Marty Stratton: The Dark Ages ‘Like Nothing Players Have Had Their Hands On in a Doom Game’

You thought Doom Everlasting was badass? You ain’t seen nothin’ but. What id Software program has in retailer for gamers with Doom: The Darkish Ages goes to redefine the that means of rip and tear, with extra visceral motion than ever earlier than. 

So then, it is no secret that is one in all 2025’s most anticipated video games, and we even received an early have a look at some gameplay for what Government Producer Marty Stratton calls the most important Doom recreation “by rather a lot.”

After watching a deep dive into the sport’s mechanics, TechRaptor and different press attended a roundtable Q&A session with Stratton together with Recreation Director Hugo Martin. We realized extra about how Doom: The Darkish Ages is hearkening again to the roots of the franchise, in addition to what gamers can anticipate when it comes to weapons, problem, and extra.

Doom: The Darkish Ages Is a Grand Journey

I do not like drawing comparisons to different video games except it is warranted, however the gameplay of Doom: The Darkish Ages jogged my memory most of, nicely, Doom (2016) and Everlasting, in fact, however surprisingly, I noticed a little bit of God of Battle DNA in there as nicely.

By God of Battle, I am speaking in regards to the 2018 entry and Ragnarok. Doom: The Darkish Ages is explicitly stated to not be open world, however it does have massive, open areas gamers can discover. Inside these areas are “a number of goals you’ll be able to full in any order,” stated Stratton.

“It’s our most expansive worlds that we have ever constructed,” stated Stratton. “Sort of goes from, , typical, what I’d say is regular, linear Doom, to those bigger sandboxes we name them, the place simply, , the exploration actually sort of opens up.”

So principally, whilst you’re ripping and tearing via demons, you’ll find secrets and techniques like collectibles, but in addition development objects. And development appears to be the main target right here, in terms of exploration — that’s the primary incentive for scoping out these huge open areas whereas working your strategy to the subsequent goal.

“There’s secrets and techniques in every single place,” stated Martin, “and as Marty stated, the secrets and techniques are actually tied to the participant’s development. So there’s an excellent motivation there.”

One facet the Doom: The Darkish Ages gameplay showcase wished to emphasise is, in Doom (2016) gamers had been requested to “run and gun,” in Everlasting to “soar and shoot.” This time round, we’re requested to “stand and battle.”

This “stand and battle philosophy” manifests itself in a number of methods. Enemy projectiles behave extra like that of older Doom video games from the ’90s, that means you may be shifting round whereas capturing and slashing away. Whereas there’s much less verticality in The Darkish Ages than there’s in Everlasting, Martin says the purpose is to have every recreation really feel a bit completely different.

“The board, I’d say, is flatter,” stated Martin, “to create more room for that strafe-to-aim fight loop that we see in traditional Doom.

“We have balanced the the vary of the weapons to be medium-to-short vary,” Martin added, “in order that approach, you are inspired to take the battle to the enemies, transfer via that maze of projectiles similar to in traditional Doom as they’re whizzing by, and delivering that killing blow with melee, defend, and weapons.”

Rip and Tear? No, Hack and Slash!

That brings us to fight, which is the cream of the crop in terms of Doom video games. We all know they’re taking a heavier emphasis on standing your floor and actually leveraging the Doom Slayer’s agile nature to skirt round projectiles and transfer in to ship the ending blow.

To take action, you are armed with an arsenal of recent weapons just like the Cranium Crusher — a deadly gun that shreds skulls and spits out fragments as projectiles — however there are additionally three separate melee weapons, in addition to an improved and extra fluid Glory Kill system.

Martin compares fight to that one shot from the movie 300, and this comparability was a driving pressure behind how the staff wished fight to really feel in Doom: The Darkish Ages:

“It is a panning shot they’re monitoring with, Leonidas, as he takes out of, , breaks from the phalanx and takes out a bunch of men… first with a spear, then with a Spartan sword and defend, and the time dilates out and in. And that is, whenever you see the prolonged gameplay footage within dev direct, I imply, that was a giant focus for us.”

Melee weapons embody your trusty ol’ gauntlet, in addition to a ball-and-chain-like weapon. Mix that with the defend noticed, which you’ll throw to tear up enemies and even use as a makeshift grapple level, and let’s simply say the gameplay appears as thrilling as ever.

In fact, Glory Kills are iconic to Doom, and we’ll be seeing nice enhancements to this method in The Darkish Ages. Glory Kills had been already lauded as a implausible mechanic within the earlier titles, however id Software program wished to take it a step additional and introduce much more fluidity to this method, so fight goes uninterrupted.

“There isn’t any management taken away so you could possibly stagger — and this occurs rather a lot, it was within the dev direct — the place there’s like 4, 5, 6 enemies which are highlighted, able to be taken out, and you could possibly simply take them out in a single run,” stated Martin.

“Once you play it, that fluidity, it performs into every part you are doing,” added Stratton, “whether or not it is your weapons or the way in which you defend bash. We’ve not even talked about it, like, you see it in there, however the defend has a functionality to maneuver you very quick via the world, the place you sort of lock onto an enemy, and then you definately lock on with the left set off, and then you definately hit the suitable set off, and it pulls you thru the world lengthy distances… and also you smash into the character.”

A Constructive Word on Problem and Accessibility in Doom: The Darkish Ages

Only a hunch, and I could possibly be improper, however one facet gamers would possibly overlook is the way in which Doom: The Darkish Ages handles problem. You’ve gotten your customary, pre-made problem modes, however then there are additionally sliders permitting gamers to regulate a number of aspects of the gameplay.

These sliders embody, however usually are not restricted to: Harm to participant; Harm to demons; Enemy projectile pace; Parry window timing; total recreation pace and extra. This acts as each an exquisite accessibility characteristic, but in addition a strategy to amp the problem as much as ridiculous heights.

“After which even on the accessibility entrance,” stated Stratton, “it actually does make the sport extra accessible for someone who perhaps has motor difficulties, , needs to dial within the expertise only for them. We have really finished a great little bit of testing from that entrance and actually gotten nice response from from the accessibility aspect of issues too.”

Fast and Noteworthy Data for Doom: The Darkish Ages

There’s a lot extra we might contact on, however the factors that stood out to me most had been ones I wished to focus on above. Although, I do need to point out just a few further notes that could be vital for gamers to know.

One, multiplayer just isn’t in Doom: The Darkish Ages. This was with a purpose to focus all assets on the bold marketing campaign id Software program made for this recreation. Second, there are full-on massive areas the place you’ll be able to take management of the dragon and mech. They made positive to emphasise these usually are not one-time gimmicks, however will likely be current all through the marketing campaign. Lastly, the OST consists by Ending Transfer, a famend staff of 4 identified for engaged on online game soundtracks.

The remaining, nicely, we’ll must see. It will not be lengthy till Doom: The Darkish Ages launches, and I’m unreasonably excited. Bridging the hole between old-school and trendy FPS gameplay is a recipe for fulfillment, and I imagine Doom: The Darkish Ages will obtain simply that when it launches on Could 15, 2025.