to inject fresh ideas into the DOOM universe.

That’s the core of my experience with DOOM: The Dark Ages—it’s a game that shows a team bursting with excitement, not just for DOOM’s legacy, but for what it can evolve into. I’d prepared myself for a new storyline, fresh guns, and terrifying demons. I hadn’t anticipated exploring entirely new genres. I can hardly wait to discover what else this inventive team has tucked away for us.

DOOM: The Dark Ages will hit the shelves on May 15, 2025, available for Xbox Series X|S, PC (access through the Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, and Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and cloud. Plus, it will be playable from day one on Game Pass.