PICK UP & SLAY

New weapons, a dragon and much more in daring addition to Doom franchise

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This double whammy was always going to be tough to follow, but I think The Dark Ages is very much up to the task.

Billed as a prequel to 2016’s game, this title finds the Doom Slayer as the last hope of a kingdom fighting against the forces of Hell in a techno-medieval setting.

While its predecessors emphasised fast-paced, almost acrobatic combat, this title favours a more grounded, strategic approach with the Slayer able to lay waste to dozens of demons in a single blow.

Manoeuvring the Slayer around the map is like steering a tank, you can almost feel the heft and weight of him as he rampages across Argent D’Nur - a planet portrayed as being partially consumed by Hell in previous Doom games.

Just so you're left in no doubt about the Slayer’s bulk, he triggers a shockwave when he lands that takes out any nearby demons.

Combat, as you'd expect, is frenetic and visceral as you dispatch wave after wave of vicious demons in a hail of gore and bloodsplatter.

There are a couple of great new additions to the Slayer’s arsenal - my favourite being the shield saw.