DOOM: The Dark Ages is upon us, which means players will soon be stepping into the legendary Doom Slayer’s boots to fight in a hellish medieval war. As is ever the case with DOOM games, there’s a lot going on in The Dark Ages’ moment-to-moment gameplay, a lot of which actually feels completely fresh for the series, from new design approaches that DOOM hasn’t really been known for in the past two tweaks to the formula that put a different spin on it while retaining what makes DOOM, DOOM. To help you keep all of it straight in your head and get to grips with it quicker as you jump into the game, here, we’re going to go over a few tips and tricks that you should keep in mind as you play DOOM: The Dark Ages. FIND YOUR DIFFICULTY For many, the challenge is a big part of the DOOM experience, but after how grueling the masterpiece that was DOOM Eternal many found to be, with The Dark Ages, id Software is making a concerted effort to offer more options for accessibility’s sake. Chief among them are a sliders that allow fine control over the difficulty of specific things, including parry windows, damage taken, damage dealt, resource values, game speed, and much more. Though a certain amount of bite and challenge definitely does make DOOM: The Dark Ages’ combat sing, right off the bat, you should find the settings that you’re most comfortable with and can actually have fun playing on. EXPLORE Some light exploration has always been part of the DOOM gameplay loop, but The Dar Ages blows that up to a wider scale than ever before. Several of its 22 levels are set in vast, semi-open maps that allow for plenty of room for exploration and optional content. Our advice? Take your time to go through these levels as thoroughly as possible. Though speeding through levels can be tempting when you’re in the flow of things, doing so will mean you’ll miss out on plenty of optional resources or collectibles. Oh, and speaking of resources… FIND GOLD The one resource you’re going to want to stock up on as much as possible is gold. Scattered throughout The Dark Ages’ level, you’ll find quite a bit of gold, and as the currency that is used to purchase upgrades for Slayer’s tools and weapons, it’s absolutely worth seeking out. From chests to hidden areas and pathways, there’s plenty of places where the game has gold stashed away, so keep your eyes peeled. UPGRADE YOUR COMBAT SHOTGUN As an id Software game and a DOOM title, it should be no surprise to anyone that DOOM: The Dark Ages boasts an incredible shotgun. The combat shotgun serves as the Doom Slayer’s first weapon in the game, and it’s a weapon that you’ll be using a lot of throughout your playthrough. As such, it’s a good idea to start investing in shotgun upgrades early on, because there’s a good chance you’ll be using it more than most other weapons. UPGRADE YOUR SHIELD SAW The Shield Saw is another staple of the Doom Slayer’s toolkit in DOOM: The Dark Ages, and as such, another thing that you should start upgrading early on. Parries and blocks and other shield-specific moves become a big part of your moveset in The Dark Ages, so buying upgrades early on that help you improve your skills on that front will come in more than a little handy. THROWING THE SHIELD SAW The Shield Saw isn’t just a defensive tool. This being a DOOM game, the shield of course doubles as a weapon as well. With a circular chainsaw appended to its edges, the Shield Saw can be thrown at enemies and then recalled back into the Slayer’s hands- and figuring out the right timing and placement of throws can turn the tide of a fight. Throw it at a larger foe and the shield will temporarily lodge itself in its skin- line it up just right, and it will slice all enemies in its path as it flies back into your hand. SHIELD BASH The Shield Bash is another move that you’re going to want to get the hang of as quickly as possible, because you’ll be using it a lot. Thankfully, the game teaches you early on, allowing you to instantly close the distance to enemies and strike them with a dazing melee attack. Used cleverly, in fact, the shield bash can also double as a great evading move- just use it at a distant enemy while you’re trying to put some distance between yourself and another foe and it’ll zip you right away. PARRYING The Shield Saw’s primary purpose, for all of its offensive capabilities, is of course to serve as a tool of defense. Parrying incoming attacks becomes a critical part of the gameplay loop in DOOM: The Dark Ages, so getting some practice in on that front is a good idea right off the bat. Thankfully, the game throws plenty of opportunities at you to let you hone your parrying skills, so make sure you put them to good use. DODGING PROJECTILES DOOM: The Dark Ages takes cues from classic DOOM’s gameplay in some interesting ways, one of the more enjoyable ones being its similar usage of slow moving projectile attacks that you have to weave your way through. Having awareness of your surroundings and making sure you stay out of incoming projectiles’ way is crucial, then, though you can also block and parry those attacks. Time a projectile parry right, and you’ll send it shooting back in the direction of whatever enemy shot it at you. SWITCHING WEAPONS DOOM: The Dark Ages’ weapons are predictably enough among its biggest strengths, so switching back and forth between them is always recommended. Not only is that incredibly fun, in fact, it’s also mechanically useful. Each weapon brings its own attributes, as you’d expect, while different enemies are also effected by weapons in different ways. Swapping between weapons as and when the situation requires is not only encouraged, it’s often downright necessary. ENEMY WEAKNESSES This of course is a pivotal aspect of DOOM gameplay that The Dark Ages continues to emphasize even with its many changes. From specific enemy types being vulnerable to shield throws to those that you can hit with, say, the Accelerator to set off a chain reaction, from larger groups being better suited to fire from the Skullcrusher to foes that require specific attacks that will first destroy their armour before you can deal actual damage, The Dark Ages will often throw monsters your way that will need to be taken down in varied and specific ways- so don’t just go in mindlessly running and gunning. GLORY KILLS DOOM: The Dark Ages changes glory kills by making them quicker and a much more seamless part of gameplay, but they are obviously still crucial. Not only do glory kills serve as brutal finishers, they also yield health pickups without fail, making them even more invaluable. Any time you see the glory kill prompt over a weakened enemy then, make sure you’re not ignoring it. MELEE ATTACKS DOOM: The Dark Ages also introduces melee attacks to the fray, with the Doom Slayer now supplementing his gun-toting capabilities with brutal up-close strikes from an electric gauntlet, a flail, and more. Those options definitely shouldn’t be ignored, which can be admittedly easy to do in a shooter. Not only are melee attacks quite hard hitting, some enemy types are also vulnerable to them, while they also yield ammo drops, which is always useful. PLAY AGGRESSIVE Above all else, DOOM: The Dark Ages wants players to stand and fight, which means playing aggressive is the name of the game. Though it’s natural to want to keep distance between yourself and your enemies, the Doom Slayer is at his deadliest in The Dark Ages when you’re getting in enemies’ faces, proactively parrying and deflecting their attacks, and blasting them with every offensive tool in your arsenal. REPLAY LEVELS DOOM: The Dark Ages is a markedly longer game than its predecessors, but on top of that, it also continues to boast plenty of replay value. Its levels (especially the larger ones) are brimming with secrets, collectibles, hidden areas, and more, so replaying them to find what you missed on your first run through is always fun. If you’re looking for an excuse to keep playing the game after rolling credits, this is a good one.