It won’t be long until the release of Doom: The Dark Ages, but before fans decide to buy it, they want to know what the reviews promise. Therefore, we summarize the impressions of the first testers.
When can you expect reviews? On May 9, 2025, at 4:00 PM, the review embargo for all testers was lifted, and with it, the first reviews were published. So far, things look solid for Doom: The Dark Ages, as it has an average score of 85 points based on currently 74 reviews on Metacritic (as of May 9, 4:10 PM).
GameStar and GamePro have also published their reviews, and they look good. Here are the tests:
- GameStar – Doom: The Dark Ages in review: If hell is this much fun, we are happy to be sinners!
- GamePro – Doom: The Dark Ages in review – The best shooter of the year so far has a major weakness
85 score on Metacritic shows that the shooter is fun
What can I expect? On Metacritic, there are 74 reviews divided as follows (as of May 9, 4:10 PM):
- PC: 29 reviews with an overall score of 87
- 27 positive
- 2 mixed
- Xbox: 13 reviews with an overall score of 85
- 13 positive
- PS5: 32 reviews with an overall score of 83
- 27 positive
- 5 mixed
Almost everyone praises the graphics and the implementation of the game. The gameplay remains brutal but takes a new direction with a more defensive playstyle, which is not necessarily less exciting but rather makes the combat more thrilling.
The gaming site XboxEra is thrilled with the new title and announces: “DOOM: The Dark Ages brings us back to the Slayer in his strongest form, with a stylish cloak and all. Twenty-two levels full of chaos, excellent pacing, and fast-paced combat make this my favorite in the series.”
The site TierraGamer agrees and reports on the changes from Eternal: “Doom: The Dark Ages is an excellent addition to this first-person shooter series. It sacrifices the mobility of Eternal and gives us the feeling of being an unstoppable tank, in a story full of action and variety, both in weapons and enemies, ensuring that the tension remains high from beginning to end.”
Is there anything to complain about? Yes, there were issues that did not sit well with the first testers. In particular, it was about performance and the story.
Regarding performance, there may be occasional stutters that could be annoying for some players. As for the story, it is said to be flat and not convincing for everyone.
For some veterans, The Dark Ages was also far from what they had come to expect from Doom over the years. In particular, the slower gameplay might be off-putting to some players.
Quick overview – What is Doom: The Dark Ages? In Doom: The Dark Ages, you once again take on the role of the Doom Slayer. However, you are no longer an unstoppable Marine, but rather a mix of super-soldier and knight – yet you are still unstoppable. You fight with powerful guns and a shield. The game wants to carve out a tactical niche and challenge its fans with that.
As usual, there is plenty of shooting, blood, and flying body parts. Additionally, the spectacle is underscored by aggressive metal music, which is typical for the Doom series. You can find more about Doom: The Dark Ages here: Doom: The Dark Ages comes in May – Fans celebrate the new combat style with shield and “ridiculously powerful guns”
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