By some means, DOOM: The Dark Ages’ most versatile new weapon… isn’t what you’d initially acknowledge as a weapon in any respect. The newest entry in id Software program’s legendarily bloodthirsty sequence brings loads of new concepts to the wartable – a tech-medieval setting, a prequel story for the DOOM Slayer, and all-new mechanics within the type of mechs, dragons, and open zone sequences, to title just a few – however maybe essentially the most impactful is its new mantra of “stand and combat”.
After the run and gun hall antics of DOOM (2016) and the unexpectedly athletic take with DOOM Everlasting, The Dark Ages riffs on the basic DOOM feeling of strolling right into a room, planting your self in a chief place, and taking down all comers. And it’s all rooted within the Shield Saw, your disc-shaped ticket to destruction.
We’re not essentially used to seeing the Slayer defending himself, however the Shield Saw takes the outdated phrase, “the very best offence is an efficient defence” and yanks all of it the best way to its logical conclusion. Removed from being a approach to hunker down and take pot pictures, the Shield Saw is a multi-purpose technique of taking down enemies effectively whereas holding your valuable armor and hit factors intact.
Listed below are the numerous methods you’ll be utilizing it:
Blocking and Parrying
One of many very first issues DOOM: The Dark Ages teaches you is how to block. Pull the left set off and the Slayer raises his protect, absorbing projectiles with the minimal of fuss. After all, a DOOM sport merely won’t enable you to cower, so bear in mind that, after just a few hits, your block will probably be damaged. Consider this much less as a method to stand again, and extra like a approach to shut the space into extra Shotgun-friendly vary.
And how you block is critically vital – you’ll quickly study parrying. In the event you see a green-colored projectile, or an enemy wreathed in inexperienced vitality earlier than a melee assault, take this as an indication. A well-timed block on certainly one of these assaults, simply earlier than it hits, will ship projectiles bouncing again to sender, or breaking the stance of a close-quarters creature. Each are invaluable for scaling down weaker demons, or opening up stronger ones to uninterrupted punishment. Later within the sport, you’ll additionally unlock Shield Runes, which add further results upon a profitable parry – however we gained’t spoil these right here. You need to actually discover out about them your self.
In the event you’re discovering the parry window just a little too robust to hit (or not robust sufficient!) you may modify the parry window within the choices menu at any time. With a mix of blocks and parries, you may wade right into a sea of enemies, protected within the information that you simply gained’t simply clear a room, however do it with out getting a nick in your armor.
Shield Cost
Typically, blocking simply leaves you feeling a bit removed from the motion. The Shield Cost is the proper tonic. When blocking, you’ll discover a goal showing on the enemy closest to your crosshairs – and urgent the best set off will ship you hurtling in direction of them at inhuman velocity for a excessive harm assault.
At its most elementary degree, the Shield Cost is the proper approach to stand up shut unexpectedly, letting you employ shorter-range weapons just like the Shotgun or Accelerator to do huge harm rapidly. However the Cost additionally comes with the additional benefit of being a particularly efficient room-clearer – hitting an enemy will even deal harm to all of the enemies instantly round them. Choose a goal in a crowd of cannon fodder, and you’ll successfully clear all the group with a Cost in a single bloody pop.
Selecting the correct goal is essential – blindly charging at a totally cellular boss enemy is unlikely to assist you an excessive amount of, however sure enemies, like Stone Imps, are significantly weak to the Cost, setting off an explosion as you hit. You might additionally use it to goal an enemy above you, successfully utilizing it as a platforming software to take up new floor. As you get to grips with the flexibility (and its quick cooldown), you’ll discover it to be as a lot an effectivity software as it’s a horrifyingly highly effective weapon.
Shield Throw
Early within the sport, you’ll add that titular Saw to your Shield, at which level you’ll unlock the Shield Throw. This unbelievably gratifying maneuver allows you to press the left bumper to (actually) let rip. A protect throw will immediately bisect weaker enemies – even a number of enemies, in case you line them up proper – and can embed itself in stronger ones, providing you with a stun window to work with.
Better of all, the Shield Throw is especially efficient in opposition to armor. Fairly quickly, you’ll see demons toting shields, or bosses wrapped in bullet-resistant metallic – however gunfire isn’t wholly ineffective right here. Hearth your weapons at them, and also you’ll begin heating that metallic, and when you see it attain incandescent ranges, a single Shield Throw will shatter it. In opposition to enemies in armor, this may blow it off, opening them up to extra assaults. Smaller enemies with shields, nonetheless, will merely… burst in spectacular trend. In the event you see a line of enemies with shields, that one throw will destroy all of them, like they’re dwelling bowling pins.
Puzzle Fixing
Clearly not content material with being a great tool for assault and defence, your Shield Saw can also be a approach of constructing your approach round The Dark Ages’ ranges – together with their many secrets and techniques. The Shield Cost can be utilized to destroy weak partitions (look out for a round image daubed on them), used to leap by embedding in particular environmental particulars after which recalling it to pull your self up, or to destroy superheated locks with a fast Throw.
In the event you’re struggling to work out how to attain a secret space, the Shield could be very usually the important thing to making it in. There are extra puzzly makes use of later within the sport to uncover, too – we’ll allow you to attain them your self.
Upgrades
Clearly, the Shield Saw can do lots out of the field – however there’s all the time extra. When you uncover the sport’s Sentinel Shrines – the house of The Dark Ages’ improve system – you’ll uncover extra choices for including to your arm-mounted software’s skills.
Other than these afore-mentioned Shield Runes, the Shield has an improve tree that may enhance harm, assist clear extra fodder enemies, and even trigger it to bounce between enemies who carry energy-based shields. However look out for mentions of the Shield in different improve timber, too. The Shredder weapon, for example, can unlock a capability that may ricochet pictures out of an enemy with a Saw embedded in them. The Energy Gauntlet melee weapon may also be upgraded to recharge itself with profitable parries.
Select your upgrades proper and you’ll construct an arsenal that doesn’t simply embody the Shield, however facilities round utilizing it.
DOOM: The Dark Ages arrives as we speak for Xbox Collection X|S, Xbox PC, Steam, Battle.web, PlayStation 5, and cloud. It’s out there day one with Recreation Move, and is an Xbox Play Anyplace title.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Version
Bethesda Softworks
Pre-order now to obtain the Void DOOM Slayer Pores and skin at launch.
Get a head begin on slaying demons with the Premium Version, together with up to 2-Day Early Entry* and the marketing campaign DLC**. You’ll additionally obtain the Digital Artbook and Soundtrack, and the Divinity Pores and skin Pack, which incorporates matching skins for the DOOM Slayer, dragon and Atlan.
INCLUDES:
– Base Recreation (digital code)
– Up to 2-Day Early Entry
– Marketing campaign DLC
– Digital Artbook and Soundtrack
– Divinity Pores and skin Pack
*Precise play time is determined by buy date and relevant time zone variations, topic to potential outages.
**DLC availability to be supplied at a later date.
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Everlasting that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. On this third installment of the fashionable DOOM sequence, gamers will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, on this never-before-seen darkish and sinister medieval battle in opposition to Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a darkish fantasy/sci-fi single-player expertise that delivers the searing fight and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the most recent idTech engine.
STAND AND FIGHT
Because the tremendous weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites just like the Tremendous Shotgun whereas additionally wielding quite a lot of new bone-chewing weapons, together with the versatile Shield Saw. Gamers will stand and combat on the demon-infested battlefields within the vicious, grounded fight the unique DOOM is known for. Take flight atop the brand new fierce Mecha Dragon, stand tall in an enormous Atlan mech, and beat demons to a pulp with the newly enhanced glory kill system. Solely the Slayer has the facility to wield these devastating instruments of mayhem.
REIGN IN HELL
Certain to function the tremendous weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their chief seeks to destroy the Slayer and turn out to be the one one that’s feared. Witness the creation of a legend because the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the battle.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer should take the combat to never-before-seen realms. Thriller, challenges, and rewards lurk in each shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, darkish forests, historic hellscapes, and worlds past. Armed with the viciously highly effective Shield Saw, lower by way of a darkish world of menace and secrets and techniques in id’s largest and most expansive ranges to date.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Improve
Bethesda Softworks
Pre-order now to obtain the Void DOOM Slayer Pores and skin at launch.
Get a head begin on slaying demons with the Premium Improve*, together with up to 2-Day Early Entry**, the marketing campaign DLC***, Digital Artbook and Soundtrack, and the Divinity Pores and skin Pack, which incorporates matching skins for the DOOM Slayer, dragon and Atlan.
INCLUDES:
– Up to 2-Day Early Entry
– Marketing campaign DLC
– Digital Artbook and Soundtrack
– Divinity Pores and skin Pack
*Base Recreation required (bought individually)
**Precise play time is determined by buy date and relevant time zone variations, topic to potential outages.
***DLC availability to be supplied at a later date.
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Everlasting that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. On this third installment of the fashionable DOOM sequence, gamers will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, on this never-before-seen darkish and sinister medieval battle in opposition to Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a darkish fantasy/sci-fi single-player expertise that delivers the searing fight and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the most recent idTech engine.
STAND AND FIGHT
Because the tremendous weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites just like the Tremendous Shotgun whereas additionally wielding quite a lot of new bone-chewing weapons, together with the versatile Shield Saw. Gamers will stand and combat on the demon-infested battlefields within the vicious, grounded fight the unique DOOM is known for. Take flight atop the brand new fierce Mecha Dragon, stand tall in an enormous Atlan mech, and beat demons to a pulp with the newly enhanced glory kill system. Solely the Slayer has the facility to wield these devastating instruments of mayhem.
REIGN IN HELL
Certain to function the tremendous weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their chief seeks to destroy the Slayer and turn out to be the one one that’s feared. Witness the creation of a legend because the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the battle.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer should take the combat to never-before-seen realms. Thriller, challenges, and rewards lurk in each shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, darkish forests, historic hellscapes, and worlds past. Armed with the viciously highly effective Shield Saw, lower by way of a darkish world of menace and secrets and techniques in id’s largest and most expansive ranges to date.
DOOM: The Dark Ages Customary Version
Bethesda Softworks
PC Recreation Move
Xbox Recreation Move
Pre-order now to obtain the Void DOOM Slayer Pores and skin at launch.
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELL
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Everlasting that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. On this third installment of the fashionable DOOM sequence, gamers will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, on this never-before-seen darkish and sinister medieval battle in opposition to Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a darkish fantasy/sci-fi single-player expertise that delivers the searing fight and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the most recent idTech engine.
STAND AND FIGHT
Because the tremendous weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites just like the Tremendous Shotgun whereas additionally wielding quite a lot of new bone-chewing weapons, together with the versatile Shield Saw. Gamers will stand and combat on the demon-infested battlefields within the vicious, grounded fight the unique DOOM is known for. Take flight atop the brand new fierce Mecha Dragon, stand tall in an enormous Atlan mech, and beat demons to a pulp with the newly enhanced glory kill system. Solely the Slayer has the facility to wield these devastating instruments of mayhem.
REIGN IN HELL
Certain to function the tremendous weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their chief seeks to destroy the Slayer and turn out to be the one one that’s feared. Witness the creation of a legend because the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the battle.
DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMS
In his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer should take the combat to never-before-seen realms. Thriller, challenges, and rewards lurk in each shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, darkish forests, historic hellscapes, and worlds past. Armed with the viciously highly effective Shield Saw, lower by way of a darkish world of menace and secrets and techniques in id’s largest and most expansive ranges to date.