Technologies

Doom The Dark Ages Review: Blood, Steel and Burnout

Guns and heavy metal weren’t enough this time around.

Doom: The Dark Ages is the third game of the new “Doom” era since the franchise was rebooted in 2016 and was followed up with a second game, Doom Eternal, in 2020. While this newest title makes some big changes to the game, and I do mean “big,” it does feel like it’s lost a bit of that Doom charm that made me giddy whenever I saw the phrase “rip and tear.”

For this latest go-around, developer id Software tweaked the Doom formula to go beyond just shooting enemies and is far away from the platforming that was found in Doom Eternal. The result is a blend of action that really sings when everything is timed right but also falls flat outside of the action. There’s just a lack of areas where my adrenaline starts pumping compared to the previous Doom games.

To lay the groundwork for Doom: The Dark Ages, the game takes place before the events of the 2016 reboot. Doomguy, referred to as the Slayer throughout, was transported to Hell following the events of Doom 64 in order to fight the hordes of monsters. Some point after battling demons for billions of years, he’s transported to Argent D’Nur, a different realm inhabited by humans who fight against the hordes of Hell in this epic war with futuristic weapons with a medieval motif. As the Slayer, he’s there to help the humans win and what follows is a very dramatic, almost Game of Thrones-type story but it feels shallow.

And I get it. Doom wasn’t ever really about the story but it has been since the reboot. What I love about the reboot is that I’m playing as the same character as I was 20 years earlier in my high school computer lab. A character who had returned from the depths of Hell and was being used as a living weapon to defeat the army from Hell once again. Then, in Doom Eternal, we learn how Doomguy was a mythical hero in that other realm and traveling to that realm was this satisfying experience that felt like the equivalent of a heavy metal album cover.

In Doom: The Dark Ages, I didn’t feel that same excitement to learn more about Doomguy’s past. The attempt at intrigue just didn’t work, so making my way through the chapters was a slog at times. Don’t get me wrong: The action was exciting, most of the time, but it takes a while to get to that pinnacle of where all the new elements of the game fit into place.

Doomguy’s New Toys (and Tricks)

Of those new elements, the most significant is the addition of a shield. It’s weird playing a Doom game with a shield but it’s part of id’s attempt to redefine the gameplay by adding some depth. The shield provides four kinds of actions that are important while playing, including the most obvious one, defense.

Some of the enemies have particularly big guns that can tear you apart if you don’t use your shield. As you might expect, there’s a shield throw, a la Captain America, so you can use it as a weapon. This throw can be an instakill for weaker enemies or a stun for tougher ones as it tears into their bodies.

Doomguy also has a shield bash that does some damage but acts as a way to quickly dash at enemies as well as break open barriers throughout the levels. Lastly, there’s the shield parry. Some enemies shoot out green projectiles that can be parried back at them, which is required to defeat some enemies. I appreciated that there’s an option to make the parry window more generous or tighter, depending on what works for you.

Another change is the arsenal available to Doomguy. Doom Eternal introduced a few new weapons along with the franchise mainstays like the Chaingun and BFG 9000. But in Doom: The Dark Ages, it’s all new weapons with the exception of the shotgun that you start with. The new guns are pretty intense but they do have a similar feel to other weapons like the Accelerator in comparison to the Plasma Rifle.

Each gun has an alternate fire that makes it act like a new weapon. For example, the Shredders feel like a standard machine gun that shoots bolts into enemies. Later in the game, you can unlock the alternate version, called the Impaler, that fires big spikes and acts almost like a non-scoping sniper rifle because it deals huge damage with headshots. Another weapon, the Pulverizer, is most notable for its design, which crushes skulls and shoots out bone pieces in a spread to take out multiple enemies at once. Guns weren’t the only new weapons for Doomguy, as there are also new melee weapons, the most notable being the Flail.

The shield and every weapon can be upgraded via gold, rubies and wraithstones found throughout the levels. This is where the action can get fun because upgrading weapons in a certain way can have different effects on enemies, from dealing damage to nearby enemies to having a longer stun or making enemies drop more ammo or armor. There’s a combination of upgrades that creates this fantastic harmony between the shield and the weapons. There’s a lot of experimentation available for players to make their favorite weapon even more fun to use.

Big Maps, Bigger Fights

Arguably, the most noteworthy change in Doom: The Dark Ages is the open levels. Previous games were more constrained, with players having to clear out rooms. In this game, there are big maps with multiple areas that need to be cleared to complete the chapter. This allows for a lot of exploration as there are plenty of secrets to find. Enemies are scattered throughout, but there are areas where a barrier will pop up and you’ll have to deal with hordes of demons in a closed-off space similar to the previous Doom games. Like the rest of Doom: The Dark Ages, these levels have a medieval look with some futuristic accents here and there. This style, which is also shown in Doom Eternal, creates a remarkable presentation on the Xbox Series X when combined with the heavy metal music.

Speaking of presentation, the two “big” additions to the Doom franchise are the dragon and the Atlan mech, which are available on certain levels. The action changes similarly when riding either one. Whether you’re on the dragon or the mech, you progress through the levels and do a combination of attacking and dodging enemies’ attacks. Traveling on both is fun but where the dragon flies throughout the levels and can chase down certain enemies, the Atlan smashes buildings as it fights giant demons. While enjoyable, I have to admit, I didn’t mind them being limited to certain levels; there wasn’t a lot to do with them.

All the new additions id Software introduced in Doom: The Dark Ages are welcome changes to keep a franchise that’s been around for more than three decades feeling fresh. I still can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing, though. It just doesn’t have the same pull as the last two Doom games. Because of that, it never gave me the same rush while playing. There were stretches where it honestly felt boring, which is wild to say about a Doom game. It definitely picks up in places and delivers some great moments, but I kept wishing there was more meat on the bones — just something that made me care more about this adventure.

Doom: The Dark Ages comes out on May 15 for Xbox, PlayStation and PC, and it’ll be available on Game Pass at launch. Players who purchase the Premium Edition of Doom: The Dark Ages will gain access to the game on May 13.

Technologies

Trump Maintains US‑Iran Negotiations Continue Amid Tehran’s Denials of Duplicity

President Trump insists that US‑Iran talks are ongoing despite Tehran’s denial of any negotiation plans, while warning that only a deal or total surrender will allow passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Conflicting statements from both sides have heightened uncertainty as the conflict enters its sixth month.

On Monday, President Donald Trump asserted that negotiations between the United States and Iran are still taking place, even after Tehran stated it has no intention of engaging in direct talks with Washington.

In a fiery Truth Social post, Trump labeled Iran’s leaders “unbelievably duplicitous,” claiming they are lying about ongoing peace talks “whether Iran wants to admit it or not.” He repeated his assertion that the United States completely controls the Strait of Hormuz, despite maritime traffic through the crucial route lingering at only a small fraction of pre‑conflict levels.

He wrote, “Nothing reaches Iran unless we allow it, and nothing will pass unless a deal—or total surrender—is achieved.”

Earlier that day, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters there is no imminent plan for U.S.–Iran negotiations, contradicting Trump’s earlier comment that talks would resume Monday afternoon. Baghaei added that Iran’s only current discussions are with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflicting statements have heightened uncertainty over the peace‑talk process and the broader conflict, now in its sixth month.

Trump’s assertion about new negotiations came a day after he said on Truth Social that he had agreed to cancel a massive strike against Iran “subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.” He said in the same post that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked him to hold off on that attack because “the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

Trump has claimed dozens of times throughout the more‑than‑five‑month‑long war that a deal is at hand. No permanent deal has been signed, and a temporary ceasefire reached in June has fallen apart.

Trump has also repeatedly threatened to launch devastating strikes against Iran before backing off. After the latest example, oil prices on Monday fell and stocks surged.

BMI, a research unit of Fitch Solutions, said in a note Monday that a broader diplomatic understanding on reopening the Strait of Hormuz is still achievable this quarter, while raising the probability of its escalation scenario to 35% from 25%, citing mounting military, diplomatic and economic signs of rising U.S.-Iran tensions.

“Diplomatic progress is likely to be punctuated by periodic military flare-ups, while miscalculation by either side could trigger a renewed escalation,” BMI analysts wrote in a note. The firm said the key issue to watch is the future governance of the strait, as the Iran-Oman talks — potentially backed by Gulf states, China and the U.S. — point to efforts to build a post-conflict shipping framework.

Shipping risks persist even as diplomacy appears to be advancing. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said it received a report of an incident 20 nautical miles (23 miles) northeast of Khasab, Oman — at the mouth of the strait — with a tanker’s master reporting an explosion in close proximity to the vessel at about 20:37 UTC Sunday (4:37 pm ET). The vessel and crew were safe and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said, advising ships to transit with caution.

The proposal Trump announced over the weekend calls for the U.S. and Iran to return to negotiations and continue ironing out some of the thorny issues that had derailed diplomatic efforts, according to The Associated Press, citing a regional official involved in the mediation efforts.

The official said the proposal also includes a reopening of the Hormuz Strait and halting attacks across the region, including by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq on the Arab Gulf countries and Jordan.

The U.S., for its part, will end its naval blockade on Iran and allow Tehran to export its oil, the official said, adding that no deal has been reached, although the mediation efforts remained underway.

Trump’s weekend reversal has lowered the temperature after days of escalating attacks across the Gulf. Kuwait said Saturday that Iranian forces launched a wave of drones within its airspace, with its military destroying multiple aircraft after Iran targeted critical infrastructure in the country’s north.

A parallel track with Muscat is also advancing. Iranian diplomats said Tehran was close to reaching a new arrangement with Oman to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a deal critical to preventing the war from escalating further, according to the Financial Times.

Iranian officials said negotiations over future management of the Hormuz Strait with Oman, which sits on the opposite shore of the waterway, are in their final stages. The agreed shipping route would be different from those used before, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Baghaei, adding that the new route was separate from the issue of the strait’s reopening or continued closure.

Technologies

Oil Prices Slide as Trump Halts Planned Iran Strike

Oil prices dropped after Trump cancelled a planned strike on Iran, with WTI down about 5% and Brent near 5% lower. He said the move followed requests from Tehran and regional allies for a pause while a deal shaping the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program is negotiated.

Oil prices fell on Monday after President Donald Trump announced he had cancelled a planned strike on Iran. WTI futures dropped roughly 5% to $80.34 a barrel, while Brent slipped about 4.7% to $83.77 a barrel.

Trump said early Sunday he called off the strike after Iran and several Middle Eastern nations asked him to hold off, noting that the outlines of a deal had been agreed upon. He added that the prospective accord would entail the immediate, full opening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, according to his Truth Social post.

The president had been considering another round of strikes as diplomatic hopes waned since the conflict began on February 28. He said the U.S. and Iran would meet for talks on Monday, but Iran denied any scheduled negotiations with Washington, citing PressTV. Iran’s foreign‑ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei clarified that Tehran was only discussing shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz with Oman. In a follow‑up Truth Social message, Trump insisted that, regardless of Iran’s acknowledgment, the United States is indeed discussing a solution to a long‑standing problem created by Iran.

Technologies

Oil Prices Drop as Trump Cancels Planned Attack on Iran

Oil prices fell sharply after President Trump announced the cancellation of a planned strike on Iran, citing a new deal that would open the Hormuz Strait and end Iran’s nuclear threat.

Oil prices fell sharply on Monday after President Donald Trump announced that he had called off a planned strike on Iran.

West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. benchmark, slipped roughly 5% to close at $80.34 per barrel, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, declined 4.7% to settle at $83.77 a barrel.

Trump made the announcement early Sunday, saying he had canceled the strike following requests from Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries.

In a Truth Social post, he wrote: “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to.”

The president indicated that the proposed agreement would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait, as well as an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.

Trump had been weighing additional strikes amid diminishing prospects for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict that began on Feb. 28. He stated that the U.S. and Iran would hold negotiations on Monday.

Tehran denied that talks were planned with Washington, according to state news outlet PressTV.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran was only holding talks with Oman regarding the routes ships can use through the Strait of Hormuz.

In a subsequent Truth Social post, Trump added that whether “Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused for decades.”