The official launch trailer for Doom: The Dark Ages is here, in all its gory glory. This highly anticipated FPS brings a slew of new weaponry and vast battlefields along with some other new features to this classic series.

The trailer plunges the viewer immediately into a dark world where impaled corpses are piled against stone walls, and the ground is carpeted in bones and demon viscera. The Doom Slayer himself gets an appropriately epic reveal as he strides forth from what seems to be a stasis capsule of some kind.

What’s in the official launch trailer?

Some new weaponry is showcased, including the ‘Shield Saw', which combines the ability to block with the bone-chewing power of a chainsaw. Even classic Doom weapons like the super shotgun have had a visual overhaul, looking appropriately brutal and lethal. The newly added slow-motion ‘Glory Kill' system is briefly shown for an extra cinematic touch.

Curiously, the Slayer isn't confined to combat on foot in this entry, as one section shows what appears to be a sort of dieselpunk giant mecha, and another brief clip shows the Slayer piloting a glider through tight caverns.

As revealed at the very end, footage for the trailer was captured on PC, though it is not confirmed what the specifications were. Whatever the hardware was, it did an excellent job of displaying the details, such as the rough stone textures or the nicks and scratches on the Slayer's armor. We at least know that the game requires ray tracing as a minimum, and it’s likely a high-end RTX card helped power the trailer, considering Nvidia’s partnership with Bethesda and a Dark Ages-themed RTX 5080 from ASUS.

Pre-orders for Doom: The Dark Ages are already open. PC users can also take advantage of an Nvidia bundle that includes a Premium Edition copy of the game. The title launches on May 15 for Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, and PC. PC users can get Doom: The Dark Ages via Steam, Xbox Game Pass, or Battle.net.

About the Author

Rebecca Hills-Duty

Writing and journalism experience at VRFocus, UploadVR, The Escapist, HTC, PC Gamer, Tech Radar+ and Dexerto. Can sometimes be found playing with retro tech.