id Software did a good job continuing the Doom franchise. Not a great one, but definitely a good one. Doom The Dark Ages is a fun experience that kept me in my chair for most of the time.

First, I have to mention how addicted I got to using the shield. The shield and parry system really clicked with me and made me instantly recommend the game. There is something incredibly satisfying about parrying a projectile or smashing a Mancubus with a shield bash. I also loved using the double shotgun. It feels amazing and makes demon slaying incredibly enjoyable.

Beyond the gunplay and shield mechanics, I also liked the mecha sections. Even though I do not think they were very polished and the fights felt short and easy, I still enjoyed the feeling of being inside a giant mech crushing demons. However, I have to ask one thing: why is there no mecha sword? That would have made those fights so much better.

The pacing felt fine and the story was decent, though nothing special. I do think King Novik deserved more screen time, maybe even a scene where he knights the Slayer for everything he has done. Overall, I had a lot of fun charging into mini bosses with the shield and just tearing through hordes of demons.

Now for the negatives. The dragon sections are easily the weakest part of the game. They feel unimportant, the map becomes confusing, and it is easy to miss items and loot. The gameplay itself is also too simple, especially the dodging. While mecha fights are also simple, at least they deliver a strong sense of power and scale.

Another issue is weapon balance. Many weapons feel useless most of the time. The weapon challenges help, but without them I would mostly stick to the double shotgun and plasma rifle, with only occasional use of the chainshot.

The music is also weaker compared to Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal, which is disappointing but not surprising.

My biggest problem is the price. This game does not justify 80 euros. Even though I enjoyed it, paying that much for around 30 hours of full completion is too much. I can defend shorter games with high prices if the quality is exceptional, but that is not the case here.

At the end of the day, this is still Doom. Fans of previous games will find something to enjoy. I do recommend it, but only on sale. Wait for a solid discount.

Rip and tear until it is done.