Rethinking Doom: The Dark Ages – Was Adding Mechs and Dragons Necessary?

So, let me tell you about Doom: The Dark Ages. It’s a bit of a wild ride, like trying to drive a stick shift for the first time. The gameplay? Oh man, it nails it with this shield parrying thing. Totally unexpected in a first-person shooter. You get all these cool weapons—and I’m talking about the shotgun, which is like my long-lost love. Seriously, it just never gets old.

Now, here’s where it gets funky. You’re the Doom Slayer, right? Picture this: one moment you’re bashing demons, and the next, you’re piloting a giant mech. A MECH, like straight out of those big robot movies where they crush buildings just because they can. And sometimes, you’re riding this dragon-creature thing with neon wings. Kinda cool, but somehow, it doesn’t sit right, like pineapple on pizza. Maybe it’s me, or maybe it’s the whole vibe clash.

Let’s talk about the Atlan, this mech you get to pilot. If you’ve ever dreamed of being in Pacific Rim, this is your moment. It stomps around with this clumsy grace, smashing anything stupid enough to get in the way. You mostly use its fists—bet you’re wishing for a chainsaw, right? I was half-expecting it to have one, would’ve been epic to see those demon skyscrapers go down in style. But nah, it just dodges and punches, kinda like it forgot its purpose halfway.

Oh, but wait till it picks up a big gun. That’s when things get spicy! Blowing away demons like confetti at a parade. Odd twist, though—the gun charges when you dodge perfectly? Makes no sense. Like, ever tried to charge your phone by jumping? Nope. And then poof, the gun’s gone after a round. C’mon, I wanna keep blasting stuff!

Anyway, the mech parts have these cool ideas but feel like noodle soup without the noodles, you know? And then there’s the dragon part. Riding a laser-winged beast sounds like a metal album cover, but in gameplay? It’s like waiting for toast. You dodge, charge up some lame guns, and the enemy’s turrets—turrets!—just sit there. Such a drag for something that should be the rockstar of the game.

I gotta say, though, zooming around blasting demon planes was a rush. Felt like I was in some intergalactic dogfight, minus the boring dodge trick. Wish they made that the main event.

The Dark Ages does have magic moments. Its mix of tech and medieval feels right at home, and using the Doom Slayer’s gadgets is a blast. But man, those mech and dragon bits really trip over their own shoes. Next time they bring dragons to Doom, let’s hope they’re as hardcore as the Slayer himself. Here’s to dreaming!