This year, I genuinely enjoyed playing Doom: The Dark Ages. There were moments it even felt truly exceptional. While the storyline, a key element of this new Doom iteration, didn’t stick with me much, I spent a good 20 hours or so annihilating demons, constantly pushing the difficulty to its maximum. A fresh update has now arrived, intensifying the experience even further with The Dark Ages‘ rendition of the Ripatorium.
Dive Deeper: Doom: The Dark Ages: The Kotaku Review
First introduced in 2020’s Doom Eternal, the Ripatorium then was integrated into the main campaign, requiring players to reload a specific checkpoint to revisit it for entertainment or practice. The Dark Ages reimagines it as a reusable challenge, a test of skill and resilience available for unlimited replays. It even features an endless mode for those who want to fully immerse themselves in the demon-slaying frenzy. Players can choose up to 60 enemies from The Dark Ages to engage in combat, offering immense fun, though newcomers might find themselves overwhelmed initially.
In my initial Ripatorium attempt, I filled all 60 enemy slots, allocating half to weaker enemies for ammo replenishment. The remaining slots were filled randomly with what seemed the most menacing foes. This proved to be a misjudgment, as my Dark Ages skills were clearly out of practice. Nevertheless, facing a horde of Dark Ages‘ most formidable adversaries simultaneously is both comical and the kind of demanding challenge that will inspire me to rise to the occasion (eventually, at least!).
The Dark Ages boasts a comprehensive suite of adjustable options to fine-tune the game’s difficulty. This update introduces additional settings, including limitations on the number of Max Life Sigils a player can possess at once, and a slider for adjusting Parry & Melee Slow Motion. Detailed information can be found in the complete update notes.
The Ripatorium might have humbled me initially, but it offers a compelling reason to revisit The Dark Ages and its unique blend of gunplay and shield mechanics. With the main menu currently displaying “Ripatorium 1.0,” there is hope for exciting enhancements to this endless carnage mode in future updates.