Year In Review: Bethesda Must Go Back To The Drawing Board After DOOM: The Dark Ages

by

After playing DOOM 2016 and DOOM: Eternal, I was eager to revisit the series. While both are great, DOOM 2016 is especially impressive. DOOM: The Dark Ages feels like the most polished game in the trilogy, but surprisingly, I don’t find it as captivating or enjoyable to play through multiple times.

The Dark Ages feels less like a fresh start and more like a continuation of previous games, and unfortunately, most of the new additions don’t quite work. They can quickly take the excitement out of the game. Hopefully, id Software has plenty of good ideas for the next installment, as they seem to have a lot of concepts to work with. There’s still reason to be optimistic about future games.

It Won’t Spell DOOM For The Franchise

DOOM is, in my opinion, the defining first-person shooter series and the most influential one of all time. While Wolfenstein 3D got the genre moving, DOOM, released in 1993, truly established it. Its incredible level design, music, weapons, intense gore, and overall atmosphere create a uniquely cool and powerful experience that very few games have ever matched.

After DOOM 3 took a scary, survival-focused turn, fans waited a long time for the next installment. Thankfully, the much-talked-about DOOM 4 project was canceled – and that’s probably a good thing! Instead, we got the 2016 DOOM reboot, which I personally believe is the best DOOM game of all time, but we can discuss that another time.

DOOM Eternal really ramped up the fast-paced action and made Doomguy incredibly powerful. However, I strongly dislike the design of the Marauders. Both Eternal and its predecessor are excellent games, and then there’s DOOM: The Dark Ages, which tells an earlier story. For The Dark Ages, id Software created more expansive and unpredictable levels, introduced a dragon-like Doomguy and monster-inspired environments, and added more story elements through cutscenes and character development.

TDA tries to add a lot of features, but ends up distracting from what makes DOOM great: fast-paced demon slaying with awesome weapons in well-designed levels. Even so, it’s still an enjoyable game!

Less Is More, More Or Less

Okay, so let’s be real – I don’t really play DOOM for the story. I think a lot of us are the same way. The original DOOM and DOOM 2 just show you what’s going on through the levels themselves, and that’s enough. Honestly, I just want to run in and start blasting demons, but some of the later stuff gets in the way. Those levels in DOOM 3 where you’re in the Dark Ages? Super slow and not fun. And while I get they were trying something new with the Mecha Doomguy sections, they were just… boring. I want to rip and tear, not mess around with clunky mechanics!

The shield and its parry system work well, but deliberately slowing down the fast-paced action feels out of place – though not as much as with the Marauder. It clashes with what makes the game fun. I’m not suggesting the game needs to be too fast, but there should be a better balance between defense and speed.

Ironically, I believe that balance is still DOOM 2016.

The latest DOOM game was fantastic. For the next installment, I’d love to see a return to the style of DOOM (2016), perhaps with a few parkour elements from DOOM Eternal and the striking visuals of DOOM: The Dark Ages. It would also be great if they could work things out with composer Mick Gordon again. Just like DOOM 3 felt like a departure from the series’ core, I think the next game should take things in a fresh direction.

The series remains popular, but interest seemed to fade throughout 2025. Let’s recapture the classic DOOM experience while also innovating. That means well-crafted levels with meaningful key card hunts – not just wide-open spaces – and plenty of hidden secrets like platforms and switches. We also need a powerful soundtrack and intense combat. Let’s prioritize spending on improving gameplay and new ideas instead of flashy cutscenes, and essentially revitalize the DOOM franchise again.

Okay, so I’ve been playing DOOM: The Dark Ages, and honestly, I have some thoughts on what id and Bethesda could have done better. I’m really curious what everyone else thinks too! If you’ve played it, come share your opinions and ideas for the next DOOM game over on the TopMob Discord server – let’s chat about how to make it awesome!

Okay, if you’re a DOOM fan like me, you HAVE to check out this ranking of all the DOOM games from worst to best. And they also ranked the top 9 weapons – seriously, it’s a must-read if you love the series!

MOBILE APP

Level Up Your Gaming News

Real-time news, exclusive podcasts, push alerts, and a better reading experience.
Available on iOS & Android

App Store

Google Play

Read More

2025-12-30 15:22