Doom: The Dark Ages fans are a little less excited about the release of the upcoming FPS game after seeing a softening change in the way the game handles difficulty modes. It’s not exactly the levels of difficulty in Doom: The Dark Ages that has players up in arms, but their names.
Early access for Doom: The Dark Ages opens on May 13, giving players their first taste of an entirely new Doom game since the release of Doom Eternal in 2020. This time around, the developers at id Software are providing players with a prequel to the 2016 Doom, and they will be stepping into the shoes of the Doom Slayer in a medieval-style setting as he fights as the last hope for a kingdom besieged by the minions of hell.
Fans on Reddit have pointed out a recently revealed change in the game that seemingly swaps out difficulty mode I’m Too Young to Die, the Doom franchise’s classic very easy mode, for a less player-taunting mode called Aspiring Slayer. Many players are upset with that apparent name change, which seems to be the removal of a longstanding tradition featured in the franchise for more than three decades. There will also be difficulty sliders in Doom: The Dark Ages, which will allow players to customize a variety of different gameplay elements, including the speed of and damage dealt by incoming projectile attacks, enemy aggression, and duration of daze effects. Game director Hugo Martin has already responded to criticisms of sliders making the game too easy, but seeing the new general difficulty option is only incensing some fans further.
Not All Fans Love Doom: The Dark Ages' Difficulty Changes
At the launch of the original Doom from 1993, there were just four difficulty levels: I’m Too Young to Die; Hey, Not Too Rough, Hurt Me Plenty, and Ultra Violence. These modes persisted through the first three games in the series, though Doom‘s Nightmare Difficulty was later added in with an on-screen warning to players that they were in for an unfair experience. While they seem unhappy with the easiest mode’s name change, fans are also curious about two other modes on the opposite end of the difficulty spectrum, which are titled Pandemonium and Ultra-Nightmare.
Regardless of some longtime fans’ gripes over naming conventions, there is still a lot of hype surrounding the upcoming FPS. Bethesda and id don’t seem poised to slow down on the momentum of the franchise either, as Martin and producer Marty Stratton are already eyeing the possibility of more prequels in the Doom franchise.
