Yes, there will be demons to kill, double-barrel shotguns to wield, and a generous amount of ripping and tearing, but there’s something else at play. Almost 10 years after the 2016 reboot reinvigorated the franchise, it’s once again time to try something new. Whether new means better is a different story entirely.

Doom The Dark Ages is the weakest game in the series since 2004’s Doom 3, but still an achievement in terms of writing, combat, and design.

But a few hours into the 20+ hour campaign, my arsenal had expanded, the ways in which I could dispatch enemies had diversified, and I’d started to better understand and appreciate what Doom: The Dark Ages was and what it wasn’t.