The third game in the modernDoomtrilogy has finally been released, with players already settling into their first playthroughs ofDoom: The Dark Ages. Released for Two-Day Advanced Access owners on May 13 and for everyone else on May 15, this entry bringsDoom’s demon-stomping action to a distant, yet futuristic past, chronicling the Doom Slayer’s earliest exploits against the forces of Hell. It isn’t the brand-new chapter inDoom’s story thatDoom Eternal’s DLC teased, butDoom: The Dark Agesstill promises to be another worthy addition to the legendary first-person shooter franchise.
Depending on how successful it is,Doom: The Dark Agesmay have also just added another major release to the typically-humble mid-May time slot. Only time will tell how this entry stacks up againstDoom (2016)andDoom Eternal, butDoom: The Dark Ages’ more deliberate, grounded combat seems to be a hit with reviewers so far. With industry showcase season coming up, late Spring is usually slower than the end-of-fiscal year rush a couple of months beforehand, but May 15 has picked up several major releases over the years thatDoom: The Dark Agesshould feel honored to stand beside.
Enter The Matrix (2003)
May 15 has recorded game releases dating back to the 80s, but the first truly significant game launched on that day has to be 2003’sEnter The Matrix. Serving as a midquel toThe Matrix Reloaded, which it was made alongside,Enter The Matrixis similar toThe Animatrixin being a significant entry inThe Matrixfranchise without being one of the primary movies. The jury is out on whether it’s as good of a game as the laterThe Matrix: Path of Neo, but it was directed by the Wachowskis and developed by Shiny Entertainment all the same, and entrenched itself in gaming history by selling over 5 million copies.
New Super Mario Bros. (2006)
Back into the realm of video games being iconic for their own sake, the 2006 Nintendo DS exclusiveNew Super Mario Bros.also sharesDoom: The Dark Ages’ release date. This 2D platformer is the soft reboot of Nintendo’sclassic 2DSuper Mario Bros.games, and would remain the template for 2DMariotitles untilSuper Mario Bros. Wonderreleased in 2023. Nowadays, it’s hard to point to any one aspect ofNSMBas especially revolutionary, but it helped keepMario’s 2D roots alive during a time of uncertainty, so it’s earned the right to be called a classic.
Max Payne 3 (2012)
Jumping ahead, the last two especially iconic games to release on May 15 both came out in 2012, and one isMax Payne 3. While series fans are split on whether this entry stands as tall as the first two, the onlyMax Paynegame published and developed byGTAandRed Deadstudio Rockstar Games did Remedy Entertainment’s breakout franchise justice. Earning over 4 million sales and many award nominations, Max Payne’s time in Brazil proved to be another thrillingnarrative-driven third-person shooter experience. The series is fortunately in Remedy’s hands again, but Rockstar’s efforts didn’t go to waste.
Diablo 3 (2012)
Doom: The Dark Ages’ final significant May 15 counterpart is, fittingly, its fellow demon-blasting adventureDiablo 3. This action-RPG is iconic to some for the wrong reasons, largely owing to Blizzard’s disastrous implementation of the auction house and a myriad of technical and balance problems at launch, but it has largely turned itself around. Years of support havemadeDiablo 3into an action-RPG powerhousethat remains some players’Diablo-like choice, and hopefullyDoom: The Dark Agescan carve out its own niche in the active and multifacetedDoomfandom.
