Latest news with #ShieldSaw
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Doom: The Dark Ages does what Doom does best, forging carnage in a forge of chaos
Don't you think video games are getting too complicated? Every title coming out these days feel compelled to drop me into a 200-hour increasingly cinematic sandbox filled with fetch quests that demand dozens of hours exploring vast open worlds for what, just to kill off the bad guy for world peace? Well, Doom: The Dark Ages is exactly that but it's honest about it, and bluntly effective. After years of watching the franchise from the sidelines, occasionally nodding along to Mick Gordon's brutal soundtracks without context, I finally dove headfirst into it. What I discovered wasn't just my entry point into the series, but a reminder of why sometimes the most sophisticated gaming experiences come wrapped in the simplest packages. The Dark Ages positions itself as a prequel to the modern Doom trilogy, casting the legendary Slayer in a medieval-meets-sci-fi setting where alien overlords, demonic hordes, and humanity's last defenders clash across sprawling battlefields. The premise couldn't be more straightforward: you are an unstoppable force of nature, demons exist, and your job is to make them not exist anymore. No moral complexity, no branching dialogue trees, no companion approval ratings to manage. Just pure, undiluted aggression channeled through increasingly creative methods of digital violence. What struck me immediately was how liberating this clarity felt. In a gaming landscape increasingly obsessed with cinematic storytelling and player choice consequences, The Dark Ages presents a different philosophy entirely. The Slayer speaks exactly one word throughout the entire campaign, yet his character development through body language and environmental storytelling proves more compelling than most fully-voiced protagonists. There's something profoundly satisfying about a character who solves every problem by hitting it really, really hard with medieval weaponry. Rip and tear, stand and fight by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Click Here - This Might Save You From Losing Money Expertinspector Click Here Undo The Dark Ages' isn't very good with it's storytelling but let's honest it doesn't really need to be. Instead, it is the Doom's ages old combat formula, which is subtly evolved but still maintain its frenetic DNA. The introduction of the Shield Saw fundamentally changes how encounters unfold, shifting from Doom Eternal's emphasis on constant movement to a "stand and fight" mentality that initially sounds counterintuitive to everything the franchise represents. Yet somehow, it works brilliantly. While shields have mostly been known to be defensive equipment to humans, for the Slayer, it's a weapon, traversal tool, and tactical game-changer rolled into one circular buzzsaw of destruction. Parrying incoming attacks feels satisfying in a way that transcends mere mechanical feedback; there's a rhythm to combat that emerges naturally as you learn to balance aggression with precise timing. Unlike the rigid resource management that sometimes made Doom Eternal feel like solving an equation under pressure, The Dark Ages allows for more improvisational approaches to demon disposal. The weapon roster adapts familiar tools to the medieval setting without losing their essential character. The Super Shotgun remains the close-quarters king, but new additions like the skull-spitting gatling gun and chain-attached railgun offer fresh approaches to crowd control and armour piercing. Each weapon feels purposeful rather than redundant, contributing to a combat system that rewards experimentation without punishing players who develop preferences. What impressed me most was how the game manages to feel both more accessible than its predecessor while maintaining tactical depth. The shield bash's traversal capabilities replace Eternal's air dash system seamlessly, while the parry mechanics add a layer of skill expression that never feels mandatory for success. It's a delicate balance that many action games struggle with, providing systems that enhance experienced play without alienating newcomers. Hell on earth (but make it medieval) Beyond the moment-to-moment combat, The Dark Ages succeeds in creating environments that justify their existence beyond being demon-killing arenas. The level design strikes an excellent balance between linear progression and exploratory freedom, with larger hub areas offering multiple objectives and secrets to discover at your own pace. These aren't the overwhelming open worlds that dominate modern gaming, but focused playgrounds that reward curiosity without overwhelming players with busy work. The medieval aesthetic could have easily felt like a gimmicky departure from the series' established visual language, but id Software wisely blends fantasy elements with the technological underpinnings that define Doom's universe. Watching massive mechs stomp across castle battlefields while dragons soar overhead creates moments of genuine spectacle that feel earned rather than manufactured. These setpiece moments, while not always mechanically perfect, serve their purpose as palate cleansers between the more intense combat encounters. The game's approach to progression also deserves mention for how it respects player time. Upgrades feel meaningful without being overwhelming, and the currency systems are straightforward enough that you're never confused about what you need or where to get it. Secrets are well-integrated into level design, offering genuine rewards for exploration without requiring exhaustive searching to find every hidden item. When glory kills actually feel glorious Perhaps what surprised me most about The Dark Ages was how it made me reconsider my relationship with action games in general. I've spent years gravitating toward narrative-heavy experiences, convinced that emotional investment required complex storytelling and character development. The Dark Ages demonstrates that engagement can come from perfectly tuned mechanics and clear, achievable goals just as effectively as any branching storyline. The game's violence is cartoonish in the best possible way—so over-the-top that it transcends any concerns about real-world implications and becomes pure digital catharsis. There's an almost meditative quality to chaining together perfect parries, weapon swaps, and glory kills that creates its own form of flow state. The feedback loop is immediate and satisfying: see demon, devise elimination method, execute plan, admire results, repeat. This isn't to say The Dark Ages completely abandons narrative ambition. The wordless characterisation of the Slayer, the environmental storytelling embedded in each level, and the broader mythology all contribute to a surprisingly coherent world. But these elements serve the gameplay rather than demanding attention in their own right, creating a more integrated experience than many games that pride themselves on their storytelling. The campaign's 22-chapter structure maintains excellent pacing throughout its roughly 20-hour runtime, never allowing any single element to overstay its welcome. Even the occasional mech and dragon sequences, while mechanically simpler than the core combat, provide necessary variety and spectacle without derailing the overall experience. The sound of silence (and chainsaws) If there's one area where The Dark Ages stumbles, it's in the audio department. While I haven't really spent hours slaying on Mick Gordon's composition, yet somehow his absence is immediately noticeable, and I guess it would be even more so for someone who have been a regular of series' previous entires. While Finishing Move's soundtrack is competent, it lacks the driving intensity that made Gordon's work such an integral part of the Doom experience. The music often fades into background noise rather than amplifying the on-screen chaos, a significant departure from how seamlessly audio and gameplay integrated in previous entries. This isn't a fatal flaw, but it does represent a missed opportunity to elevate already excellent gameplay with equally excellent audio design. The sound effects themselves remain top-tier, every shotgun blast, demon roar, and shield clang carries appropriate weight, but the musical backing never quite matches the energy of what's happening on screen. Until it is done (for now) Doom: The Dark Ages succeeds as both an entry point for newcomers and a worthy addition to an established franchise by remembering that complexity and sophistication aren't synonymous. It knows exactly what it wants to be and executes that vision with laser focus. Now I understand what I'd been missing all these years. The Dark Ages doesn't just serve as my belated introduction to the series, it's a masterclass in why Doom has endured for over three decades. What I initially dismissed as mindless violence revealed itself as carefully orchestrated chaos, where every system works in harmony to create something greater than the sum of its parts. The sophistication I'd been seeking in complex narratives and sprawling worlds was here all along, hidden beneath layers of demon viscera and shotgun shells. This realisation feels almost embarrassing in hindsight. I'd spent years chasing elaborate gaming experiences, convinced that depth required complexity, when Doom was quietly perfecting the art of elegant simplicity. The Dark Ages strips away every unnecessary element to focus entirely on what matters: the pure joy of interactive entertainment. No padding, no filler, no respect for your time wasted on anything that doesn't contribute to the core experience. In a year likely to be dominated by sprawling open worlds and narrative epics, Doom : The Dark Ages offers something increasingly rare: a game that respects your time, trusts your intelligence, and never forgets that fun should be the primary objective. Sometimes that's exactly what hell ordered. Our rating: 4/5 AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
New York Times
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Frenzied Franchise Takes the Fight Up Close
Within every first-person shooter, there is a little bit of Doom. That 1993 game about a space marine slaying endless swarms of demons started a franchise known for ultraviolence and a broad arsenal of weapons, and also helped usher in a generation of successors. More than three decades later, the arrival of Doom: The Dark Ages effectively reinvents the hellish shooter with a revamped movement system and deepened lore. Players couldn't jump or even look up in the original game as they navigated labyrinthine military bases and turned beasts into piles of flesh. The '3-D' space that made up the game's levels was illusory — sections of each location were staggered in height. After several sequels came a soft reboot also called Doom (2016) and its follow-up, Doom Eternal (2020), both of which rewarded players for mastering aggression, momentum and frantic movement in an entirely new way. For the first time, players could double jump. The Dark Ages takes a striking shift in tone. The celestial, sci-fi brutality of the previous two games is swapped for medieval goth, with the protagonist, Doom Slayer, sporting a fur cape, a heavily serrated shield and spiked pauldrons. Double jumping and dashing are ditched and replaced with an emphasis on raw power and slow, strategic melee combat. Doom Slayer's arsenal features a brand-new tool, the powerful Shield Saw, which Id Software made a point to showcase across its 'Stand and Fight' trailers and advertisements. Used for absorbing damage at the expense of speed, the saw also allows players to bash enemies from afar and close the gap on chasms too wide to jump across. While previous titles allowed players to quickly worm their way through bullet hell, The Dark Ages expects you to meet foes head on. 'If you were an F-22 fighter jet in Doom Eternal, this time around we wanted you to feel like an Abrams tank,' Hugo Martin, the game's creative director, has told journalists. And Doom Slayer's beefy durability and unstoppable nature does make the gameplay a refreshing experience. The badassery is somehow ratcheted to new heights with the inclusion of a fully controllable mech, which has only a handful of attacks at its disposal, and actual dragons. Flight in a Doom game is entirely surprising and fluid, and the dragons feel relatively easy to maneuver through tight spots. They can also engage in combat more deliberately with the use of dodges and mounted cannons. Id is returning to its roots with more grounded combat and movement mechanics, but the game isn't hampered by other quality-of-life changes like dodging and parrying. A feature of timed challenges returns with more opportunities to exercise Doom Slayer's brutality on unassuming imps and zombies. The Dark Ages, which comes with a deep slate of accessibility and difficulty sliders, has a 'choose-your-own adventure' feel because of its diverse collection of weapons. Like in the game's predecessors, players can find secret collectibles and gather resources to improve the depth of their arsenal. One of my favorite additions is the skullcrusher pulverizer. Equal parts heinous nutcracker and demonic woodchipper, the gun lodges skulls into a grinder and sends shards of bones flying at enemies. The animation is both goofy and satisfying. The franchise's approach to narrative has evolved since the original Doom, which told a scant back story through the environment and intermittent onscreen text. The 2016 game introduced an ancient war between hell and other realms in the game's universe. Codex entries such as fiery pieces of paper hovered in secret sections of the game, adding to the richness of a story that explored themes of corporate greed and divine wrath. Since the reboot, the composer Mick Gordon's face-melting soundtrack has been driving the dread home, and this latest entry is again flooded with industrial heavy metal sounds and punchy guitar riffs. The Dark Ages stands out for its creative reinvention. But no matter what, Doom Slayer — a stoic gladiator beset by a demon scourge — sticks to his mantra to rip and tear.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Where to find all Wolf Statues in Doom The Dark Ages The Kar'Thul Marshes
(Image via Bethesda softworks) The Kar'Thul Marshes of Doom The Dark Ages hides 5 Wolf Statues . Each of them guards a path to the valuable Wraithstone . The path demands both sharp exploration and combat grit. The spectral markers guard the powerful upgrade. The scattered locations, on the other hand, test all, including the seasoned slayers. Unlike the earlier chapters, on this swampy battleground, if you miss one statue, the prize will get locked away. So, here is how you can track them all down. Just follow the guide and make your path easier. All Doom The Dark Ages Wolf Statues in The Kar'Thul Marshes The Kar'Thul Marshes – All Wolf Statues Hunter Challenge – Doom The Dark Ages Begin near spectral statues at the center of the map. Then, head down the moss-cloaked path that branches from the area. The 1st Wolf Statue is right beneath the central hub of the map. It is tucked in the shadowy crevice (lurking at the winding path's end). The shield throw can crack it open. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around in 2025 Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo For the 2nd Wolf Statue, trek towards the collectible zone of the Battle Knight. Opposite the spot, peer down the jagged ledge. You will be able to spot the statue glaring up from the murky pit—the glowing eyes will give it away. Moving on to the third statue, it awaits you along the trail, flanking the massive yellow-diamond door. Do a mid-sprint smash to avoid the ambushes. For the 4th Wolf Statue, venture deep into the marshes. The massive tentacle guards it near the crater. Clear up the threat and shatter up the statue. The 5th and the last statue hides on the far edge of the map. It is visible from the Relic Fragment ledge. Scale the crumbling ledge for the cleaner shot. Risks and rewards for finding Wolf Statues in The Kar'Thul Marshes Make sure to destroy all 5 statues, and the pink forcefield that is near the spectral statue will vanish. Behind it, there is a Wrathstone that is essential to max out the weapons. The status of the chapter is more widespread than it was before. So, the methodical exploration will pay off. If you miss one, plan to retrace the steps, and the game will not hold your hand. The chaos of the Marshes can complicate the hunts. To acid the pools ambush the demons, and the verticality of the terrain demands constant vigilance. Use the ricochet of the Shield Saw to hit the statues while you dodge the attacks. Give priority to the mobility mods for traversing the quicksand-like zones. Pro tip: Equip Hellfire Crossbow to clear the groups faster and save the shields for the critical throws. Doom The Dark Ages tips to find statues in The Kar'Thul Marshes Watch out for the glows. Statues emit faint light in the darker areas. Give priority to the threats. For it, clear the enemies before you hunt the statues. It will help to avoid the interruptions. Use the high ground. The vantage points reveal the hidden statues and paths. With the right locations in hand and the needed tips, follow the guide and grab your Wraithstone now. With it, you will leave the marshes stronger. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How to find the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages?
(Image via id Software) The Shield Saw is not just another weapon—it's the very embodiment of Doomguy's rage wrapped in spinning steel. Equal parts buzzsaw, shield, and carnage dispenser, this beast of a weapon is a brutal game-changer in Doom: The Dark Ages . If you're hunting it down, then this guide will help you. What Is the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages? The Shield Saw is a vicious hybrid melee weapon with rotating blades built into a shield. It's made for slicing demons clean in half and blocking incoming projectiles without breaking your stride. Bonus: You can throw it like a boomerang and it comes back . Stylish and savage. Shield Saw - DOOM: The Dark Ages - Man at Arms: Reforged When Can You Get the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages? You'll get your hands on the Shield Saw early in the game, during the Hebeth mission. It's not a side item. It's part of your main loadout progression—you won't miss it unless you're speedrunning blindfolded. Where to Find the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages? Once you start the Hebeth mission (likely Chapter 2 or 3 depending on your path), keep pushing forward until you reach a large open courtyard with descending stone steps. Look around for a drop cage marked with a glowing yellow indicator—that's your cue. Walk up to it, press the interact button, and boom—Shield Saw unlocked. No puzzles, no gimmicks. Just pure Doom-style delivery. What Makes It So Special? The Shield Saw isn't just a defensive tool or a melee finisher. It's multi-functional and scales hard as the game progresses: Melee Brutality : One hit and most lesser demons are toast. Projectile Block : Deflect fireballs, spears, and magic attacks. Boomerang Throw : Toss it like a discus to hit multiple enemies. Parry Mechanic : Time your block to counter and stun enemies. Environmental Destruction : Smash through barriers, statues, and more. Some bosses even require the Shield Saw to expose weak points or interrupt attacks. In short: you don't want to leave this behind. Master the Shield Saw in Doom The Dark Ages! Pro Tip: Use It Often, Not Sparingly Unlike limited-ammo weapons, the Shield Saw doesn't need fuel or cooldowns (unless later upgrades change that). So go wild. Spam throws, use it to block, and crush everything in your path. The game rewards aggression, and this weapon was built for it. The Shield Saw isn't just a weapon—it's a power move. You'll unlock it during the Hebeth mission, and from there on, it becomes one of the most versatile tools in your demon-slaying toolkit. Whether you're parrying hellspawn or shredding through barriers, this is one upgrade you'll never want to part with. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings. Catch Lovlina's story unfold on Game On. Watch here!
Engadget
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Engadget
'Doom: The Dark Ages' review: Goodbye parkour, hello Shield Saw
Doom: The Dark Ages is a very different game than Doom Eternal , the most recent mainline entry in id Software's demon-splattering series. While the Slayer in Eternal was a high-jumping, rail-swinging parkour machine, the Slayer in Doom: The Dark Ages moves like a bull on ice skates, heavy and meaty but incredibly agile. It feels good, and maybe more importantly, it feels right. The developers have made it clear that their goal with The Dark Ages is to emulate the original Doom more than its recent iterations, with the focus on building a concise combat loop and making the Slayer feel like a living monster truck, rather than a Ferrari. After 12 hours with the game, I can say they've done precisely that, plus they've made everything around the Slayer about 666 percent more metal than ever before. Doom: The Dark Ages is an exciting return to form and a phenomenal evolution of a genre-defining series. Bethesda Doom: The Dark Ages feels like an old-school Doom game in terms of combat, soundtrack and the Slayer's overall vibe, but it introduces fresh elements, including a razor-lined Shield Saw, a playable mech and dragon, detailed difficulty sliders, and expansive sandbox maps. I'm currently on chapter 12 of 22 and I've completely filled up my weapon wheel, maxed out multiple stats, solved a handful of puzzles, unlocked shield runes, played as a titan twice and ridden a dragon once. At this point I can feel the game's rhythm in my bones and, even with the modern touches, it's a familiar, catchy beat. The shield is the most obvious addition to the combat loop and it's a core element of every encounter, allowing the Slayer to block, parry, rush forward and throw it out as a giant spinning sawblade. There are dozens of demon types, each with its own moveset and vulnerabilities, and the Shield Saw reacts to them in unique ways. Some enemies shoot out glowing red or green projectiles, and parrying a green one with the shield sends it back at the attacker, dealing heaps of damage. Throwing the Shield Saw like a boomerang sends it slicing through hordes of basic ghouls, catching them on the way there and back. Or, it just embeds and spins in the flesh of mid-size monsters, interrupting their attacks until you recall it. It can also shatter bullet-heated armor and vaporize whole groups of infantry imps hiding behind their own red-hot shields. You can lock on to most enemies with the shield and then press the attack button to rush forward, stunning or exploding the targeted demon and its nearby buddies. On top of functioning as a cross-map dash move, the Shield Slam is critical in taking down midbosses that favor ranged weapons, forcing them to put away their guns and make parryable melee attacks. Bethesda The Shield Saw, heavy and dangerous, quickly becomes the Slayer's natural companion, and in combination with the gauntlet or flail, your melee weapons, it's a twitchy, deadly force. There are 10 main guns to unlock, each more hellish than the last, and they support a range of playstyles, from spray-and-pray to precision headshots and elemental damage. Based on early footage of The Dark Ages , I thought the Pulverizer was going to be my favorite gun because it looked like a powerful crowd-control tool and it had an actual human skull in the middle of it — but as it turns out, the Chainshot is my weapon of choice. It shoots out a heavy metal ball on a chain and deals significant damage with each hit, and I love that it can also kill demons as it's retracting. There are upgrade trees for each weapon, plus a range of Shield Runes to unlock. Let me put it this way: None of the guns in The Dark Ages are underpowered. Feel free to pick your favorite and go all in. The Slayer's weapons and attacks work symbiotically, building a complex rhythm of parrying, repositioning, shield throws and gunfire. The battlefields are littered with glowing piles of ammo, health and overshields, and the sounds that accompany their pick-up are charmingly familiar. These items pop out of demons as they take damage, keeping you alive, just barely, even when surrounded by enemies. There are entire levels built out of relentless combat, with large-scale fights around every corner and the sound of guttural, demonic groans constantly echoing across the wastelands. The Slayer feels like a tank made out of pure muscle, but he runs, dodges and attacks like an athlete a quarter of his size, and the combination of heft and responsiveness is just right. The Slayer is a bleeding, breathing weapon and in The Dark Ages , he really feels like it. But, if he ever feels less than godlike, you can fix that. The Dark Ages introduces a detailed difficulty slider that allows you to fine-tune the action straight from the pause menu. There are four difficulty settings — Aspiring Slayer, Hurt Me Plenty, Ultra-Violence and Nightmare — and from there, 10 elements to adjust, like enemy aggression, parry window size, enemy projectile speed and daze duration. Bethesda I started on the Hurt Me Plenty setting and quickly found it to be too easy, so I bumped my experience up to Ultra-Violence. I eventually hit a wall with one battle that I couldn't seem to beat, and I was deflated, on the verge of acute frustration. I didn't want to lose the tension that I was enjoying so much until that moment, so I left the main difficulty setting alone, and slightly increased my damage and the effectiveness of resources. This was just enough to push me over the edge, and I slid right back into a demon-slaughtering flow, feeling like a badass again. With The Dark Ages , id Software has built a thoughtful and rich customization system, and it's a quality-of-life feature that I can see being replicated in other similar games. And, remember, it works both ways — on top of making fights easier, it can also turn any battle into an overwhelming hellscape. You know, for fun. The Dark Ages is the largest Doom game id has ever made, and it's also the most gorgeous. In the first 12 hours alone, I've encountered battle-worn medieval castles overlooking ravaged kingdoms, mazelike underwater regions, floating ships made out of giant bones, and, of course, the wastelands of Hell, covered in juicy, intestinal growths, gothic fortresses and rivers of fire. There are a handful of secrets hidden in every level, and exploring the terrain is just as much a part of the gameplay as demon-slaying, a feature that I enjoy immensely. The character designs are also luscious: There's a marshmallow-like corpo alien and its floating, tentacled workforce; King Novik wearing heavy armor everywhere except over his rippling pecs and abs; and Prince Ahzrak, an ambitious demon with a pale face, slender horns and high-collared blood-red robes (a look that I would love to see replicated on Dragula , in fact). The classic enemies, updated but grotesque as ever, are a delight to both see and kill. As far as I've seen it, the story is appropriately epic and surprisingly coherent, with plenty of high-stakes missions and a clear Ultimate Villain. I'm already anxious for our final encounter, which I'll take as a good sign. Bethesda There are two new elements in The Dark Ages that I haven't discussed yet, even though they're both literally huge: the titan and the dragon. In certain levels only, you're able to control a mech-sized Slayer to fight giant demons, and you're separately able to hop on top of a vicious, armor-plated dragon and fly it through the sky. These moments are fun and they offer a brief break from the standard horde-hunting action, but largely, I don't think they're necessary. When I think about my time with The Dark Ages so far, I tend to forget about the titan and the dragon. They're simply overshadowed by the satisfaction and strategy built into the moment-to-moment gameplay, plus the layers of customization and all of the Satanic beauty on display. I'm not mad that I can pilot a mech and ride a dragon in the newest Doom game, but I am kind of meh about it. The Dark Ages is blood-soaked and beautiful. Even though some of its largest new elements are actually its least relevant, the game's focus on crisp combat, customization and twitchy shield play makes it a well-rounded romp through the bowels hell. The Dark Ages is a bright spot in Doom history. Doom: The Dark Ages will hit PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S on May 15.
