Doom, as a series, has been a state of change since Doom 2. Each entry has placed its own stamp on the series, especially in recent years. Since 2016, Doom has become increasingly more vicious and kinetic. Doom The Dark Ages was yet another change to the formula, grounding the Doom Slayer from the hyper-movement verticality of Eternal.
Dark Ages’s focus on marching forward, shield up, anchored the intense, blood-soaked, onslaught. So what’s next for Doom: The Dark Ages? The expected DLC is coming, and like always with modern Doom, change is afoot.
Doom The Dark Ages: Revelations is less of a DLC, and more of a full-blown expansion (for those old enough to remember those). Clocking in at around 10-12 hours for the campaign, you’d be forgiven for being surprised at how much game is on offer…but there’s a catch. You see, Id Software aren’t building Revelations as just more campaign to play; instead, they’ve amassed a horde of content.
At the tip of Revelations is the newly added chain-spear. A brand new melee weapon that seemingly ties a bit of everything nu-Doom has offered so far. The spear provides a powerful new option within the campaign, complete with upgrades, offering plenty of flex and utility. The preview made it quite clear that the spear is the crown jewel of Revelations, with it not only being a form of offence and defence, but also evasion.
I’d be lying if I said the reveal that movement tech similar to Doom Eternal would be featured in Revelations didn’t catch me off guard. After all, a fundamental aspect of Dark Ages was how it felt like a constant push forward, discarding the aerial assaults that people loved in Eternal. Weapon progression is focused on melee weapons, meaning there are no new firearms, which isn’t much of a shock given the keenness on whacking things rather than blowing them away.
What became increasingly clear is that Revelations is a combination of everything Doom since 2016…and even a little bit before that…no, not Doom RPG.
One aspect of Dark Ages that remains fully intact is sliders. Players can tinker and curate, creating customised difficulties. This was a welcome option for most in the core game, and will surely be welcomed once again in Revelations. For those wishing to prove their super sick skills, good news! Revelations has the special sauce of its expansion with you in mind: the end game.
Once again, Id is tipping Doom on its head. The endgame of Revelations makes up around 40% of the overall offering (their words, not mine), with the campaign acting as something of a primer for the challenges to come. The end game is promised to be ‘Master levels’ difficulty combined with unique encounters, puzzles, trials, and even some throwbacks. Progress made in the end game unlocks hard encounters, which, upon completion, unlock further encounters described as ‘uber bosses’. There is a moment in the preview that made it clear that the Spear will be required in order to overcome end game content, acting as an anchor within whatever chosen meta a player may take. In short, this is being crafted as the hardest Doom to date.
Pinning together all the end game chaos is a hub, similar to the Slayer’s ship in Eternal, but keeping with the theme of Revelations, it’s much more than that. The Slayer hub will act as a means to connect things together, while offering its own secrets to explore. It’s much bigger than what was seen in Eternal, both in terms of size and content. There was even the magical term ‘Metroidvania’ uttered when describing the design philosophy behind the hub.
Id has a clear direction for what Revelations is, but is fully prepared for players to test its limits. Part of me wonders how much of Revelations is a last hurrah of modern Doom. With the campaign providing content for the masses and end game offering seemingly endless content for the hardcore, wrapped up in what seems to be the deepest Doom gameplay to date, it’s hard not to see this as a climax.
Whatever this might mean for Doom going forward, it is at least clear that Revelation is going to be one hell of a fight. Hearing Id describe the loop of explore, investment, and replay is refreshing. As a long-time fan of the series, I’ve found it phenomenal to see how a reboot can not only thrive but also evolve. Revelations seemingly binds together everything Id has learned and mastered since 2016, which should be enough to summon excitement during these dark times.
Aside from all the MEAT mentioned thus far, Id took the time to reveal that Andrew Hulshult (if you’ve played any boomer shooters in the last 8 or so years, you’ve heard his music siege your ears) would be providing music for the classic levels featured in Revelations, which is more than nice. The Ripatoruim will also be getting a big fat update. Revelations is set to provide us with plenty of Doom to distract us from the current doom the world is seemingly providing us eternally.
Doom The Dark Ages: Revelations is set for release July 7th, giving you just enough time to replay Dark Ages…which is recommended, not just by me, but by Id themselves.
