DOOM: The Dark Ages
DOOM: The Dark Ages screenshot 1DOOM: The Dark Ages screenshot 2
ActionFPSDemonsDark FantasySingleplayerGore

353 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 866

Peak in the last 7 days: 1,100

DOOM: The Dark Ages Steam store

Game description

DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. Players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.

Basic info

Developerid Software
PublisherBethesda Softworks
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckVerified
Release dateMay 14, 2025
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows 10 64-Bit / Windows 11 64-Bit
ProcessorAMD Zen 2 or Intel 10th Generation CPU @3.2Ghz with 8 cores / 16 threads or better (examp…
Memory16 GB
GraphicsNVIDIA or AMD hardware Raytracing-capable GPU with 8GB dedicated VRAM or better (examples…
Storage100 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 425 reviews from the past 1 year

81.7/ 100
Top 50%

Steam rating: Very Positive (89%)

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 20, 2026)

Heavy shield combat and a parry system define DOOM: The Dark Ages, which scores 81.7 from the 425 reviews we read.

👍 Strengths

103 reviews enjoy it and recommend it, and some suggest waiting for a sale. 73 praise how combat feels, and the most upvoted calls the parry system incredibly satisfying once it clicks. 72 find the visuals gorgeous, and the most upvoted says they earn the big-budget label. Gameplay ranks 263rd of 1396, and Tech & Support ranks 219th of 1399.

👎 Where it falls short

34 reviews find it repetitive, and some say battles and areas blur together over long stretches. 34 criticize the soundtrack, calling it generic and lacking soul, and some miss the composer of earlier entries. 27 dislike how combat feels, and some find movement clunky or the parry system disruptive, while others mention invisible walls. Content Volume ranks 887th of 1351, Story & World ranks 972nd of 1096, and Pricing & Fairness ranks 1035th of 1399.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“best on a sale, recommends getting with DLC” · 103 reviews
“parry system incredibly satisfying and empowering once it clicks” · 73 reviews
“visuals look gorgeous, earns AAA label” · 72 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 71% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Controls & feel +2.61 · Responsiveness, precision, and how the menus handle
Positive “parry system incredibly satisfying and empowering once it clicks” · 73 reviews
Negative “parry system breaks combat rhythm, mandatory glory kills, inconsistent mechanics” · 27 reviews

Progression 8% · Difficulty 25% · Onboarding 5% · Freedom 15% · Strategy 33%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 43% of reviews · Bottom 20% of the games we've analyzed

World +1.85 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “incredible metal atmosphere in every location and weapon” · 7 reviews
Negative “Hell humanized with demon politics undermines the cosmic evil fantasy” · 5 reviews

Story 35% · Characters 6%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 34% of reviews · Bottom 40% of the games we've analyzed

Variety -1.35 · Fresh content and situations versus repetition
Negative “every battle and area identical, same repetitive actions for ten hours” · 34 reviews
Positive “infinite variety of ways to kill demons with different weapons and combos” · 2 reviews

Volume 20% · Replayability 6%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 52% of reviews · Bottom 40% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +3.74 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “visuals look gorgeous, earns AAA label” · 72 reviews
Negative “grainy and blurry visuals, textures feel flatter and less detailed” · 3 reviews

Audio 37%

Playing with others, the community and servers

Not enough data — only 1% of reviews mention this.

Playing together -0.87 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals

Community 0% · Servers & Connection 0%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 23% of reviews · Bottom 30% of the games we've analyzed

Pricing -0.27 · Whether the price, DLC and microtransactions are reasonable, and how much paying gives you an edge
Negative “130 NZD base price is unreasonable for repetitive mechanics” · 21 reviews
Positive “game supports DualSense with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers” · 1 review

Anti-cheat 0% · Balance 14% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 30% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Performance +0.22 · Frame rate, optimization, and loading times
Positive “runs without stutter, finished product on release” · 13 reviews
Negative “poor optimization and forced raytracing hurt experience” · 19 reviews

Stability 8% · Developer support 8%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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