Doom: The Dark Ages

15. May 2025

Combined rating

User + critics

based on 154 ratings

Xbox Series X|S PC (Microsoft Windows) PlayStation 5

Summary

A single-player first-person shooter and prequel to Doom (2016). Set in the dark medieval world of Argent D'Nur, players control the Doom Slayer in a grounded, weighty combat style that emphasizes strategic engagements over the acrobatic mobility of previous entries. The game introduces a Shield Saw for blocking and parrying, new melee weapons, and drivable vehicles including a cybernetic dragon and a massive mech. The narrative focuses on the Slayer's origin story with expanded cutscenes and character development.

Storyline

Long before the demonic invasions of Mars and Earth, the Night Sentinels of Argent D'Nur and their allies the Maykrs wage a desperate war against the forces of Hell, who seek a powerful artifact known as the Heart of Argent. The Doom Slayer, empowered by the Maykrs, is deployed to turn the tide in favor of humanity. However, his master Kreed Maykr suppresses the Slayer's free will through a device called the Tether, keeping him under control as a weapon rather than a warrior. When Hell's commander, Prince Ahzrak, shifts strategy and focuses on locating the Heart rather than confronting the Slayer directly, the balance of the war begins to shift. As betrayals mount and alliances fracture between the Sentinels and the Maykrs, the Slayer must break free of his chains and fight not only the demons but the forces that claim to be his allies.

Developers

id Software

Publishers

Bethesda Softworks

IGDB user rating

82.4

148 ratings

Critic rating

86.7

6 ratings

Combined rating

84.5