The weapons in Doom: The Dark Ages are big, bold, and bear exceptionally silly names: “It’s called the Skull Crusher because it crushes skulls”
id Software couldn’t be more on the nose if it tried
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Developer id Softwarerevealed Doom: The Dark Ages at the Xbox Games Showcasewith a sizzling debut trailer, and a couple of the new weapons have left something of a lasting impression. Speaking atSummer Game Fest, studio creative director Hugo Martin says the studio set out to “make the weapons feel like the most powerful you’ve ever held in a Doom game, like that Skull Crusher you saw in the teaser.”
That’s a great place to start, because a gun you need to feed with skulls is so Doom it hurts. So, what’s behind the name? Martin has a pretty simple answer: “It’s called the Skull Crusher because it crushes skulls,” he chuckles. Naturally, that wasn’t the only weapon that stole the spotlight at reveal – how about the shield with a chainsaw blade wrapped around its outer edges?
“Well, then we have the Shield Saw, because it’s a chainsaw and a shield. There’s also the Rail Spike gun in the teaser – we call it that because it shoots giant spikes,” Martin says, adding: “We’re very good at names.”
Doom: The Dark Ageswas announced at the Xbox Games Showcase – a prequel to id Software’s excellent series reboots – and is scheduled to launch in 2025. Interestingly, despite being published byXbox Game Studios, The Dark Ages is confirmed for launch on PS5 (alongside PC, Xbox Series X, and Game Pass).
This makes it among the first titles confirmed to be multiplatform, following the publisher’s experiment with bringing Sea of Thieves, Grounded, Hi-Fi Rush, and Pentiment to other platforms earlier this year. Either way, this new Doom game has been a long time coming. Doom Eternal launched in 2020, and now the countdown to 2025 begins.
Xbox owns the Doom: The Dark Ages studio, but Phil Spencer says the FPS is coming to PS5 because Doom is “a franchise that everyone deserves to play.”
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Josh West is the Editor-in-Chief of GamesRadar+. He has over 15 years experience in online and print journalism, and holds a BA (Hons) in Journalism and Feature Writing. Prior to starting his current position, Josh has served as GR+’s Features Editor and Deputy Editor of games™ magazine, and has freelanced for numerous publications including 3D Artist, Edge magazine, iCreate, Metal Hammer, Play, Retro Gamer, and SFX. Additionally, he has appeared on the BBC and ITV to provide expert comment, written for Scholastic books, edited a book for Hachette, and worked as the Assistant Producer of the Future Games Show. In his spare time, Josh likes to play bass guitar and video games. Years ago, he was in a few movies and TV shows that you’ve definitely seen but will never be able to spot him in.
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