The recent launch ofDoom: The Dark Agesoffers an interesting next step in id Software’s successful soft reboot of the iconic franchise, following on from the footsteps of 2016’sDoomand 2020’sDoom Eternal.The Dark Agesacts as a prequel to this new era of the series, taking place before the events of 2016’sDoomduring the Slayer’s time battling the legions of Hell on the far-off planet of Argent D’Nur. Tentatively fighting alongside the planet’s Night Sentinels,The Dark Agesis centered around a major conflict between the two realms filled with Gothic and Medieval imagery.
This unique setting forDoom: The Dark Agesreally stands out compared to what fans have seen before, allowing id Software to offer re-designs of classic weapons and enemies, while introducing a wide range of brand-new equipment and demons for players to familiarize themselves with. As expected, these changes come alongside some sweeping fresh approaches to core gameplay; combat and exploration are noticeably different from the game’s predecessors. WhileDoom Eternalstood out for its heavy use of platforming mechanics,The Dark Ages' reliance on its new parrying system seems to be the feature that will ultimately define the title.
For Better or Worse, Parrying is at the Heart of Doom: The Dark Ages' Identity
2016’sDoomwas under a lot of pressure prior to its release, since the franchise went without mainline games for 12 years before its launch. WithDoom 3drawing some criticism for the way it leaned into slower-paced survival horror as opposed toDoom’s classic high-octane action, 2016’sDoomwon over many fans in the way it replicated a classic gameplay feel with modern bells and whistles.
Everything down to the soundtrack felt like a real return to form for 2016’sDoom, setting a high bar that its successor,Doom Eternal,would have to meet and hopefully exceed.Doom Eternaldid well to shake things up with its own unique take on fresh weapons and enemies, yet the game has left a reputation for the way it involved platforming mechanics throughout its story. Players must grapple, swing, and climb their way through the title’s precarious levels.
This went against the grain of the traditionalDoomgameplay that 2016 drew a lot of praise for. While it seemed clear that id Software needed to makeEternalstand out somehow, the extent to which platforming was at the core of the title left quite a divisive legacy among the game’s community.The unique setting ofDoom: The Dark Agesand its nature as a prequel gave the project a perfect opportunity to stamp its own identity through a distinct gameplay loop, and the title’s parrying system is at the core of id’s attempts to achieve this.
Timing and Parrying Opens Up a New Approach to Difficulty in Doom: The Dark Ages
By usingDoom: The Dark Ages' Shield Saw, players can parry certain green attacks from many of the game’s demon types, sending the attack back to the enemy and causing massive damage or a brief stun window. Parrying is absolutely integral in terms of managingDoom: The Dark Ages' densely packed combat arenas. Many of the game’s boss battles are directly linked to parrying certain attacks to open windows of opportunity.
Doom: The Dark Ages' Shield Saw can be used simultaneously with all other weapons, offering some Medieval combinations alongside weapons like the Slayer’s Flail melee weapon.
This essentially turnsthe combat ofDoom:The Dark Agesinto a kind of rhythm game, with players timing perfect parries for a wide range of attacks in between dodging regular projectiles. The game even features a slider which controls the speed of projectiles to control the difficulty of parrying as a mechanic. Some fans have criticizedThe Dark Ages' reliance on parrying as too big of a deviation from traditionalDoomgameplay, yet it is clear that this new approach to combat is what makes the recently released title stand out above all else.
