First revealed at at present’s Xbox Video games Showcase, id Software program’s follow-up to 2020’s Doom Everlasting might be a medieval flavored prequel referred to as Doom: The Darkish Ages. The temporary trailer confirmed off Doom Man’s new look (full with furry Recreation of Thrones cape!), some gameplay snippets, and a deliberate 2025 launch window.
The massive takeaway? The Doom Man (Slayer when you want) has a goddamn combo Captain America defend/chainsaw that he can bounce round between enemies. That is already sufficient to get me via the door, however id can be significantly upping its recreation with regards to shooter ranges that appear like they need to be Metalcore album artwork, with all of the colossal fantasy spires and terrain made from large demon skeletons I’ve come to anticipate from the sequence. We additionally get a have a look at a particularly on-brand gun that chews skulls into stay ammunition that PC Gamer International Editor-in-Chief Evan Lahti has labeled “a cerebral slapchop.”
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We’re additionally getting Doom’s first sampling of auto fight, unusually sufficient, with dragon using proven off within the trailer and a mech swimsuit talked about in Microsoft’s first press launch concerning the recreation: “Take flight atop the brand new fierce Mecha Dragon and stand tall in an enormous Atlan mech as you beat titanic demons to a pulp.”
The reveal was a bit much less of a shock than it’d in any other case have been, with its identify and common idea having leaked virtually two weeks earlier than Microsoft’s showcase. Nonetheless, id’s Doom reboot sequence has been such a winner, it is laborious to undercut the joy of this announcement.
Doom 2016 was form of a revelation: it is simple to take the boomer shooter’s new lease on life without any consideration now, however the indie explosion of old style FPSes owes so much to id’s lightning-fast, acrobatic reboot of the sequence that outlined the style. Doom Everlasting was a kind of “greater and higher” sequels in virtually each approach, introducing new mechanics, weapons, and difficult enemies just like the notorious Marauder.
The Darkish Ages has additionally been ably arrange by the neo Doom sequence’ intensive lore: it is all very lofty and heavy steel, with extra of a give attention to enjoyable than continuity, however principally: after the occasions of the ’90s Dooms, the Doomguy went down into Hell to maintain doing his Doomguy factor, killing demons and whatnot and becoming a member of a society of mythic heroes referred to as the Night time Sentinels. Issues went south with the Sentinels ultimately, and the Slayer obtained locked up in a coffin earlier than getting unleashed in one other timeline’s Mars simply in time to undergo a retelling of his first journey: Doom 2016.
Make sense? Would not matter. The essential factor is that it is all rad as hell.
The thought of a extra medieval Doom additionally brings to thoughts one in all id’s different foundational FPS franchises: Quake. Earlier than it was all Stroggification and House Marines, Quake’s look was outlined by the form of heavy steel, battle axe, Ragnarök stylish that is now been co-opted by Dooms Everlasting and The Darkish Ages. With Doom now taking up that lane, I gotta surprise the place Quake suits into any future plans for the studio.
Regardless, extra Doom is, properly, extra Doom, and I can not wait to see the place id takes this sequence subsequent 12 months.
