In an engaging interview with EDGE magazine, the developers of Doom: The Dark Ages unveiled exciting new details about the game's gameplay mechanics and narrative focus. This latest installment promises to place storytelling at the forefront, featuring the largest levels in the series' history and delivering a sandbox-like experience that will captivate players.

Game director Hugo Martin and studio head Marty Stratton shared key insights during the discussion. Unlike previous Doom titles, where much of the backstory was tucked away in text logs, Doom: The Dark Ages will embrace a more direct storytelling approach. The game's atmosphere will immerse players in a medieval setting, dialing back on futuristic elements. Even the iconic weapons will undergo a design transformation to seamlessly blend with this new environment.

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Similar to its predecessors, Doom: The Dark Ages will retain the series' signature level design, but this time, the levels will be more expansive than ever before. Players can expect a mix of dungeon crawling and open-world exploration. The game is structured into "acts," beginning with tight, narrow dungeons and evolving into vast, open areas. Adding to the gameplay diversity, players will have the opportunity to control both a dragon and a mech.

A notable addition to the Slayer's arsenal is a versatile shield that also functions as a chainsaw. This innovative shield can be thrown at enemies, reacting uniquely based on the material it strikes—be it flesh, armor, energy shields, or other substances. The shield enhances battlefield mobility with a dash attack, compensating for the absence of double jumps and roars from earlier games. It also facilitates parrying, with customizable difficulty settings and precise timing windows.

Parrying in Doom: The Dark Ages serves as a "reload" mechanism for melee attacks, while engaging in melee combat replenishes ammunition for primary weapons, echoing the chainsaw mechanic from DOOM Eternal. Players will have a range of melee options, including a swift gauntlet, a well-balanced shield, and a more deliberate mace.