Compare Doom: The Dark Ages vs Atomfall

Writing quality was mostly criticized for dull cutscenes, cliched dialogue and disjointed storytelling.

Writing quality had limited but positive evidence, with one reviewer calling the writing very good.

The protagonist’s power fantasy was praised in the supporting review as strongly delivered.

Protagonist appeal was criticized by one reviewer who felt the amnesiac lead lacked personality traits.

Polish was praised in the two supporting reviews as polished and technically clean.

Polish was mixed-to-negative overall, with repeated complaints about rough edges, design omissions, and undercooked systems despite one bug-free PC report.

Value for money was criticized in the supporting review for the price and perceived lack of content.

Value was mixed: Game Pass and quality hours helped, while full-price or short-runtime concerns lowered some scores.

Facial animations received a positive single assessment as solid.

Facial animations drew a negative review for rubbery, distorted faces during expression.

Reviewers found the main loop engaging when the shield, parry and resource flow clicked, but some felt it became simpler or repetitive over time.

Core gameplay loop evidence was negative where discussed directly, criticizing the basic cycle of roaming and avoiding hostiles when stealth was weak.

Mission variety was praised for wider spaces, linear sections and open objectives that changed pace.

Mission variety was a recurring weakness when leads devolved into similar errands or repetitive objective chains.

Replay value was mixed, with secrets and challenges helping, but some reviewers doubting long-term appeal or completionist-heavy longevity.

Replay value was strong where reviewers wanted to revisit saves, chase endings, or see alternate routes and consequences.

Onboarding was praised for welcoming new players and easing them into the revised systems.

Onboarding divided reviewers: one struggled through a poor first two hours, while another felt the opening quickly communicated the game's freedom.

Haptic feedback integration had a mixed single assessment, with DualSense features noted but controller-speaker output called obnoxious.

Haptic feedback evidence was limited but positive, with DualSense adaptive triggers improving weapon feel.

Combat drew the strongest agreement, with most reviewers praising shield-led, melee-heavy gunfights, while a minority felt the defensive shift weakened Doom’s flow.

Combat drew the widest split: some praised its desperate, weighty firefights and satisfying weapons, while many called melee clunky, bland, janky, or underdeveloped.

Controls were generally praised for responsive shooting and melee feel, though one reviewer criticized slow weapon switching.

Controls were praised for responsive shooting and trigger feel in a few places, but complaints about weightless melee and hit feedback kept the assessment mixed.

Side character depth was usually criticized, with reviewers calling supporting characters forgettable, unmemorable or impossible to care about.

Side character depth was mixed: several reviewers liked memorable NPCs, while others thought factions and personalities stayed too surface-level.

Bug frequency was mixed: some saw glitches or falling-through-world problems, while another reported no bugs.

Bug frequency was criticized in one review for game-breaking audio bugs and technical issues.

Art direction was generally praised for techno-medieval style and fresh locations, though one reviewer found the direction less Doom-like.

Art direction was praised for melding lush countryside, decay, color, and atmosphere into a distinctive look.

Enemy variety was generally positive, with many demons and variants noted, though one reviewer found some repetition.

Enemy variety was mixed: one review liked unique enemies, but others wanted more variety beyond humans and a few creatures.

Immersion was praised in the supporting review for subtle audio and environmental feedback.

Immersion was usually strong due to exploration, setting, and atmosphere, though a few systems and empty-world moments broke the illusion.

Content variety was split: multiple play styles and set pieces added variety, but gimmicky diversions hurt some reviewers’ impressions.

One review praised the map's variety of locations and dangers, supporting a positive but limited content-variety score.

Lore depth was praised where codex material and broader Doom world-building were assessed directly.

Lore depth was mixed, with compelling mysteries and notes offset by underused premise and surface-level faction development.

Sound design was generally strong, with praise for heavy feedback and crunchy effects, though one reviewer found effects too soft.

Sound design was mixed, with one complaint about off-putting audio and another positive note on environmental sound.

Narrative quality was highly divided, ranging from Doom’s strongest story to self-serious, confusing, bland or unnecessary storytelling.

Narrative quality split reviewers: many enjoyed the mystery, branching endings, and investigative structure, while others found the plot thin, vague, or underwhelming at the end.

Environmental detail was strongly praised for vistas, lighting and rich scene composition.

Environmental detail was often praised for dense spaces, crafted locations, landmarks, and striking scenery, with one review noting visual variety could grow stale.

Semi-open design was praised for broader spaces, optional content and player choice in objectives.

Open-world design was praised when reviewers liked its compact less-is-more structure, but criticized when the world felt static or underbaked.

Map and navigation design drew complaints about navigation difficulty, excessive map checking, or secrets already revealed on the map.

Map and navigation design was divisive: organic clue-based navigation impressed some, but vague objectives and missing area maps frustrated others.

The shield saw and revised mechanics were often praised as a major new layer, though a few reviewers found the system one-note or overly dependent on the shield.

Reviewers saw the core systems as streamlined and approachable, with survival-lite mechanics supporting exploration, though several felt the suite was shallow or only functional.

Boss design was more negative than positive, with reviewers citing missed opportunities, underwhelming finales and recycled boss ideas despite one positive mention.

Boss design was criticized in one review for lacking meaningful boss fights beyond generic enemies.

Weapon balance was broadly praised for useful, varied weapons, though some reviewers felt guns were simplified or overshadowed by the shield.

Weapon balance was mixed: some praised weapon variety or gun feel, while others disliked uninteresting weapons and scarcity tradeoffs.

Level design received mixed praise for larger arenas, secrets and vistas, but some reviewers found open spaces flatter, bland or less tightly paced.

Level design was mixed: some linear interiors were interesting to explore, but others felt empty, shallow, or short on curated encounters.

Movement was divisive: several reviewers liked the heavy but mobile feel, while others missed the faster, more acrobatic style of earlier entries.

Movement feel had limited mixed evidence, with one reviewer finding heart-rate traversal restrictions occasionally annoying but not enjoyment-breaking.

Mission design was praised in the supporting review for making the core demon-slaying missions feel exciting.

Mission design was split between admiration for naturalistic quest feel and criticism that many leads still became point-to-point errands.

Frame rate stability was often praised on tested platforms, with one review reporting unstable PS5 performance.

Frame rate stability had limited but very positive evidence from a PS5 Pro review citing smooth 60 fps play.

Sandbox freedom was praised for giving players meaningful freedom in larger maps and objective order.

Sandbox freedom was praised strongly for player agency, kill-anyone flexibility, faction choices, and nonlinear routes through the story.

Puzzle design was lightly covered, with reviewers describing simple exploration puzzles as enjoyable but rarely demanding.

Puzzle evidence was limited but positive, focused on the Interchange and its light energy-routing puzzles that kept exploration engaged.

Fun factor was strongly positive overall, even in mixed reviews, with reviewers repeatedly calling the campaign fun, rewarding, or charismatic.

Fun factor was broadly positive even in mixed reviews, with many reviewers saying they enjoyed the world, systems, or playthrough despite flaws.

Atmosphere was praised in the supporting review for dark fantasy locations with a Demon’s Souls-like feel.

Atmosphere was a consistent strength, especially the eerie Interchange, folk horror, sci-fi mystery, and British post-apocalyptic mood.

Difficulty balance varied widely by reviewer, with praise for parry generosity and sliders but criticism that the game could feel too easy or unfair.

Difficulty balance was highly adjustable and often praised for modular settings, but default challenge spikes felt unfair or punishing to some reviewers.

Upgrade systems were mixed: some liked streamlined and useful upgrades, while others wanted more depth or disliked passive-feeling progression.

Upgrade system evidence was limited but positive, with weapon improvement through crafting described as helpful.

Menu usability was mixed, with one reviewer criticizing melee switching and another wanting clearer difficulty-slider explanations.

Menu usability was criticized for small issues adding up and for leads or clues not being organized well.

Camera behavior was criticized in the supporting review for a baffling dragon-control scheme.

Camera behavior received one strongly negative score tied to fisheye-like movement and eye strain.

Performance optimization was mostly positive, especially on capable hardware, though some reviews noted high requirements or drops.

Performance optimization was generally strong across PC, PS5 Pro, and Steam Deck, though one preview noted some issues.

Exploration and secrets were commonly praised as rewarding, though some reviewers disliked backtracking or losing the old teleport/backtrack convenience.

Exploration was the clearest strength across reviews, with praise for curiosity-driven discovery, meaningful leads, and rewarding secrets.

Crash stability was mixed across platforms and review periods, from flawless stability to dashboard crashes and freezes.

Crash stability had limited mixed evidence, with one reviewer noting crashes tied mainly to recording software.

Resource balance was split between praise for easier ammo sustain and criticism that ammo pressure became irrelevant.

Resource balance and barter drew mixed-to-positive notes for scarcity and trade tension, offset by complaints about inventory limits and unrewarding combat loot.

Animation quality had a mixed single assessment, criticizing reduced or less refined glory-kill animations.

Animation quality had limited evidence and was criticized through character model presentation that looked last-gen.

The supporting review found the vehicle controls easy to grasp quickly, reflecting a low-friction learning curve.

Learning curve evidence was positive, especially around the recommended Survivor setting feeling steep but satisfying.

Innovation was broadly praised for reinventing Doom’s formula, though some reviewers saw the simplification as a tradeoff.

Innovation evidence centered on the Lead system and accessibility options, which one review explicitly praised as innovative.

Accessibility options were consistently praised, especially difficulty sliders, color customization and tuning tools, with minor caveats around clarity or audio-cue gaps.

Accessibility options were widely praised, especially customizable difficulty and comfort features, although one review criticized missing visual options for eye strain.

Soundtrack quality was divided: several reviewers loved the metal score, while others found it less memorable or a downgrade from earlier entries.

Soundtrack evidence was limited but positive, praising lean music that suited the quiet survival atmosphere.

Graphics quality was consistently strong, with reviewers praising models, crisp visuals and cutting-edge presentation.

Graphics quality was broadly positive, especially environments and countryside vistas, though some reviews noted rough character models.

Pacing was split: some liked the measured rollout and breathless campaign, while others disliked the ending, reduced momentum or open-map slowdown.

Pacing opinions were mixed: some liked the short, focused runtime, while others complained about trudging, busywork, repetition, or inconsistent momentum.

Platforming was judged more limited than earlier modern Doom games in the one review that assessed it.

One reviewer specifically criticized platforming as lacklustre, saying basic maneuvers could take multiple tries.

AI behavior was a major concern, with many complaints about dumb, inconsistent, or exploitable enemies, balanced by a few positive notes on warning behavior and faction reactions.

Aiming and shooting ranged from satisfying bows and headshots to criticism that some firearms lacked punch or precision.

Crafting was seen as straightforward and useful, especially for weapons and supplies, but several reviewers found it basic or underwhelming.

Dialogue was usually praised for wit, Britishisms, tone choices, and memorable conversations, despite a few complaints about dialogue presentation.

Mech/vehicle-style sections were mixed to negative overall: some enjoyed the spectacle and scale, but many found them shallow, repetitive or underpowered.

Emotional impact had limited positive evidence from decisions that could weigh on the player.

Faithfulness to franchise was mixed: some reviewers felt it still felt like Doom, while others called it the least Doom-like modern entry.

Fast travel convenience was polarizing, with many complaints about backtracking and no fast travel, while a few reviewers felt walking supported immersion.

Dragon and flying sections were the most repeated weak point, ranging from acceptable spectacle to dull, half-baked or mechanically thin segments.

Grind level had limited mixed evidence, with default difficulty feeling grindy to some players before customization helped.

Handheld play suitability had limited but positive evidence from Steam Deck testing.

Horror tension was positively supported by unsettling facilities and an unnerving underground atmosphere.

HUD clarity was mixed: one review praised the immersive minimal ammo check, while another wanted clearer ammo information when swapping weapons.

Load times had limited positive evidence, with one review noting quick loading screens despite their frequency.

Loot and inventory value were criticized when rewards felt like filler or items became burdens rather than meaningful discoveries.

Originality was mixed-to-positive: reviewers liked the unusual British setting and fresh lead system, while several felt the mechanics borrowed too much.

Platform-specific support was positive where mentioned, especially DualSense adaptive triggers and Steam Deck suitability.

Progression system evidence was limited and negative, with one reviewer calling the overall progression very slim.

The leads and quest structure were a standout for many reviewers because it encouraged investigation and choice, though others found some objectives basic or unclear.

The skill tree was usually considered streamlined but shallow, with several reviewers calling perks boring, generic, hard to discover, or unnecessary.

Stealth was repeatedly criticized as inconsistent, shallow, or unreliable, though a few reviewers found methodical sneaking viable on the right settings.

Tutorial delivery was criticized in the supporting review for interrupting pacing despite gradual mechanic introduction.

User interface design had limited negative evidence, with one reviewer saying full-screen menus broke immersion.

Visual effects evidence was limited but positive, with praise for striking interior lighting such as shafts of light through windows.

Voice acting was a consistent positive, especially regional accents and standout performances that made NPCs more memorable.

World-building was one of the strongest attributes, especially the British quarantine-zone identity, folk horror, and distinctive alternate-history setting.

World interactivity received a low score from one reviewer who felt NPCs and systems failed to react properly to player actions.