DOOM
DOOM
Game
Game2025
DOOM: The Dark Ages
Developer id Software
Doom: The Dark Ages is a 2025 first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. It is the eighth main entry in the Doom franchise, following Doom Eternal (2020). A prequel to Doom (2016), it follows the Doom Slayer's efforts to combat a demonic invasion of the planet Argent D'Nur. id Software began work on Doom: The Dark Ages following the completion of Doom Eternal's… From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
1,126 reactions from 4 sources (Bluesky, Steam reviews, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 5, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
83
LovedLoved
394 positive · 83 negative
95% range 79–86%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky * | 65 | 11 | 472 |
| Steam reviews | 394 | 83 | 0 |
| Mastodon * | 4 | 1 | 64 |
| Lemmy * | 1 | 0 | 31 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Very Positive
24,364 of 28,135 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What people are saying
Mixed reception: praised for fresh combat, criticised for lacking Eternal's energy.
Many players appreciate the slower, more grounded combat and the new shield/parry system, which they find satisfying and a good change from Eternal's frantic pace. Some call it a solid FPS with great art direction and a fitting prequel. [5][21][22][14]
Others feel the game is a step back, with combat feeling stiff and toned down compared to Doom Eternal, and some find it overpriced or lacking content. A few players also allege that Microsoft's layoffs at id Software harmed the studio. [31][33][35][36][1]
Praised fresh combat style · shield/parry system · art direction
Criticised lacks Eternal's energy · stiff combat · overpriced
Summary drafted by an AI model from the 36 reactions it cites ([n] links open each post), then checked by code: every paragraph cites real posts and every quote is verbatim. Written Oct 7, 2026. Method
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
DOOM: The Dark Ages sits at 83% positive across 477 opinionated reactions from 4 sources. Fresh or rotten — where do you land?
Critics, per Wikipedia
Doom: The Dark Ages received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic. OpenCritic determined that 95% of critics recommended it. Reviewers praised the innovative combat mechanics and atmospheric setting. Mitchell Saltzman of IGN wrote that while it "may strip away the mobility focus of Doom Eternal", it "replaces it with a very weighty and powerful style of play that is different from anything the series has done before, and still immensely satisfying in its own way". Marcus Stewart from Game Informer described it as "modern Doom executed better than ever", and highlighting the "bloody, challenging, and strategic thrill ride" that tested…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 1,126 · most liked firstI voice DOCTOR DOOM in MARVEL TOKON: FIGHTING SOULS, he was an absolute blast to play, i'm very psyched to be a part of this game @marveltokon.bsky.social
neutral · AI labelView post →'DOOM: The Dark Ages' details 🎮 • No multiplayer — it’s a single-player campaign game • Largest campaign ever • Includes sequences where you fly on a dragon and control a 30-story walking mech • More story told from gameplay and cutscenes compared to previous games (via Game File)
neutral · AI labelView post →Doom is a form of mum game. Any game in which you clean the level meticulously and thoroughly before moving on and then the next time you return its a mess again is a mum game
neutral · AI labelView post →‘DOOM: The Dark Ages’ is getting a ‘full game reveal’ at the Xbox Developer Direct on January 23 🎮
neutral · AI labelView post →they released a full conversion mod of Doom for fucking Chex cereal and it remains one of the greatest video game experiences of my life you got this game out of a fucking cereal box
neutral · AI labelView post →ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Work on a DOOM GAME! I am always in awe and appreciation for any studio that wants to consult with me on a game. There are many individuals who help make accessibility happen, and I'm just so grateful to be a small tiny part of it. Thank you id Software for bringing me in!
neutral · AI labelView post →How is this game even real? It mystifies me they're doing this in the Doom engine.
neutral · AI labelView post →DOOM: THE DARK AGES is a NEW DOOM GAME. DO YOU NEED MORE THAN THAT? I MADE A VIDEO: youtu.be/wydL14tOa3s
neutral · AI labelView post →Whoa. I didn't know Xbox Game Pass was free. Weird. What is this. "The problem with it was that (DOOM: The Dark Ages) was played by millions of fans, but many played it for free on Game Pass."
neutral · AI labelView post →Heard a kid say “that game Doom is really old, I think it came out in 2017?” And now I am dying, thanks
neutral · AI labelView post →DOOM: The Dark Ages launches May 15, 2025. Preorder the Premium Edition for up to 2-Days Early Access on Xbox Game Pass + Xbox Series X|S + PC + PlayStation 5 #DOOM | beth.games/4jtrIlF
neutral · AI labelView post →Gamesbeat: "The cuts came as id’s team was toying with different game ideas including a John Wick-style original game called Fury; a new game in the Perfect Dark franchise; and a multiplayer/co-op version of Doom. It’s not clear which game, if any, the remaining team can do."
neutral · AI labelView post →The story of how Rebecca Heineman overcame corporate incompetence to develop the Doom 3DO port in two and a half months is incredible (via @bghof.com) www.badgamehalloffame.com/doom-3do/
neutral · AI labelView post →this is also conceptually funny because like the only reason to play SNES Doom is to see the impressive feat of getting a cutting edge PC game running on hardware that just barely handles Wolfenstein 3D making it HD 60FPS with KB+M just means you're playing someone's Doom clone instead of real Doom
neutral · AI labelView post →A few hours before the release of Revelations and today Microslop laid off around half of iD Software. I raise my glass to one of the most memorable and incredible trilogies of recent times in our hobby!
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I love Super Mario Bros, it's my favorite JPlatformer. Doom is a great game too, one of the best USAFPSes out there
neutral · AI labelView post →Xbox said today it is shutting down four game studios: Arkane Austin (Redfall), Tango Gameworks (Hi-Fi Rush), Alpha Dog (Mighty Doom), and Roundhouse (support). The video game industry carnage continues, with no end in sight. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
neutral · AI labelView post →It’s not like I’m going to get to the end of a Doom game and wish I’d been more emotionally invested in the personal journey of my character The Doom Murderer
neutral · AI labelView post →What if they took your favorite game and just turned it into Doom? It would probably be an improvement Final Fantasy? Better if it was Doom Persona? Better if it was Doom Bloodborne? Better if it was Doom Food for thought
neutral · AI labelView post →What an incredible honor, and DOOM is the only video game on the list! Congrats to DOOM devs, players, modders, and the entire games community. This one is for all of us. Thanks @gene.meme and @washingtonpost.com !
neutral · AI labelView post →I don’t see the problem with RDJ playing Doom. It’s a great game.
neutral · AI labelView post →TL:DR – Despite a few fun moments and impressive visuals, this is a huge step backward from the other “modern” DOOM games. Dark Ages is over-authored, inconsistent, boring, and fundamentally misunderstands what makes the DOOM series special. Not worth $70. Barely worth $30. This game would be fine as a “bullet hell” non-DOOM title at around $30 to $40. As a DOOM game? Not a chance. Dark Ages replaces the series’ core identity of fast, aggressive FPS combat with heavily authored systems that…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A weird and questionable story about the 1990's sci fi shooter game "Doom" was part of President Trump's supposedly blockbuster evidence of election meddling and hacking talkingpointsmemo.com/news/the-doo...
neutral · AI labelView post →I just started watching a youtube video that opened with (paraphrasing) 'I didn't like the latest Doom because it wasn't the same as the childhood game that I grew up with as a preteen, Doom 2016' Time is a flat circle, Doom is schroedinger's constant, and I am a pile of ancient, decrepit dust.
neutral · AI labelView post →It's 2026 and Doom games still get me ROCK HARD!!!!! It's a great game with GOOD Christian values. As a Christian Pastor I got to show Satan who's the boss. #Blessed A cute game, which my 4 year old daughter loves. In all honesty it's the best game to buy for good Christian boys and girls. It’s a game for Christians who like Medieval sh*t but dislike learning about history. Which is most of them tbh. This game is pure testosterone. It's what Duke Nukem Forever wanted to be. A new take on…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I have waited and waited for a patch that at least addresses performance and fixes the grainy visuals, but nothing relevant has happened. I've been praying for some kind of gameplay overhaul, something to make weapon switching actually relevant, quick rune swap, better mobility, something to spicy up combat, but nothing has been released so far. I've been trying to cope and hope that they'll eventually do something to bring this game up to the same heights as Doom Eternal and 2016, but I have…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Kinda funny that Doom Surf is the most integral and still somehow the least useful ability in the game
neutral · AI labelView post →Solid Gameplay, Empty Experience Is this a bad game? No. This is a top-quality first-person shooter compared to other recent FPS games around. But is Doom The Dark Ages underwhelming? Yes, very much. Intro Doom Eternal was a great game, not a flawless one, but it was certainly amazing. It enhances the 2016 experience and perfects the formula. They tried something different with Doom The Dark Ages, while the large maps filled with exploration and slow but powerful shielded gameplay looked…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Doctor Doom i owe you an apology. i wasn’t really familiar with your game
neutral · AI labelView post →Thumby and Thumby Color: impossibly tiny Game Boys that are actually playable! Just one inch tall. And yes, they can run Doom.
neutral · AI labelView post →game idea: Factory of Doom a factorio/satisfactory style construction game where you start with redstone-esque logic, go up to constructing gates, then make gates into adders and memory and logic, and you beat the game when you combine all this to make a computer that runs Doom
neutral · AI labelView post →Was dicking about with this years ago, like what would a DOOM game look like if it was made between DOOM 2 and DOOM 3.
neutral · AI labelView post →LEAKED DOOM 2099 SKIN IN-GAME 🔥
neutral · AI labelView post →Sonic Robo Blast 2 is a fangame built on top of the Doom Legacy engine. Doom 4 (2016) states that every Doom mod ever is canon, which would place Sonic Robo Blast 2 on the Doom timeline exclusively with absolutely no context with no Sonic the Hedgehog game connected to it.
neutral · AI labelView post →THEY MADE A DOOM RPG STYLE MOBILE GAME OUT OF DUSK
neutral · AI labelView post →This is absolutely not my game. I’d consider myself a hardcore Doom fan from the very beginning, but with The Dark Ages the series has finally moved so far away from its roots that I’m out. I’ve put around six hours into it, constantly hoping it would eventually click - but it never did. For now, I’m shelving it. Criticism Main issue: It’s hard to describe precisely, but combat feels stiff, awkward, and constantly interrupted. A real sense of flow almost never emerges. I think it’s the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →'DOOM' is officially 32 years old DOOM revolutionized 3D gaming and I think it's one of the most important games of all-time. I'll never forget playing it on my neighbor's Packard Bell PC and being mesmerized by it I've been Knee Deep in the Dead ever since! 🔥💀🔥 Is DOOM a special game to YOU?
positive · AI labelView post →A quick note before the review I compare this game to Doom Eternal a lot, but not because I think being different is automatically bad. Different can be good. My criticism is that being different in every possible aspect is not necessarily good design. Sometimes changing everything means throwing away the parts that already worked. If you liked Doom Eternal, you will probably like this game too. But if you loved Doom Eternal, there is a good chance this game will disappoint you badly. You…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →A big step back so far. It’s just missing that raw energy you expect from a modern Doom game — it feels toned down and neutered. Remember the huge cheers at the 2016 glory kill reveal? They clearly had a meeting at some point and decided, “Yeah, let’s remove that.” I loved the intro in 2016 where Doomguy just yeets the tablet while some guy tries to give him exposition. It was a perfect throwback to John Carmack’s old line about story in games. It was there, but it knew its place. Now we’ve…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →First of all - be damned microsoft. They fired half of id software - one of best developers in gaming industry. Imo - microsoft should burn in Hell for that right where Doomguy is butchering demons. id Tech is a magnificent engine—not just "one of many," but truly the greatest. It powers the entire *Doom* series, the new *Wolfenstein* dilogy, and the fantastic *Indiana Jones and The Great Circle*. It gives exceptional performance even on old hardware. These fires were likely because of future…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Ever wonder why some bugs stay in the game? 🤔 #gaming #johnromero #DOOM #quake #gamedev
neutral · AI labelView post →I finally reached the end of my rope with the whole videogame choice paralysis thing and deleted every game from my PC except what I'm actively playing. Even Doom and Quake. I feel a little woozy.
neutral · AI labelView post →damn this new DOOM game looks amazing
positive · AI labelView post →DOOM... I mean MOOD Slayer! Illustration for Do You Know Gaming card game from @lostincult.co.uk.
neutral · AI labelView post →mehhhh , its alright but not enough content or playtime to keep you interested for very long. The first one felt longer.... good gameplay but my god not worth the 70$ price tag. wouldnt spend more than 30$ on a game like this.
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Brought back my OTP of 2020 for the new Doom Dark Ages game. Isabelle is a fan of the cape #doom #doomthedarkages #animalcrossing #art #fanart
neutral · AI labelView post →One thing that you have to commend the Doom series for is that every game feels unique from each other. Especially the new trilogy. Seems like there's a Doom game for damn near everyone. Well... except COD players. You try hiding behind cover, you're gonna die. lol #doom
positive · AI labelView post →It's okay, not worth it at full price. Music is fine. Not as good as Eternal's music. The focus on parry and the new melee system is ehh. I've had issues with glory kills accidently triggering melee attacks that ♥♥♥♥ me over. TOO MANY HITSCAN LIKE ENEMIES. I'm not liking it enough to 100% this game. Enemies take too long to kill that aren't fodder making the game more tedious than the power fantasy Eternal and 2016 had. The story sucks, its Doom, it shouldn't matter, but ugh. 2016 had the…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →> Doom 2016 launches "Their next game will absolutely be Quake!" > Doom: Eternal launches "Their next game will absolutely be Quake!" > Doom: The Dark Ages launches "Their next game will absolutely be Quake!" > Doom: Infinite Warfare launches "Their name game will...."
neutral · AI labelView post →bringing back Doom Incarnate <3 #hadesgame #hades2
neutral · AI labelView post →It's hard to believe this game is 31 years old today. Happy Birthday DOOM. Absolutely legendary.
positive · AI labelView post →I’m a 40 year old gamer who has been playing DOOM since the 90s, starting with Doom II. After all these years, it’s honestly amazing that this series can still feel fresh. First rule: don’t compare this to Doom Eternal or Doom. Each game does something different, and The Dark Ages chooses a heavier, more grounded combat style that works beautifully. The parry system sounded weird at first, but once it clicks, combat becomes incredibly satisfying, brutal, rhythmic, and empowering. The visuals…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →★★⯪✩✩ this game genuinely asks for 130 new zealand legal tender as its base price for what i can only describe as a middle brow doom game, Starting up i was hyped and the first couple missions were awesome. Shield felt fresh and the gimmick was fun, then it kept the gimmick for the entire game and the game is 85% based on timing parry's from the enemies and then shooting them in slow motion. Game would be a recommendation if it was similarly priced to doom 2016. But its literally 20 hours…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Game: The Ultimate Doom (1995, DOOM) TAS Authors: almostmatt1 & 38_ViTa_38 Source: tasvideos.org/4364M
neutral · AI labelView post →The original DOOM game was 2.39MB, web devs need to get it together.
neutral · AI labelView post →Some TikTok kid posted a ranking of the Doom games and something about the phrase “best pre-Bethesda Doom game” absolutely broke me
neutral · AI labelView post →Oh I understand now - Microsoft saw this DLC being developed and thought it was just TOO DAMN GOOD, so they had to gut id Software to make it fair on everyone else making shooters. Got it. Idiots.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I feel bad for Mick Gordon, but this is an amazing game. Art direction is top tier, and im glad gameplay is not just copy of Doom Eternal because Doom Eternal already exists.
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Happy 32nd Birthday Doom! On December 10, 1993, id Software released the legendary first-person shooter game Doom.
neutral · AI labelView post →It's alright but falls short of DOOM: Eternal in terms of weapon function and identity. This is a DOOM for those who hated Eternal and the need to rapidly swap weapons when in combat against the hordes of Hell. The shield and melee options can help you beat the game without relying much on weapon swapping so you can stick to your fave gun from start to finish even on Nightmare difficulty. Some people will like that, some people won't. The dragon and mech sections added a bit of variety to…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →
Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.
