Walkthrough - Doom: The Dark Ages Guide - IGN (2025)

IGN's Doom: The Dark Ages 100% completion walkthrough maps out every mission in the game while pointing out secrets and collectibles in the order you can get them. This walkthrough page includes a list of playable chapters, what kind of collectibles and secrets you can expect to discover, as well as links to Challenge guides, Secrets guides, and Difficulty options and information.

• Doom: The Dark Ages Chapter List and Secrets
• Beginner's Tips and Tricks
• Challenges
• Secrets and Demonic Essence
• Difficulty Modes and Options
  • Hardcore Difficulties
  • How to Change Difficulty Settings In-Game

Doom: The Dark Ages Chapter List and Secrets

Doom: The Dark Ages has 22 chapters, ranging from linear to more open levels. Some chapters include sections where you pilot an Atlan mech or your pet dragon. The walkthrough covers these sections as well, but mainly focuses on guiding you to each collectible and secret you can find in each chapter.

The Dark Ages is not a sequel to Doom Eternal, but a prequel many years in the past. It covers the Slayer's relationship with the Maykr race and the Night Sentinels, led by King Novik of Argent D'Nur. Naturally, the Slayer's main concern is to rip and tear through hordes of demons. In Doom: The Dark Ages, these forces are led by Prince Ahzrak, the main antagonist.

Doom: The Dark Ages contains 22 chapters, most of which include secrerts and collectibles to seek out. Use the links below to jump to our comprehensive walkthroughs.

Beginner's Tips and Tricks

Are you looking for some tips before starting your adventure? Check out our guides and get prepared before beginning your demon onslaught.

• Best Weapon Upgrades to Get First
• Essential Combat Tips

Challenges

Starting at Chapter 4, Doom: The Dark Ages offers Mission Challenges you can complete for rewards in most chapters. These rewards can include resources such as Gold, but you can also get Weapon Skins.

Fully upgrading a weapon unlocks Weapon Mastery Challenges, which reward in rare weapon skins.

• Mission Challenges
• Weapon Mastery Challenges

Secrets and Demonic Essence

Doom: The Dark Ages is rich in secrets, collectibles, and upgrades. Our guides will show you how to track down each one. Demonic Essence is what you need to upgrade the Slayer. If you desire peak performance as you rip and tear, check out the guide below.

• Secrets
• All Demonic Essence Locations

Doom: The Dark Ages Difficulty Modes and Options

Doom: The Dark Ages includes four difficulty settings and two optional difficulty modes that offer unique challenges for those who feel Nightmare doesn't go far enough.

You can choose your preferred difficulty setting before starting your adventure. The game also allows you to tweak each mode to your specifications.

Hardcore Difficulties

While Doom: The Dark Ages won't force you to devour freshly cooked demon meat or suck the dew off leaves for sustenance, it does include two hardcore options for unique difficulty experiences.

These modes are the most challenging, where "Game Over" means starting from the beginning. You should choose them only if you're confident with your demon-slaying skills.

How to Change Difficulty Settings In-Game

You can change and tweak the game difficulty at any time during your campaign. All you need to do is open the pause menu and change to the Difficulty menu.

The in-game difficulty menu is nearly the same as what you're presented with before starting your campaign. Here, you can change your difficulty level, tweak your parry window, toggle Combat Assistance options, and more.

You cannot switch to one of the survival difficulties if you have begun your campaign with one of the regular options.