Hugo Martin looks like he’s having the time of his life. Honestly, watching the reveal trailer for Doom The Dark Ages PS5 felt like a fever dream where Army of Darkness met Warhammer 40,000. We’ve spent years ripping through Martian bases and neon-soaked hellscapes. Now? We’re going back. Way back.
It’s a prequel.
Basically, we are looking at the origin story of the Doom Slayer before he became the silent, green-armored god of rage we know from the 2016 reboot. This is the "Slayer Sentinels" era. It’s gritty. It’s dirty. It looks heavy. You’ve probably noticed the shift in movement already; it isn't just Doom Eternal with a coat of brown paint. It’s a mechanical overhaul that feels more grounded, yet somehow more violent.
What is Doom The Dark Ages PS5 actually bringing to the table?
If you were expecting the cocaine-fueled gymnastics of Eternal, you might want to recalibrate your brain. This game is about weight. The developers at id Software have been pretty vocal about the "heavy" feel of the combat. You’re a tank. A medieval, demon-shredding tank.
The standout feature is the Shield Saw. It’s exactly what it sounds like. You have a massive circular saw blade attached to your arm that functions as a buckler. You can block projectiles. You can throw it like Captain America, if Captain America were into industrial-grade dismemberment. It carves through enemies and returns to your hand. It’s the centerpiece of the defensive-to-offensive loop that defines Doom The Dark Ages PS5.
Then there’s the Flail. We haven't seen a weapon quite like this in the series before. It’s used to harvest resources, likely replacing or augmenting the chainsaw mechanics from previous games. You smash a demon’s skull, and it spits out what you need to keep the fight going.
The World-Building is Meta-Physical
This isn't just "Old Earth." We are visiting the world of the Night Sentinels—Argent D’Nur. The architecture is massive. Stone castles that look like they were built by giants, powered by technology that looks like it was ripped out of a 1970s sci-fi novel. It’s "Stonepunk." That’s the term people are throwing around.
The scale is staggering. In the trailers, we see the Slayer piloting an Atlan—a skyscraper-sized mech—to punch a Kaiju-sized demon in the face. We also see him riding a cybernetic dragon. Yes, a dragon. This isn't just a corridor shooter anymore; id is leaning into the epic scale that the lore always hinted at but rarely let us play.
The Technical Leap on PlayStation 5
Let’s talk shop. Doom The Dark Ages PS5 is built on the id Tech 8 engine. If you remember how well Doom Eternal ran—locked 60 FPS even on modest hardware—you know id Software are wizards of optimization. On the PS5, we are looking at the standard suite of features: haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and almost certainly a 120Hz mode for those with high-refresh-rate displays.
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- Haptics: Expect the Shield Saw to vibrate with a distinct grinding sensation when it hits bone.
- Adaptive Triggers: The Super Shotgun (which now looks like it uses literal metal rebar or ground-up skulls as ammo) will likely have that heavy "click" on the pull.
- Resolution: Expect a dynamic 4K target.
There was a lot of noise about exclusivity after Microsoft bought Bethesda/ZeniMax. However, Doom The Dark Ages PS5 was confirmed for Sony’s platform immediately. Phil Spencer mentioned in interviews that Doom is a franchise that belongs on everything, and honestly, the install base on PlayStation is too big to ignore for a heavy hitter like this. It’s a win for everyone.
Why the Combat Loop Feels Different This Time
The "Fun Zone." That’s what Hugo Martin calls the sweet spot of Doom combat. In Eternal, that zone was in the air. You were dashing, double-jumping, and meathooking through the sky. In The Dark Ages, the "Fun Zone" is on the floor.
The projectiles move a bit slower. The enemies are more numerous. It feels more like the original 1993 Doom in terms of positioning. You aren't just outrunning the bullets; you’re strafing and parrying. The inclusion of a dedicated block button changes the DNA of the game. It’s less about being a glass cannon and more about being an unstoppable force of nature.
The "Super Shotgun" is back, obviously. But it’s joined by a weapon that literally grinds up skulls to fire bone fragments at enemies. It’s dark. It’s metal. It’s exactly what the fans wanted after the bright, arcadey colors of the last DLCs.
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The Narrative Stakes: Who is the Slayer?
We are seeing the Slayer when he was still a man, or at least, closer to one. He’s wearing a fur-lined cape. He looks like a king of a fallen age. The story is expected to bridge the gap between Doom 64 and the 2016 game. If you’ve been following the lore entries, you know he was found by the Sentinels and put into their gladiator pits.
This game is that journey.
We’ll likely see the fall of Argent D’Nur from the inside. We’ll see the betrayal by the Priests. It’s a tragedy wrapped in a power fantasy. The stakes feel higher because we know where it ends—with the Slayer locked in a sarcophagus for eons.
Addressing the Misconceptions
Some people think this is a "soft" reboot. It isn't. It’s a direct prequel. Everything you did in Eternal still happened in the future.
Another common worry is that the game will be "slow." While the movement is more grounded, the sheer number of enemies on screen has increased. The engine can handle more active AI agents than ever before. It’s not slower; it’s just more deliberate. You can’t just spam dash and hope for the best. You have to be smart with your shield.
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What to do next to prepare for the release
The game is slated for a 2025 release. If you want to be ready for Doom The Dark Ages PS5, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just staring at the trailer for the hundredth time.
- Play the ancient Gods DLC: If you haven't finished the Doom Eternal expansions, do it. They introduce the lore of the Father and the Dark Lord which directly sets the stage for the cosmic war in this prequel.
- Revisit Doom 64: It’s often the "forgotten" Doom, but it’s the bridge between the classic era and the modern era. The Slayer’s decision to stay in Hell at the end of 64 is the reason he’s in the Dark Ages to begin with.
- Check your monitor/TV settings: Since this game uses id Tech 8, ensure your PS5 is set to "Performance Mode" in the system settings. You’re going to want that high frame rate when the screen is filled with fifty demons and a giant mech.
- Watch the QuakeCon panels: id Software usually drops the "real" technical deep dives during QuakeCon. Keep an eye on the raw gameplay footage that usually leaks or is released shortly after.
The Dark Ages is a bold move. Moving away from the high-speed platforming of the previous entry is a risk, but id Software has earned enough trust to take it. We’re moving from a ballet of bullets to a medieval brawl, and honestly, the PS5 is the perfect place to see those castle walls crumble under the weight of a Cyberdemon.