The upcoming expansion for Bethesda Softworks and id Software’s upcoming first-person shooter, Doom: The Dark Ages, is “like a sequel”, according to game director Hugo Martin.
During the latest episode of Slayers Club Live, Doom: The Dark Ages director Hugo Martin and senior community lead Joshua Boyle shared new details about the project, and by the sound of it, players should be expecting something massive. The expansion is “basically like a sequel,” Martin said, further referring to it as “freaking huge” and “ginormous”.
One of the prominent new additions is a new Spear weapon, which appears to be tied to a dash or leap ability. Martin didn’t give specifics, saying, “I didn’t say where it is, I didn’t say what it is specifically.” However, he did tease, “You could maybe dash evade and stab with something,” hinting at the rumored spear-and-dash combo. According to Martin, the DLC introduces a “new loop to master.” While players can approach combat in a familiar way, the expansion is said to be nothing like the standard combat loop.
Martin stated that the skill ceiling in the upcoming Doom: The Dark Ages expansion is “super high.” Mastery won’t come easily, but that’s intentional. One of the new tools requires serious investment to fully understand and use. According to the game director, “once you unlock the tool’s potential, it really transforms the game into something else.” Adding to that depth is the return of quickswapping tech, though it has to be earned. “It’s done in a way that you aren’t anticipating,” Martin explained.
Martin described the expansion’s story as more of something players experience rather than simply watch, with environmental storytelling playing a larger role. As for the lore and codex entries, he said, “I’m not going to write them longer. I personally don’t think a novel is necessary, but I do think that we’re going to make it more worth your time to read the lore.”
As for when players can see more, the teaser trailer is still “a little ways out there,” according to the game director.
