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Doom: The Dark Ages New gameplay details from Edge Interview (influenced by the 'Batman Year One' and 'The Dark Knight' comics, etc.)




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  • Influenced by the 'Batman Year One' and 'The Dark Knight' comics which returned Batman to his roots.
  • Shield Saw reacts differently depending on what it hits (flesh, armor, energy shield, etc).
  • The block button can be held down for a sort of 'lock-on' effect.
  • While locked on to an enemy, you can do a shield bash that charges your forward and closes distance.
  • Shield bash will be your main way of zipping around the battlefield since there's no double jump or dash.
  • You can also parry with the shield - game will have accessibility options to adjust parry windows + difficulty options.
  • You can also do a shield throw - this is also used for environmental puzzles like breaking chains.
  • Parry recharges melee > melee refills ammo.
  • Three melee weapons - Gauntlet (fast), Flail (medium), Mace (slow).
  • The Mace is slow and hard-hitting and also tops up all your resources.
  • Guns have a more medieval theme to them and less futuristic, even some returning weapons.
  • Levels are the biggest ever in DOOM and have a more sandbox feel.
  • "About an hour or so" per level is the sweet spot, but completionists can extend this.
  • A typical level will be broken up into 'acts' such as an interior dungeon area, then a more open area, etc.
  • id Software has wanted to put Atlans (mechs) in the game for 8 years - they've been teased in previous games.
  • The story will be more to the forefront this time - a departure from the previous games where it was mostly in text notes.
  • Releasing May 15th on PS5, Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass.


Original article behind paywall
 

R6Rider

Gold Member
A lot of this was already known, right?

Curious to see how they pull off these larger levels.
 
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kevboard

Member
It sounds like they wanted to make everything besides a Doom game.

well the gunplay looks more like classic Doom than in any of the other reboot titles.

however it is clearly also very different structurally... and then there's all the melee combat as well of course.

but it's funny, I made a whole video about how Doom 2016 is IMO basically a first person character action game... and now the third game in the trilogy has 3 melee weapons with combos, a shield block, and a parry system 🤣
 
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I liked the two previous games a lot, but I’m not really feeling this one so far.

It’s cool that they implement lots of new game design ideas, but I kind of wish they hide it a bit more on the visual side.
There’s so much stuff going on, with glowing rings around monsters to indicate you can parry, etc.
It seems immersion is not really high on the priority list anymore.

I also don’t get the giant mech part: it’s cool, you are now a huge mech. Well, what does that matter when the enemies you fight are just as big? It’s like you are both normal sized and fighting on a miniature city.
 

Bert Big Balls

Gold Member
I know people will be turned off by some of the changes, but if you like Doom I'm sure you'll get used to it. It's like going into Eternal from 2016. Everything was different, but once you've got the hang of the gameplay loop it's fine.
 

Hollowpoint5557

A Fucking Idiot
Ok I'm starting to get a little worried here. The more I hear the more I'm unsure but I really am hoping for a great game here.

Flying dragon missions, giant mechs, lock on and parry system, open world levels, glowing rings and flashing colors for the zoomers, and what is with this story focus? Who plays Doom for the story? Rip and tear is all I care about and I hope all cut scenes are fully skippable. Does any of that sound like Doom?

I'm starting to wish they would have just made Doom Eternal 2. The actual feeling of the movement of Eternal was the best there ever has been and all they needed to do was less platforming and better ammo management.
 
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kevboard

Member
Shit I just want a modern take on PS1 or N64 Doom. I read 90% of this stuff and go okay...

that's impossible unless you want them to just make a retro boomer shooter, of which there are many great ones to choose from already.

early shooters like Doom 1/2/64 are extremely basic due to the technology behind them.
modernising any part of that will instantly lead to tons of changes that alter the core gameplay dramatically.
the engine was so limited that you couldn't even have level design that has a room on top of another room.

these games didn't even have a jump mechanic. you literally had walk, shoot, switch weapon, and a use button. that's all the core gameplay elements.

Doom 2016 is as close to a "modern take" of classic Doom that you can do, without just making a retro boomer shooter.
hell even retro boomer shooters like Ion Fury are far more complex mechanically than the first Doom games, even tho that game in particular runs on the Build engine from 1995.
 
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  • You can also parry with the shield - game will have accessibility options to adjust parry windows + difficulty options.
Noice... I'm there for it. The idea of parrying demons in a medieval hellscape fps game sounds pretty great.
 

Lunarorbit

Member
I'm really digging the dragon from the commercials. Like others have mentioned seems like ID is switching some stuff up. I'll have to finish the 2nd game before may
 
It sounds like they wanted to make everything besides a Doom game.
Bingo. Doom 2016 was an excellent throwback to the OG Dooms and other 90s FPSes. Ever since that game, however, they've been trying to add unnecessary bullshit, like platforming and collectathons and now mechs and dragons and parry/riposte systems, and mix genres to make anything other than a Doom game.
 
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GymWolf

Member
What do you mean by "no dash"? slow walk unless you use shield bash?

Also:
  • Parry recharges melee > melee refills ammo.

Not again, i should not be forced to parry and melee to get ammo in a fucking arcade fps :messenger_pensive:

Welp, i'm probably gonna wait for a huge discount.
 
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Levels take an hour each on average? OK, bye.
I’d think if there’s a dev that would understand that more isn’t always better is them, especially in this genre, but here we are.
Doom 2016 was fantastic, a game so good that even playing it on Switch couldn’t downgrade the ridiculous fun.
I don’t feel the direction they’ve taken one bit.
If they mean 1hr on average for a first time playthrough then I'm OK with that assuming you have to find collectibles and upgrades.

I must concede Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal had the perfect length for the levels.

On a first playthrough they took 1 hour each.

On subsequent playthroughs you could blast through them in 30 mins.
 
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adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Levels take an hour each on average? OK, bye.
I’d think if there’s a dev that would understand that more isn’t always better is them, especially in this genre, but here we are.
Doom 2016 was fantastic, a game so good that even playing it on Switch couldn’t downgrade the ridiculous fun.
I don’t feel the direction they’ve taken one bit.


Levels are broken into "acts".


  • A typical level will be broken up into 'acts' such as an interior dungeon area, then a more open area, etc.
 
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MagiusNecros

Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
What do you mean by "no dash"? slow walk unless you use shield bash?

Also:
  • Parry recharges melee > melee refills ammo.

Not again, i should not be forced to parry and melee to get ammo in a fucking arcade fps :messenger_pensive:

Welp, i'm probably gonna wait for a huge discount.
Sad to hear that's it more MMO rotation bullshit. This probably also confirms Ammo Economy will not be good at all.
 
Mixing in shield combat with a FPS shooter is a banger of an idea that I hope they can pull off. Past two games were fantastic, so they earned my trust on it. This is shaping up to possibly be my favorite of the current trilogy.
 

Danknugz

Member
focusing on a shield to get around is a corny marvel like idea and a crutch for devs who need to focus on ADHD features instead of things that require thought like leaving the player to find their own way around a map

also, mechs? this isnt wolfenstein.
 
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Atrus

Gold Member
Action rotation to “recharge” melee doesn’t sound good at all. Large levels mean you want to move around quickly so that “1 hour levels” only take minutes to replay. You know… the focus on completing a level asap with little to no damage and maximum carnage?

DOOM isn’t this story focussed series where you ride rollercoaster sequences and hope for enemies to hit you.

Really hoping the implementation of all this “not DOOM” is done well so we get another DOOM to DOOM Eternal transition because it sure doesn’t sound good on paper.
 

MagusMajul

Member
i hated doom 2016 doom eternal was alright. I am hoping this is a return to form, the glory kills were the worst thing about the previous doom games they slowed down the action too much and stun locking centimes was annoying. If you all don't like this one do what I did and play the other doom games instead.
 

MagusMajul

Member
If they mean 1hr on average for a first time playthrough then I'm OK with that assuming you have to find collectibles and upgrades.

I must concede Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal had the perfect length for the levels.

On a first playthrough they took 1 hour each.

On subsequent playthroughs you could blast through them in 30 mins.
you must not have played the classic doom games much if you are all complaining about level length
 

simpatico

Member
The "lore" and "back to the roots" focus is so masturbatory. There is no lore. The only roots are mindless shooting. These same intentions killed Halo. I blame creatives at these studios who just think we're all out with expectant mouths, hungry to choke and swallow their prose. Every second spent on cutscenes or lore in Doom game in a publicly traded company is a gross breach of fiduciary duty.

I know when I think of Doom's roots, a lock-on system springs to mind first.
 
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NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
If they mean 1hr on average for a first time playthrough then I'm OK with that assuming you have to find collectibles and upgrades.

I must concede Doom 2016 and Doom Eternal had the perfect length for the levels.

On a first playthrough they took 1 hour each.

On subsequent playthroughs you could blast through them in 30 mins.
I hardly remember a level from Doom 2016 taking a full hour to beat. Maybe some of the final ones could get close to that if you count the time needed to beat the bonus challenges. But they all felt the perfect length for the setting.

I distinctly remember that the very first level of Eternal felt like 2 or 3 full levels from Doom 2016. When a cutscene ended and the level still wasn’t over I said “WTF, there’s more?” out loud.
 
I hardly remember a level from Doom 2016 taking a full hour to beat. Maybe some of the final ones could get close to that if you count the time needed to beat the bonus challenges. But they all felt the perfect length for the setting.

I distinctly remember that the very first level of Eternal felt like 2 or 3 full levels from Doom 2016. When a cutscene ended and the level still wasn’t over I said “WTF, there’s more?” out loud.
It's been a long while since I played 2016 but yeah eternal had very long levels (for a first time play through). I remember the campaign felt very long until I did a recent replay and beat the game quite quickly.
 
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