All the blood and glory of defeating enemies might not be as over-the-top as long-time DOOM fans expect anymore. During the highly-anticipated reveal of id Software and Bethesda’s DOOM: The Dark Ages trailer at the Xbox Developers Showcase last week, many got a taste of what the teams have been cooking up for the latest installment in the DOOM series. The new prequel will bring Doom Slayer into a dark fantasy environment drenched in bloody medieval times and sets up the events of 2016’s DOOM and DOOM Eternal. While the new DOOM: The Dark Ages Collector’s Edition, which grants a two-day early access code, can satisfy the thirst for more warfare, some are beginning to feel bothered about the lack of one specific element from DOOM Eternal that provided the glory of defeating your enemies.
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For fans of the latest DOOM series titles, DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal showcased Doom Slayer’s true grit in Glory Kills. These special actions are performed when players deal enough damage to an enemy and they ‘stagger’, players can come into close range and brutally kill the enemy in a jaw-dropping (or jaw-breaking) way. The usage fared well tactically, as the kills always dropped health pickups, which is vital as you plow through the continuous hordes of demons. The series honed in on this Glory Kill action to where boss battles could only be finished with Glory Kills.
DOOM Eternal Fans Are Bothered by DOOM: The Dark Ages’ Glory Kills Absence
RELATED: DOOM: The Dark Ages Collector’s Edition Bundle Revealed
DOOM players took to social media to express annoyance with the lack of ‘true’ Glory Kills. On the r/Doom page on Reddit, the conversation started by user Icredibilis, who noted their support for the new gameplay loop, shed light on the “missed opportunity” of not using Glory Kills with all the new gear. The user attached a clip of Glory Kill that showed Doom Slayer performing a kill on a Hell Knight that wasn’t as gory as previous games depicted it.
In response to the post, many other commenters agreed with the statement, with user Toucaan_Froot adding, “Defs a little bit. I like the idea of decoupling, but I hope to at least see the enemies get shredded a bit more before being launched. From what I’ve seen, I’m hoping for Shadow Warrior 3-esc. gore in the game, ala shooting body parts off of demons. Maybe more impact frames on the Glory Kills? I don’t know they seem tame in comparison.”
While many aren’t pleased with the noticeable lack of over-the-top Glory Kills, a solid amount of commenters remain hopeful about the gameplay aspects outside of the gruesome attacks. Reddit user ThespainException commented, “Not super excited for that change, but I’ll wait to see how it feels before I judge. I have enough faith in Id to assume they were onto something with this.” Some conversed about how Glory Kills had issues breaking the momentum but acted as a breathing moment during tense situations.
With a more optimistic perspective, user Ascending_Orange responded to the post by stating, “I’m looking forward to the more fluid gameplay; Glory Kills function great in 2016/Eternal, giving the player a moment to breathe and strategize, but with the more methodical pace of TDA being able to flail a Hell Knights arm off (decreasing its attacks and regaining ammo mid-combat) then focusing on another demon looks fun.”
While the “true” Glory Kills might not be as insane as the previous games, some DOOM fans trust id Software to craft a thrilling addition to the series and are excited to see what is in store for DOOM: The Dark Ages.
DOOM: The Dark Ages releases on May 15, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
