5 Tips for Starting Doom: The Dark Ages
Doom: The Dark Ages reinvents the fast-paced chaos of its predecessors with a heavier tone and more deliberate combat style. Set in a dark sci-fi fantasy world, this prequel to Doom Eternal immerses players in a mythos-rich conflict where new mechanics challenge seasoned Slayers. These essential tips will help both veterans and newcomers survive the demonic onslaught.
Use modifiers and accessibility settings to fine-tune gameplay
The game introduces a suite of customizable difficulty options, allowing players to shape the experience to match their skill level.
- Classic modes like Hurt Me Plenty, Nightmare, and Ultra-Nightmare return, offering challenges ranging from manageable to punishing.
- Damage sliders, AI aggression controls, and movement speed tweaks let players tailor the intensity of battle.
- Most notably, adjusting the parry window timing helps ease players into the game’s new combat rhythm.
- Aim assist features and stagger enhancements also make the game more approachable, especially for players unfamiliar with parry-focused FPS combat.
These tools ensure every Slayer, regardless of experience, can engage the hellish hordes with confidence.
Master parrying and close-range combat early
Unlike the frantic mobility of Doom Eternal, The Dark Ages centers around measured movement and melee-focused defense.
- The Doom Slayer’s new shield saw is crucial for absorbing and deflecting enemy attacks.
- Green projectiles and melee strikes can be parried for bonus damage and crowd control.
- Getting close and using parry-counter combos often outperforms long-range strategies.
- Mid-game upgrades like ground slam parries and shoulder-cannon counters encourage skill mastery and reward aggressive play.
Learning the timing of parries and balancing defense with offense is the cornerstone of surviving tougher encounters.
Adapt your arsenal to changing threats
While The Dark Ages is more forgiving than Eternal, strategic weapon swapping remains essential for battlefield dominance.
- Plasma weapons overload energy shields, while ballistic weapons stagger metal-clad demons.
- The super shotgun and rocket launcher remain vital for elite foes like pinky riders and mancubi.
- Skull-shrapnel weapons help thin enemy swarms effectively.
- When overwhelmed, the weapon wheel slows time, giving players a moment to choose the right tool.
Mastering situational weapon use not only boosts damage but minimizes risk in chaotic skirmishes.
Use the automap to track secrets and upgrades
Exploration is rewarding in The Dark Ages, with the automap playing a key role in uncovering valuable collectibles.
- Secrets include demon figurines, weapon skins, and upgrade resources like gold, rubies, and wraithstones.
- Gold is common and used for first-tier upgrades, but rubies unlock powerful specialized traits.
- Rare wraithstones, often hidden behind puzzles or combat trials, provide final-tier enhancements.
- The automap marks nearby resources with question marks, prompting frequent checks between combat zones.
Thorough exploration ensures your gear evolves at pace with the campaign’s rising difficulty.
Focus on upgrading one weapon per ammo type
Resources are limited in the early and mid-game, making upgrade prioritization crucial for combat readiness.
- There are two weapons per ammo type, so it’s efficient to specialize until you can support both.
- Choosing one primary weapon per category ensures you’re never caught without a solution in high-stakes fights.
- For instance, upgrading the super shotgun, plasma cycler, and shredder nailgun gives coverage across all ammo types.
- Late-game resource abundance will allow full upgrades, but early specialization gives a needed edge in tougher battles.
Stick with what complements your playstyle and ensure your arsenal can meet every challenge the game introduces.
