Perhaps “Doom: The Dark Ages” Was Just Fine Without Mechs and Dragons

Alright, so here I am, rambling about Doom: The Dark Ages. You ever just try out a game and, like, some parts just click, while others, mmm, not really? That’s me with this one. Okay, so here’s the thing: gameplay’s got this shield parrying — love it, honestly. Shields make everything better. And weapons? Oh man, the shotgun is a beaut. Makes you feel alive, like, “Hey, I’ve got this!”

Now, here’s where things got weird, right? At certain points, they toss you into a mech or a dragon, and it’s like — wait, what? I mean, Doom’s all about the shooty-killy stuff on foot, and now I’m piloting giant robots and dragons? Maybe it’s just me, but something didn’t jive. Feels like someone took a paintbrush and splattered all over my neat little gameplay canvas.

So, piloting the Atlan, this big ol’ mech, makes you feel kinda Pacific Rim-y. I mean, here’s this hunk of metal, stomping around, smashing things. But, hmm… no chainsaw shield? Odd pick, if you ask me. Could’ve been epic to have a parry dance-off with skyscraper demons, right? Instead, you just dodge. And dodge. Kinda like boxing, but with robots and not as sweaty. Or maybe I just love sweat and drama.

Now, shoot things with a ginormous gun? Always a win. But — and here’s the kicker — you gotta dodge perfectly to charge it. Uh, why though? Gun physics got a bit wonky there. Let me blast away all day, every day!

Dragon time. Mechanized wings and all. You’d think, “Wow, lasers and dragons?” But nah, it turns into this… waiting game. Like standing in line for concert tickets. Strafing’s cool, but waiting to dodge for ammo? Turrets of all enemies — really, turrets? Feels kinda… bleh. Like you’re in a weird medieval disco without the tunes.

Now, the fun bit — zooming around, shooting at aircraft, kind of space-shooter vibes there. Made me smile. If they’d just ditched the dodgy-dodge, and went full throttle with that energy… oh boy.

So yeah, Doom: The Dark Ages, with its techno-medieval mash-up, nails it sometimes. When you’re swinging that chainsaw shield around, it’s a blast. But, honest to goodness, the mechs and dragons just felt, well… undercooked? Here’s hoping next dragon ride feels like the metal behemoth it’s meant to be. Because, let’s face it, we came here to kick butt and chew gum. Or, y’know, something like that.