QuakeCon 2024 attendees were treated to a behind-closed-doors presentation of DOOM: The Dark Ages, which hasn’t received any leaked footage but appears to have had a very positive impact on attendees, with enthusiastic reactions and early details about the in-development game emerging.
Something similar had already happened at the time of the first presentation of DOOM in 2016, shown for the first time during QuakeCon but never leaked, confirming the remarkable loyalty of the id Software community to the developers.
Again, no videos have been leaked yet, but several details about the game in development have emerged on Reddit, which looks to be a really interesting evolution after DOOM Eternal.
The first testimonies
On Reddit there have been some testimonies from users who attended the presentation, but it should still be taken into account that at the moment these are just rumors.
In any case, the information below, although very vague, could be considered spoilers, so you have been warned.
The video reportedly featured gameplay segments commented by Hugo Martin, the team’s creative director, expanding a bit on the elements seen in the DOOM: The Dark Ages announcement trailer. The game is still in alpha, but it already shows off a lot of its unique features.
From what we’ve seen, it looks like the maps are much more open than previous entries, but there’s less of an emphasis on verticality than in DOOM Eternal, with jumps having a less central function and seeming more inherent to combat.
Three melee weapons seem to be confirmed for the game: a flail that allows you to collect ammo, a mace, and a fist that creates chained electric shocks between enemies.
The chainsaw shield also has movement-related functions, and can be thrown at enemies and recalled. Furthermore, Glory Kills, or executions, seem to have been modified to make them more controllable by the player, who can decide how to carry them out from time to time.
Other new and previously unseen weapons for the series were also shown, as well as gameplay sections where you ride the dragon seen in the Altan trailer, the large mech also featured in the game’s first trailer.
