doom: The Dark Ages nails a lot of aspects in its gameplay. The introduction of shield parrying is a refreshing addition to the FPS genre, and each weapon %E2%80%94 especially the classic shotgun %E2%80%94 feels both effective and enjoyable to use. The Dark Ages really suits my tastes. However, the sections where the Doom Slayer pilots a giant mech or rides a dragon-like creature with mechanical neon wings don%E2%80%99t quite work for me. These parts are hit-or-miss for various reasons and feel out of place compared to the game%E2%80%99s main parry-focused FPS gameplay.

Figure 1. doom: The Dark Ages

Piloting the Atlan feels like stepping into a Pacific Rim-style mech game. The Gundam-sized machine stomps through the battlefield, smashing bridges and buildings as it goes. Combat mainly revolves around using its fists, with some stomp attacks mixed in. It’s odd that the mech isn’t equipped with a chainsaw shield—after all, the Doom Slayer’s parry skills could have translated well to fistfights against towering demons. Instead, the Atlan mostly dodges demon attacks, resulting in melee battles that lack the dynamic energy and excitement of the on-foot gameplay. Figure 1 shows Doom: The Dark Ages.

At certain moments, the Atlan grabs a massive gun, and that’s when the mech sections really shine. Blasting demons to pieces is what Doom is all about, and doing it as a giant mech feels great. Strangely, the gun charges up by perfectly dodging enemy attacks, which feels a bit off as a way to reload or gain ammo. Once the arena is cleared, the Atlan drops the gun, and I was bummed every time — I just wanted to keep blasting giant demons in the face!

In the end, the Atlan sections feel quite barebones—they introduce some interesting ideas but fall short in execution. The dragon levels fare no better.

Piloting the mechanized dragon exposes the flaws in The Dark Ages’ melee combat integration. While riding a dragon with laser wings sounds thrilling, these sections mostly involve strafing in place, dodging attacks to charge the dragon’s guns. Surprisingly, facing off against turrets as primary enemies makes the gameplay feel dull and repetitive, draining the excitement from what should be a high-energy, explosive experience.

I actually enjoyed the moments when the dragon zoomed through levels blasting demon aircraft. These sections felt like simplified space shooter dogfights, and a fuller version of these high-speed battles—without the dodge mechanic—would have made for a much stronger focus in the mech dragon levels.

doom: The Dark Ages nails many aspects, from its unique techno-medieval world to the satisfying arsenal of the Doom Slayer, especially the chainsaw shield. These strong points only highlight the shortcomings of the Atlan and dragon segments, which show promise but are held back by questionable mechanics. Hopefully, if dragons return in future Doom games, they%E2%80%99ll match the power and fun of the Doom Slayer himself.

References:

1. https://www.polygon.com/opinion/601266/doom-the-dark-ages-dragons-mechs-atlan

Cite this article:

Janani R (2025), Maybe Doom: The Dark Ages Was Better Without Mechs and Dragons After All, AnaTechMaz, pp. 178