Arena shooters are all about fast-paced, frenetic combat, so naturally, weapons play a vital role in their gameplay loop. Gaining access to a new weapon in agood arena shooterisn’t just unlocking a shiny new way to dispatch foes, it’s unlocking something that can drastically change the flow of moment-to-moment gameplay moving forward. If it’s anything like its predecessors,Doom: The Dark Agesis sure to have plenty of weapons that do just that.
Announced back in June,Doom: The Dark Ages' reveal trailer already confirmed a handful of weapons for the medieval-themed spinoff. Along with the iconic Super Shotgun,Doom: The Dark Ageswill give players a big iron shield that can be used as a boomerang, a plasma rifle, a stake gun that can attach enemies to walls, and some kind of weapon that grinds up skulls and spews out the bone fragments as projectiles. That’s already a strong arsenal, but there are a handful of classicDoomweapons that would be great to see inDoom: The Dark Ages' dark fantasy aesthetic.
Weapons That Should Return in Doom: The Dark Ages (And How They Could Be Reworked to Fit The Medieval Aesthetic)
Gauss Cannon
Introduced inthe 2016Doomreboot, the Gauss Cannon is an incredibly powerful plasma-based weapon that fires precise bolts of energy. The Gauss Cannon can also enter a “Siege” mode when modified. This mode forces players to stand still with the Cannon while it charges, but it unleashes a much more powerful beam that can penetrate several foes.
WhileDoom: The Dark Agesseemingly already has a precision bolt-thrower with its stake gun, a reworked version of the Gauss Cannon could still hold a valuable spot in the game’s arsenal, perhaps if it honed in on the 2016 version’s penetrative abilities.
Ballista
Introduced inDoom Eternalas the replacement for the Gauss Cannon, the Ballista is an obvious pick forDoom: The Dark Ages, with it already resembling medieval weaponry, and with it having lore ties toDoom’s ancient Sentinel warriors.Doom: The Dark Ageswouldn’t need to do much to make the Ballista fit its dark fantasy theming, it’d just need to swap its Argent Energy bolts for more conventional projectiles.
Rocket Launcher
A staple of the franchise since the veryfirstDoomin 1993, some variation of the rocket launcher is needed inDoom: The Dark Ages. To make it fit with the game’s aesthetic,Doom: The Dark Agescould make its rocket launcher act more like a grenade launcher, with its design resembling a handheld trebuchet or catapult that fires the projectile in an arc.
Soul Cube
Introduced inDoom 3and then never seen again, the Soul Cube is a unique weapon that absorbs the life-force of defeated enemies to recharge. Once fully charged, the Soul Cube extends a myriad of blades and soars through the air, latching onto a target, draining its energy, and returning to the player to restore some health.
ThoughDoom 3’s lore suggests that the Soul Cube was an ancient Martian weapon and thus probably wouldn’t be present inDoom: The Dark Ages' prequel setting,Doom 3isn’t really considered canon in the current timeline, soThe Dark Agesis free to put its own spin on the weapon.
BFG
Probably themost iconicDoomweapon of all time, the BFG needs to be inDoom: The Dark Ages. While the BFG’s high-tech design might not fit withThe Dark Ages' ancient aesthetic, the game could explain it by stating it’s an earlier model of the weapon.
WHERE TO PLAY
BECOME THE SLAYER IN A MEDIEVAL WAR AGAINST HELLDOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is a dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine.REIGN IN HELLAs the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw. Players will stand and fight on the demon-infested battlefields in the vicious, grounded combat the original DOOM is famous for.STAND AND FIGHTExperience an epic story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this cinematic and action-packed story. Bound to serve as the super weapon of gods and kings, the DOOM Slayer fends off demon hordes as their leader seeks to destroy the Slayer and become the only one that is feared. Witness the creation of a legend as the Slayer takes on all of Hell and turns the tide of the war.DISCOVER UNKNOWN REALMSIn his quest to crush the legions of Hell, the Slayer must take the fight to never-before-seen realms. Mystery, challenges, and rewards lurk in every shadow of ruined castles, epic battlefields, dark forests, ancient hellscapes, and worlds beyond. Armed with the viciously powerful Shield Saw, cut through a dark world of menace and secrets in id’s largest and most expansive levels to date.
