The Slayer is back in DOOM: The Dark Ages, taking the series to even more climactic heights, introducing a plethora of new combat mechanics and even vehicles to use against the demonic invasion. Despite being a prequel to DOOM Eternal and the Slayer's final fight against the leaders of hell, the latest entry offers a spectacle that rivals its predecessor even at its peak. While it's hard to directly compare DOOM Eternal and DOOM (2016) with the different approach each entry takes, The Dark Ages breaks a notable tradition for the series.

Even with its removed features aside, The Dark Ages feels like an incredibly fresh take on the series, benefiting from its large-scale medieval-inspired sci-fi battles that feel right out of a Warhammer 40,000 warzone. While The Dark Ages falters in some ways compared to DOOM Eternal's faster-paced combat and more focused encounter design, the fun-filled power fantasy still exists in spades. On top of the Slayers' upgraded arsenal of new weapons and returning favorites, several prominent inclusions were only able to become a reality with the removal of one major game mode.

DOOM: The Dark Ages Doesn't Include A Multiplayer Mode

A Significant Blow To The Dark Ages' Gameplay Variety And Replayability

Although DOOM: The Dark Ages is struggling to meet the same initial success as its predecessor, it's not from a lack of incredibly engaging gameplay, even with removing one iconic gameplay offering. While it's no surprise that DOOM: The Dark Ages wouldn't have multiplayer, given ID Software's confirmation months before launch, it was still a disappointing announcement for many fans of the series. Even if the playerbase didn't universally love them, each of the DOOM reboots' attempts at providing a multiplayer take on its demon-slaying action still managed to find dedicated audiences, albeit in smaller quantities.

While I'm still disappointed to have fewer options to play around with after beating the main campaign for DOOM: The Dark Ages, it's easier to understand why ID Software removed the modes after playing the game myself. Even though DOOM Eternal will still have a special place as one of my favorite shooters of all time, The Dark Ages' combat is hard to put down, partly thanks to its sheer scale and constant gameplay surprises.

The removal of multiplayer was cited as the reason ID Software was able to implement the massively scaled Atlan Mech and flying dragon segments.

According to The Dark Ages' Creative Director himself, Hugo Martin, in a Q&A attended by Eurogamer, they "made the decision early so that we could really just go all-in on the campaign", going on to describe the world of The Dark Ages as "our largest, most expansive, most epic campaign ever". In the same announcement months prior, the removal of multiplayer was cited as the reason ID Software could implement the massively scaled Atlan Mech and flying dragon segments at all, let alone the expansive environments filled to the brim with more details and secrets than ever.

DOOM's Multiplayer Struggled To Find Its Identity

Several Unique Experiences That Failed The Landing For Fans

Multiplayer hasn't been a new feature for the DOOM franchise with the reboot trilogy either, being a long-held part of its demon-slaying DNA. Best seen in the recent remaster of the original two DOOM games, the series has experimented with co-op and PVP game modes for decades, making it unsurprising that the classic shooters are some of the most beloved in the franchise. With DOOM (2016) being the revival of the franchise after so long, it had a lot of expectations to live up to for all aspects of the series.

DOOM (2016) also introduced the in-engine map editor, allowing players to easily create their own levels by snapping different areas and enemies from the base game together, being updated with more themes after launch.

Thankfully, DOOM (2016) managed to completely overhaul the gameplay mechanics while still keeping the core experience intact, and although the reboot didn't include a co-op mode, it did return with multiplayer functionality. Despite having plenty of fun in DOOM (2016)'s PvP and scratching my nostalgic arena shooter itch, the gameplay itself failed to take advantage of the reboot's core gameplay experience. Even with the fast-paced multiplayer being more than enjoyable, it ended up being a temporary distraction for most players at best, on top of making achievement hunting an absolute nightmare years later with its dead player base.

Four years later, DOOM Eternal attempted to bridge the gap between its multiplayer and campaign modes with its PvP Battlemode, pitting a player-controlled Slayer against two Demons players together to defeat them. Being inspired by the demon summoning mechanic in DOOM (2016), the gameplay was a fairly unique experience that managed to find a dedicated niche of players. Unfortunately, much like the previous multiplayer offerings, Battlemode was stunted by a lack of player interest and official updates.

The Dark Ages Has An Advantage Over Its Predecessors

ID Software Had Many More Resources To Pour Into The Campaign

Given that both the Atlan Mech and Dragon mount were heavily teased in DOOM Eternal, I can't imagine DOOM: The Dark Ages being nearly as impactful without them. Without these new features and expanded combat mechanics, The Dark Ages would likely face more criticism over its new gameplay direction, emphasizing heavier boots on the ground combat, strafing, and parrying. Even if The Dark Ages fails to achieve the same level of success as its predecessor, its sheer scale and quality make it a worthy follow-up for the series that is likely to stand the test of time.

Without these new features and expanded combat mechanics, The Dark Ages would likely face more criticism over its new gameplay direction.

While both DOOM games provided a fun-filled multiplayer experience, past attempts failed to capitalize on what made me fall in love with the series. Even years later, DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal​​​​'s campaign modes are both incredibly fun to play, with the new weapon variety in The Dark Ages being a worthy addition. Although I doubt that multiplayer will make a surprise return in DOOM: The Dark Ages, it does mean there's a much higher chance of additional post-launch updates in the form of Master Levels and campaign expansions without multiplayer updates eating away at its development resources.

Despite loving The Dark Ages' increased scale, a part of me still hopes the next entry in the series will find a way to introduce the highly requested co-op functionality, especially compared to the unprecedented success that Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2's co-op campaign achieved. With the growing similarities between both sci-fi franchises, it's hard not to fantasize about fitting hordes of demons as the Slayer alongside fellow player-controlled Sentinel Warriors. Regardless, after years of experience, ID Software's follow-up to DOOM: The Dark Ages has the potential to combine the best elements of the trilogy, even without re-introducing multiplayer.

Source: Eurogamer