Three new DOOM games in under ten years may sound like overkill, yet it couldn’t be further from the truth, each putting a new twist on the winning ‘rip and tear’ formula. From shooting while dashing in the DOOM reboot, to DOOM Eternal’s renewed focus on shooting while jumping. Now, DOOM: The Dark Ages forces players to stand their ground and fight back – not just with some of the most raucous weaponry the franchise has seen, but also with a colossal bladed shield that would make Captain America turn the same colour as The Hulk.
As the name suggests, this is a prequel. We’re going back to the dark ages, and that means getting medieval – even throwing ridable dragons into the mix.
Reviews of DOOM: The Dark Ages went live on Friday and were generally full of praise, resulting in Metacritic scores in the high 80s. “It’s surprising how much Doom: The Dark Ages manages to reign in some of the changes Doom Eternal made while also taking the series in a wholly new direction that redefines its rules of engagement. The emphasis is on melee combat that harmonizes beautifully with the tried-and-tested pace of Doom’s action, making each new attack parried and counter-attack landed feel as satisfying as the first,” said GameSpot.
You’d think publishers would feel the need to avoid clashing with the almighty DOOM, but no – it’s a busy week for new releases. The Dark Ages isn’t even the only new release heading to Game Pass, with the colourful Paper Mario inspired Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo also due.
The multiformat Capcom Fighting Collection 2 brings back eight fan favourites: Capcom Vs SNK 1 and 2, Power Stone and its often-forgotten sequel, Project Justice, and Plasma Sword. Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper rounds the package out – four 2D brawlers and four in 3D, no less. Never played Power Stone before? You’re in for a treat.
Sticking with retro (or rather, retro-infused) there’s Labyrinth Of The Demon King – a challenging dungeon crawler with survival horror elements, boasting a PS1 aesthetic – eastasiasoft’s top-down racer Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC, and PS5/Xbox Series release of Shovel Knight Dig. Repixel8, the studio behind Formula Retro Racing: World Tour, are also back with the more modern and anime-inspired Neon Apex: Beyond the Limit.
The Precinct is about to hit the streets too, taking the form of a police patrol simulator, albeit story driven and more action oriented. Set in the ‘80s, you play as a rookie cop in a crime ridden city and most adhere to the rulebook while going on patrol, ticketing cars, chasing speeding citizens, foiling burglaries, and handing out fines for littering. It isn’t as dull as this may sound, as shootouts play a big part, while the story involves cracking down on crime syndicates.
Then there’s a PS5/Xbox Series release of the free-to-play fantasy life sim Palia, The Truman Show inspired 2.5D platformer American Arcadia, isometric cyberpunk looter shooter CyberCorp, Edo-period fantasy RPG Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade, and the side-scrolling Aureole – Wings of Hope – not to be confused with last week’s Wings of Endless, from the same publisher.
We can also expect the nature-themed hex-based puzzler Preserve, co-op Metroidvania Anima Flux, roguelike deckbuilder Into the Restless Ruins, an Xbox release of the first-person horror Gore Doctor, the PSVR2’s Caribbean adventure Pirates VR: Jolly Roger, and whatever Recycle Bin Battle may be.
New release trailers
Capcom Fighting Collection 2
DOOM: The Dark Ages
The Precinct
Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade
Labyrinth Of The Demon King
Palia
Preserve
Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC
American Arcadia
Pirates VR: Jolly Roger
Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo
Aureole – Wings of Hope
Neon Apex: Beyond the Limit
City Bus Manager
Shovel Knight Dig (PS5/XSX)
CyberCorp
Gore Doctor
Recycle Bin Battle
New multiformat releases
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Capcom Fighting Collection 2
- The Precinct
- Yasha: Legends of the Demon Blade
- Labyrinth Of The Demon King
- Super Engine GT Turbo SPEC
- American Arcadia
- Shovel Knight Dig (PS5/XSX)
- Into the Restless Ruins
- Neon Apex: Beyond the Limit
- City Bus Manager
- CyberCorp
- Palia
- Recycle Bin Battle
- SYNESTHESIA
- Forgotten Fields
- Hidden Kittens: Kingdom of Cats
New on PSN
- Space KaBAAM: Neon II
- Death Kid
- Aureole – Wings of Hope
- Smash Drums
- Pirates VR: Jolly Roger
- GET OUT – a “Very Bad Dreams” story
- Cats Clean Ocean
New on Xbox Store
- Stunt Flyer
- Gore Doctor
- Anima Flux
- Kaiju Big Battel: Fighto Fantasy
- Garten of Banban 0
- Preserve
- Hunt and Fight: Action RPG
- Death Park: 4k Remaster
- Hannah’s Day
- Kulebra and the Souls of Limbo
- Meowsterpiece Museum
- Plumber Hero
New Switch retail releases
eShop round-up coming Thursday
- TIEBREAK+: Official Game of the ATP and WTA – ACE Edition
- The Cub
Next week: Blades of Fire, RoadCraft, FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon, Trident’s Tale, Zombie Army VR, Deliver At All Costs, Monster Train 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (PS5), Maniac, Two Strikes, Aery – Peace of Mind 3, and Knight’s Night!