Doom: The Dark Ages Needs More Dragons

by

The following contains story spoilers for Doom: The Dark Ages.

In the spirit of avoiding cramped passageways, the game Doom: The Dark Ages showcases expansive and open level designs that encourage exploration. While not every chapter presents sprawling landscapes to traverse, those that do are rich with hidden treasures such as gold, rubies, wraithstones, collectible toys, and weapon skins. Many of these rewards are concealed behind color-coded doors or require specific keys or key cards for access. Additionally, the game includes challenges marked by pings, which must be completed to achieve a full 100% completion of a chapter in Doom: The Dark Ages. Uncovering these vast maps is an enjoyable experience.

Instead of standing alone as a satisfying experience, Doom: The Dark Ages significantly enhances its gameplay with occasional intense fist fights against the Atlan warriors and soaring on a charming and fierce Mecha Dragon named Serrat. While the former might be easily forgotten, it’s undeniably epic in scope and offers a refreshing change from the usual run-and-gun-and-parry combat. Conversely, the latter significantly deepens the exploration of each chapter and seamlessly integrates with regular gameplay. It would be great if future Doom games could find ways to incorporate flying mounts like Serrat, as the gameplay it offers is definitely worth becoming a recurring feature in the series.

Doom: The Dark Ages’ Serrat is a Breath of Fresh Air

In contrast to being just a novelty, piloting a cyborg dragon powered by Argent energy and flying at astonishing speeds offers an exciting break from typical gameplay segments, creating an immersive connection between different parts of the level. Essentially, Serrat’s gameplay revolves around exploring breathtaking landscapes, attacking turrets using its color-coded parry/dodge system reminiscent of the Dark Ages, and dismounting on designated platforms before advancing on foot.

In two key sections or levels, the gameplay experience is incredibly rewarding: Chapter 5’s Sacred City of Aratum and Chapter 14’s Tower of Nerathul. Here, gamers find themselves guiding Serrat across multiple platforms, uncovering secret spots.

The combination of dragon-like flight capabilities and standard maneuvering creates exciting gameplay, which is a key feature that the Doom series has been known for in its recent editions. Notably, having a flying mount significantly increases the game’s scope, and effortlessly transitioning from one map to another on Serrat while soaring through the skies between ‘dungeon’ maps feels seamless.

A Flying Mount in Future Doom Games is Anyone’s Guess

Unfortunately, Serrat meets his end during the second phase of Prince Ahzrak’s battle in the next-to-last chapter of Doom: The Dark Ages.

Or more casually, Serrat falls during the middle part of a tough fight against Prince Ahzrak, just before the final chapter of Doom: The Dark Ages.

The conclusion of “Doom: The Dark Ages” maintains an open-ended connection with “Doom” (2016), implying that the story and characters from this prequel haven’t been fully resolved yet. However, since Serrat is dead and there were no flying mounts seen in either “Doom” (2016) or “Doom Eternal”, it’s uncertain if future games will include flying mounts, and even more so, when the next game set within the Doom timeline might be released.

As a gamer, it’s clear that taking down Serrat might signify the end of flight traversal, and honestly, that wouldn’t be surprising given that no Doom game since the 2016 soft reboot has stuck closely to its predecessor’s gameplay. Introducing flight mechanics on a mount would definitely set The Dark Ages apart, adding it to the list of unique features like shield parries and an emphasis on melee combat.

Serrat’s gaming experience entails soaring above stunning landscapes, attacking towers as you navigate through, and employing Dark Ages’ strategically timed parrying/dodging in response to color-coded cues. The journey continues by dismounting at designated landing spots and proceeding on foot.

Initially introducing such an exciting, lively characteristic and then not returning to it later could potentially be overlooked. It’s plausible to imagine that a future installment of Doom Eternal might introduce an alien creature that the Doom Slayer rides on rather than a dragon, although this might seem like revisiting Dark Ages’ nachos a bit too boldly.

Additionally, it would be intriguing if the Slayer were to ride a monstrous sea beast when Doom re-enters the Cosmic Realm during The Dark Ages. Regardless of the timing, mounts that can fly greatly enhance exploration and progression within the game, making them an essential element in the series.

Read More

2025-05-25 17:06