Doom: The Dark Agesis sprinting ever closer to its May 15 release date. Arriving a little over five years after the release of the last entry in the series,Doom: The Dark Ageswill put the players back in control of the Doom Slayer with more of the action-packed, demon-slaying gameplay of the franchise’s previous iterations. This new game will also take an interesting approach in that it will serve as a prequel to the 2016Doomreboot, and it will also offer some intense additions to the Doom Slayer’s arsenal, such as the Skull Crusher gun and the Shield Saw.
Excitement surroundingDoom: The Dark Ageshas reached a fever pitch, especially as recent rumors have abounded that the title will bereleased on the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 console. It’s also been revealed thatDoom: The Dark Ageswill uniquely tackle gameplay difficulty, implementing sliders that will give players the freedom to tether the game to their taste and make it as easy or difficult as they’d like. This may help settle the long-standing debate about how to handle difficulty in video games, and it could have some notable influence on video games to come.
Doom: The Dark Ages May Settle The Long-Standing Difficulty Debate
Doom: The Dark Ages Has Some Deep Difficulty Sliders
WhileDoom: The Dark Ageswill still have the standard difficulty settingsmany fans are used to from previous games, it will also offer deeper difficulty sliders to allow players more customization and freedom in how they choose to play. These sliders will allow players to change things such as damage taken or given by the player, enemy aggression, and the behavior of projectiles thrown out by enemies. Perhaps the most notable part of these sliders, however, is the ability to change the speed of the gameplay as a whole, meaning players can decide if they want a standard, fast-pacedDoomexperience or something a little slower.
Certainly,Doom: The Dark Agesis not the first gameto offer difficulty sliders of this kind, but it nevertheless represents an unprecedented level of freedom for players, allowing them to tether the game to their speed and skill level. These features also ensure that no player will be left out of the experience, as the sliders will not only allow players to make the game easier, but they will also allow players to make the game harder. Having this level of freedom in difficulty options is exciting for both newcomers and hardcore fans, but it could also be big for plenty of games to come from numerous publishers.
Gameplay Difficulty Remains A Massive Conversation In Gaming
Gameplay difficulty is a hot-button topicin the gaming industry today, especially given the rise of newly released games whose conversations have revolved heavily around their level of challenge. While many modern games have taken to offering accessibility features to make games easier for others, debates have raged on whether difficult games should offer these features or whether they would interfere with the developer’s vision. TheDoomseries is no stranger to this, as the franchise’s last entry, 2020’sDoom Eternal, has become a notably difficult first-person shooter.
Perhaps the biggest publisher who has been at thecenterpiece of this conversation is FromSoftware, a developer known for putting out titles infamous for their high levels of difficulty. Seemingly every time FromSoftware releases a new game, a debate forms about whether the developer could add optional features to make the games more approachable, or whether this would interfere with the developer’s creative freedom. 2022’sElden Ringis a perfect example, as while the game was a major financial success and winner of numerous Game of the Year honors, it couldn’t avoid the conversations surrounding its level of challenge.
While many modern games have taken to offering accessibility features to make games easier for others, debates have raged on whether difficult games should offer these features or whether they would interfere with the developer’s vision.
Doom: The Dark Ages Is A Great Middle Ground Between Gamers And Developers
Doom: The Dark Ages’ approach to difficultyfeels like the perfect way to settle the debate, as it feels like a happy medium for both gamers and developers. Having non-restrictive sliders such as these can allow the developers to build the game they want to build without compromising on their vision, but then offer ways for players to tether that game to play it how they choose. It allows players to make the game as easy (or hard) as they like, and it feels like the best way for both gamers and developers to have their cake and eat it, too.
Sure,Doom: The Dark Ages’ sliders may not move every single developerand publisher to abandon making games with one specific difficulty and expect players to play the game as the developers intended. Even so, the level of freedom offered by these new sliders inDoom: The Dark Agesmay be the nudge toward some notoriously difficult (or even notoriously easy) games offering players a little more freedom. Whether these sliders truly impact games in the future, here’s hoping id Software’s newDoomtitle rips and tears at whatever speed it chooses and potentially calms some of the heated debates surrounding game difficulty.
