Summary
Doom: The Dark Agesis, of course, packed full of demons both old and new, and the Slayer is loaded up with new weapons and tools that let players rip and tear in new ways. WhileDoom Eternalwas the first game in the series to implement the concept of destructible demons – meaning that monster models will gradually become more degraded the more players shoot chunks out of them –Doom: The Dark Agestakes things a step furtherand allows players to blast the limbs off of their foes, debilitating enemy attacks similarly toDoom Eternal’s weakspot mechanic.
Players quickly began taking advantage of this feature to see what happens if a demon runs out of limbs to attack with, and the result is pretty hilarious. A clip shared online by a player known as Edde799 demonstrates thisneat trick inDoom: The Dark Agesby blasting the limbs off a Hell Knight, which results in the demon continuing to follow the player around, but being unable to attack. This calls to mind the old “flood buddies” that players could make inHalo: Combat Evolved, where flood combat forms could have their arms removed to make them passive in a similar way. Some players have even posted clips showing entire groups of armless Hell Knights following them around, with some fans trying to collect as many demon buddies as possible in a single level.
Doom: The Dark Ages Demon Destructibility Makes Melee Attacks That Much More Satisfying
Hell Knights aren’t the only enemy types that players can pacify though, with other mostly-humanoid demons like the Imp Stalker and Mancubus being destructible in the same way. The Slayer’s iconic Super Shotgun seems to be one of the best tools for dismembering demons, but players should take particularly careful aim with it if they’re planning to remove only a demon’s limbs, asDoom: The Dark Ages' Super Shotguncan and will cause even a Hell Knight to explode in a single shot at a close enough range.
That said, many of the new shield andmelee attacks introduced inDoom: The Dark Agesare also capable of breaking demons apart, making the game’s level of destructibility feel both visceral and consistent. Crippling an enemy’s limbs and weapons is even necessary when taking on some of the game’s bigger monster types, further encouraging players to weave melee attacks into the combat flow.
