"Doom: The Dark Ages Inspired by Eternal's Marauder"

When director Hugo Martin unveiled the guiding principle for Doom: The Dark Ages as "stand and fight" during Xbox's Developer Direct, it immediately piqued my interest. This philosophy marks a stark contrast to the high-octane, movement-centric gameplay of Doom Eternal, where battles often involve constant motion. However, one enemy in Eternal epitomizes the "stand and fight" approach—the Marauder. A polarizing figure in the Doom community, the Marauder is both despised and adored, with me falling firmly into the latter camp. The revelation that Doom: The Dark Ages' combat hinges on reacting to bright green lights—the same mechanic crucial for defeating the Marauder—cemented my enthusiasm for the game.

Rest assured, The Dark Ages doesn't confine you to a frustrating duel with an enemy as challenging as Eternal's Marauder. While it introduces the Agaddon Hunter, an adversary equipped with a bulletproof shield and a lethal combo attack, the essence of Eternal's intense battles is woven into the fabric of every enemy in The Dark Ages. The game reimagines, refines, and reinvents the Marauder's combat principles, resulting in encounters that embody the strategic depth of a Marauder fight without the irritation.

The Marauder stands out in Doom Eternal as a unique challenge. Typically, Eternal's gameplay revolves around navigating combat arenas, swiftly dispatching weaker enemies while juggling encounters with stronger ones. Often described as a management game, Eternal requires players to juggle resources, movement, and weaponry. But when the Marauder appears, the usual strategies are thrown out the window. This formidable foe, wielding an axe and demanding undivided attention, typically appears in one-on-one confrontations. When it shows up amidst larger battles, the best approach is to evade its attacks, clear the area of lesser foes, and then engage it head-on.

Doom Eternal's Marauder is one of the most controversial enemies in FPS history. | Image credit: id Software / Bethesda

Standing still isn't what "stand and fight" means in Doom Eternal. Instead, it's about asserting control over the battlefield through strategic positioning. Approach the Marauder too closely, and you'll be met with a devastating shotgun blast that's hard to avoid. Retreat too far, and you'll face a barrage of projectiles that, while easier to dodge, keep you out of range of his axe swing. The key is to provoke the Marauder into swinging his axe, as this is the only moment he's vulnerable. His energy shield absorbs all incoming fire, so you must find the perfect distance to exploit his brief vulnerability when his eyes flash bright green—your signal to strike.

This bright green flash is also pivotal in Doom: The Dark Ages. As a homage to the original Doom, enemies launch volleys of projectiles reminiscent of bullet hell games. Within these barrages are special green missiles that can be parried using the Doom Slayer's new shield, sending them back to their sender. Initially, this is primarily a defensive maneuver. But as you progress and unlock the shield's rune system, parrying becomes a crucial offensive strategy, stunning enemies with lightning or activating your shoulder-mounted, auto-targeting cannon.

Navigating the battlefields of The Dark Ages involves a series of one-on-one engagements with various powerful demons. While survival doesn't solely depend on reacting to green lights, mastering the shield runes makes parrying a formidable part of your arsenal. Integrating it into your combat strategy reveals the similarities between The Dark Ages' parry system and Eternal's Marauder battles. You must find the optimal distance—demons don't fire projectiles at close range—and position yourself to intercept the green orbs. Then, just like timing a Marauder's swing, quick reflexes are essential to execute the parry. This focus transforms your journey into a series of intense, focused battles where you stand and fight, echoing the Marauder encounters.

The Marauder's most common criticism was its disruption of Doom Eternal's flow. It demanded a different approach from the tactics used to overcome other challenges, which is precisely why I appreciate it so much. While the rest of the game requires you to maintain a fluid, ballet-like motion, the Marauder forces you into a breakdance. Doom Eternal broke the conventions of first-person shooters by challenging players to rethink resource management, weapon selection, and engagement strategies. The Marauder, in turn, broke Eternal's own rules, offering the ultimate test. While I relish this challenge, I understand why many found it frustrating.

The Agaddon Hunter may be the most Marauder-like enemy in The Dark Ages, but every demon has a little bit of Eternal's most fearsome foe in them. | Image credit: id Software / Bethesda

Doom: The Dark Ages addresses this by integrating varied combat styles into its broader battle dynamics. Each major enemy type has its unique green projectile or melee attack, requiring you to adapt your strategy with each encounter. For example, the Mancubus launches wide energy "fences" with green "pillars" at the ends, necessitating side-to-side movement to parry effectively. The Vagary sends out volleys of deadly spheres, prompting you to rush towards the deflectable rows like a tennis player. The skeletal Revenant, echoing the Marauder, remains invulnerable until you parry one of its green skulls fired from alternating shoulder launchers.

With every demon requiring different movement and reaction tactics, the introduction of new enemies feels seamless rather than disruptive. While the Agaddon Hunter and Komodo present a challenge with their intense melee attacks, by the time they appear, you're well-versed in adapting your movements and responses. Unlike the Marauder in Eternal, whose unique combat style clashed with the game's established rules, The Dark Ages prepares you for similar challenges by making reaction-based mechanics a fundamental part of the gameplay from the start.

The Marauder's design wasn't flawed; it was its unexpected rule-breaking that caught players off guard. Doom: The Dark Ages mitigates this by embedding its reaction-based mechanics throughout the game, rather than introducing them as a sudden challenge. This approach does make the game less demanding—the parry window is more forgiving than the Marauder's eye flash timing, even on higher difficulties. Nonetheless, the core concept of syncing with an enemy, waiting for the perfect moment, and striking when the green light appears remains central to every battle. While The Dark Ages offers a different interpretation of these ideas, they remain unmistakably rooted in the Marauder's legacy. You stand and you fight.