Doom The Dark Ages Cosmic Realm Reveal
: “Souls like But For DOOM Fans”
(Note: Released on April 26th, 2025, this trailer gives us a new perspective on Doom’s world and what players will expect come May 13th 2025)
I never thought I would have to say this but DOOM the Dark Ages is tapping into a realm of gameplay that even the original developers would have never thought to accomplish. Putting sword and sandal play into a sci-fi world where Hugo Martin mentions the world “Lovecraftian” would have never broached H.P. Lovecraft in his own lifetime.
Hugo Martin, lead director of DOOM: The Dark Ages, set to release on May 15th, 2025, in his presentation was speaking directly to Sony Playsation players. Granted, the XBOX Game Pass players are already set to play it upon release, so it was Hugo’s job to give his best sales pitch to the Playstation players.
And Hugo is a big burly gamer guy, and who wouldn’t listen to him? The quote from Tommy Boy summarizes his sales pitch: “He could sell a ketchup popsicle to a woman with white Gloves.” His smile and demeanor helps, but speaking to Sony fans was the mission behind the Cosmic Realm reveal trailer. “It runs great on the Playstation 5 and PS5 Pro.”
The other most important obvious point is where Hugo Martin proclaims at 2 minutes and 22 to 2 minutes and 40 seconds, about the new monster, The Cosmic Baron, using a double clawed twin blade attack: “But Fear not. Because embedded in his attack are parry windows that a skilled Doom Slayer should be able to exploit if he or she would be brave enough to fight.”
Replace the word Doom Slayer with Souls Player and you have a new realm of players that Hugo and Id are vying for. Every game developers worships the Souls genre as if it’s the holy grail of all modern game design. Not every game needs to be a souls game, but Hugo and the team at Id, with the help of the shield chainsaw, will help many non soul players in their quest against the Dark realm. Also the words “parry windows” should make every COD player squirm in their expensive gaming chairs. Hugo and Id took the moniker “stand and fight’ seriously as the Doom Slayer will now become a tank and fight with both feet on the ground. A bold direction away from Doom Eternal’s constant movement routine, where evading enemies and rapid speed was that game’s mission statement.
And with this trailer breeds a few hot takes. This is not a game that will appeal to the COD players because COD players are used to no high level bar of gameplay like Escape from Tarkov players. Where those players don’t even have a map to help guide them through the mission, either. Its unknonw if DOOM The Dark Ages will implement a no map, or HUD, rule for a higher difficulty, but that’s up for debate as of April 27th, 2025.
Technically, OG DOOM fans, since 1993, were used to harder barriers. Like being unable to manipulate the gun in a horizontal way. Moving it up and down. OG DOOM fans just sprayed and prayed, hoping that the bullets hit their target. And wooing the Playstation gamers with a high level of difficulty within the game was part of the Cosmic Realm trailer reveal.
Overall, Doom the Dark Ages looks fun and shouldn’t be that hard. Unless you turn on Ultra Nightmare mode, if there is such a mode in Doom the Dark Ages.