DOOM: The Dark Ages vs. DOOM Eternal – What is Changing?

DOOM: The Dark Ages is still several weeks away, launching on May 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC alongside Game Pass. However, the hype has been boiling over (and then some) since its showcase last January. Every new detail has us more excited to dive into this era of the Slayer, but how does it differ from his last demon-crushing adventure, 2020’s DOOM Eternal? If you’re a huge fan of the latter, what are some of the biggest changes to look forward to (and adapt)? Let’s go over 15 of them here.

Prequel vs. Sequel

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By now, it should be known, but for those confused about its placement in the timeline, DOOM: The Dark Ages occurs before DOOM (2016). DOOM Eternal is a sequel to the latter and sees the Slayer returning to Earth to fend off the invasion by demonic forces. The Dark Ages, on the other hand, explores his time with the Night Sentinels, became the Slayer of legend, and waged war against Hell.

id Tech Engine improvements

The Dark Ages very much retains the macabre and metal art direction of previous titles albeit with a medieval fantasy twist. However, it’s also pushing for more fidelity, implementing ray-traced global illumination, which meshes better with the physics-driven objects, and ray-traced reflections, which were also seen in Eternal. Of course, the larger scale, LODs, and higher enemy counts are nothing to scoff at.

Tank vs. Fighter Jet

Ask anyone what the biggest change from DOOM (2016) to Eternal was, and they’ll probably answer, “Mobility.” The Super Shotgun’s grappling hook enabled all kinds of air strafing tech and fed into the loop of seamlessly transitioning from kill to kill to kill. By comparison, the Slayer in The Dark Ages is tankier and heavier, with his footsteps literally thumping on the ground as he walks. That doesn’t mean he can’t dash or charge at blinding speeds with his Shield Saw to bash a demon’s brain in, but the overall flow is more grounded than Eternal.

Parrying vs. Grappling Around

Adding to this is a heavier focus on blocking damage and parrying with the new Shield Saw in The Dark Ages, especially when dealing with certain enemy projectiles. It’s a pretty distinct shift compared to all the flying around from Eternal, but thus far, there’s been nothing but praise over the parrying mechanics and slamming monsters in the face.

Weapon Changes

Several weapons carry over from DOOM (2016) and Eternal to The Dark Ages, including the Shotgun, Super Shotgun (though you can’t zip around, grappling demons) and Rocket Launcher. However, there are plenty of new tools to make life miserable for the forces of Hell, including the Railspike and Skullcrusher. The Heavy Rifle, unfortunately, didn’t make the jump, but what about the revamped guns? Instead of the Plasma Rifle, there’s the Accelerator, which is more of an SMG with a quick fire rate and less range.

Piloting an Atlan Mech

The Atlan mech, existing as merely a prop in previous titles, is now fully playable in The Dark Ages. Honestly, that should be a selling point on its own, but the fact that it also gets a massive Chaingun, which seemingly has its own separate crew? Magnifique.

New Enemies

Remember the Marauder? Of course, you do. This elite foe created a divide among players in Eternal – some considered it too punishing, while others felt it was the right amount of challenge. The Dark Ages has its own Marauder-tier foe called the Agadon Hunter, who has a double-bladed staff and shield but requires parrying in Sekiro-like fashion when he busts out the combos. Among other threats are the Titans, and while they technically appeared in previous games, this is the first time players will fight them in the Atlan mech.

Shield Saw vs. Chainsaw

Sadly, the chainsaw is not in The Dark Ages, instead replaced by the new Shield Saw. While the former is great for obtaining ammo from slain enemies, the latter offers a wider degree of functionality, like bouncing off of multiple enemies. If you toss it at a heavier enemy, the Shield Saw will embed itself and briefly stun it for more brutal damage.

New Melee Options

Between the Chainsaw, Crucible, and Blood Punch (not including the Sentinel Hammer from the DLC), DOOM Eternal had a pretty healthy number of melee options. The Dark Ages is no slouch – alongside the Shield, you can slam enemies with a mace, flail or gauntlet, each with its own uses. However, to refill their uses, you need to parry enemies. It’s a similar resource gathering loop to Eternal but with different steps.

Glory Kill Changes

Glory Kills remain one of the cooler additions to the franchise – there’s nothing quite like executing a weakened enemy in excessively brutal ways, especially for that invincibility window. However, in The Dark Ages, Glory Kills are now unsynced and won’t lock you into an animation, allowing for a different kind of flow.

More Open Levels

DOOM: The Dark Ages offers much bigger levels than any title in the franchise. Siege, recently revealed in various previews, is a perfect example, unfolding over a battlefield with various objectives and enemy camps. And while DOOM Eternal is full of secrets, The Dark Ages’ “hour or so” time per level can become even longer if you’re scouring for collectibles, upgrades and whatnot.

Multiplayer vs. No Multiplayer

Previous DOOMs dabbled with multiplayer in different ways, often to a mixed response. Eternal was meant to have Invasion-style mechanics but eventually settled for the asymmetric BattleMode where two players, controlling demons, fought against one playing as the Slayer. The Dark Ages doesn’t feature any multiplayer, with id Software focusing on the campaign and implementing mechanics like the Atlan mech and mount instead.

Customizable Difficulty

I’m Too Young to Die. Hurt Me Plenty. Ultra-Violence. And Nightmare. These are the key ingredients that make up the difficulty spectrum in DOOM (2016) and Eternal. With The Dark Ages, id is going for something much more granular. You can adjust damage received, damage dealt, enemy aggression, targetting assist, parry window – even the overall speed of the game and the number of resources dropped. There are still presets, but being able to fine-tune the mechanics like this is a much-welcome addition.

More Cutscenes

Eternal had its share of cutscenes, but DOOM: The Dark Ages is ramping up its usage and story-telling focus much more. One of the more promising results of this approach is id taking the narrative into the cutscenes, as director Hugo Martin describes. And considering how confusing the lore of the DOOM timeline is, we’re likely in for a treat.

Campaign Length

According to HowLongToBeat, DOOM Eternal takes about 14.5 hours on average to complete the main story. It can go up to 28.5 hours for completionists, and the DLC adds another 13 hours or so if you try to find everything. While id Software hasn’t confirmed The Dark Ages’ playtime, it’s hyped as the longest campaign for the series yet. With a heavier emphasis on story-telling, this could be an FPS campaign for the ages.