When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.

Hands down, among that chaos and carnage the star of the show is the new shield saw.

In this respect, it feels a lot like Kratos axe in the recentGod of Wargames.

A screenshot of a grotesque large demon with guns for arms in Doom The Dark Ages

Simply using the shield is joyous, butmasteringit is even more satisfying.

Now you just get to wreak havoc with a cool new toy.

There are echoes ofWarhammer 40,000here, which is not a complaint at all.

A screenshot of the Slayer armed with the shield saw and a shotgun against a demon

The environments have a less vertical focus thanDoom Eternaltoo, which will be a relief to some fans.

Of mechs and dragons…

The section was very linear and heavily tutorialized, with combat taking place entirely within the confines of both.

A screenshot of an apocalyptic environment in Doom The Dark Ages

Something just felt a little un-Doomabout it.

The action and combat were pretty guided, once again, but the on-board weapons were very underwhelming.

Feeling like a weak pistol, locking on to targets was overly snappy and jerky.

A screenshot from the mech combat part of Doom: The Dark Ages

This needed to be done a few times over with some well-done variation thrown in.

A screenshot from the dragon flying part of Doom: The Dark Ages

A screenshot of the Slayer in Doom The Dark Ages