Doom The Dark Ages Steam CCU peaked at 31,470

The game looks awesome and the main bosses of this game would make the Dark Lord look like a bitch.

I think the main reason why this game has so much less players than Eternal and even Doom 2016 is because people with the 1000 series cards can't even play it.
 
The game looks awesome and the main bosses of this game would make the Dark Lord look like a bitch.

I think the main reason why this game has so much less players than Eternal and even Doom 2016 is because people with the 1000 series cards can't even play it.
The first RTX cards released 7 years ago, one would think that would be enough time for people to get a Raytracing card.
 
Agreed. I think most Steam users are just either uninterested in this version of Doom, busy with other titles, or have it in the 'buy when it's on discount/deep sale' pile.
I think there is a mix o price and value perception. Not many would spend 80 euros on 15 hour game with no replicability, not matter of the franchise or reputation.
 
The first RTX cards released 7 years ago, one would think that would be enough time for people to get a Raytracing card.
It's not about when the first ones come out, it's when the last non-supporting ones were sold.

According to this, Nvidia stopped shipping GTX cards... two months ago.

 
It's not about when the first ones come out, it's when the last non-supporting ones were sold.

According to this, Nvidia stopped shipping GTX cards... two months ago.

Doesn't matter. Minimum requirements are a thing. Like consoles are still selling after their next gen launches but (almost) all games released are next gen only.
 
Honestly it just seems like a no brianer to get this on Gamepass.

Haven't played it but just from what I've read/heard about it:
-It's a 12-15 hours single player game with limited replay value unless you are into permadeath modes and stuff like that
-It's good but not great, with many people mentioning it's worse than 2016 and Eternal

Why spend $70 when you can basically rent it for $12? (and MS might even give you back your money when you cancel) . Even more casual players will probably be able to finish it within a month and they can also check out other gamepass games on the side
 
There are various factors at play, imo

1. Doom 2016 and eternal both had weren't on gamepass.

2. Eternal's launch was kind of perfect, it was hyped through the roof, was trending due to memes( especially with animal horizon), and was a follow up to the universally liked doom 2016. Doom 2016 was a reboot and Bethesda had an ongoing issue with reviewers which muted the launch a bit. Doom the dark ages is post Covid and is a sequel to a far more controversial entry that is doom eternal.

3. 80$ price in current situation, where money is tight for most people, just doesn't make sense, imo.

4. Unlike eternal, dark ages is releasing after a string of great releases.

5. Unlike it's predecessors dark ages doesn't run as well on low budget pcs. Sure it runs on all etc cards, but how well it runs is a question. Same problem as Indiana Jones, imo.
 
With Steam, I dont think you can compare games Exp 33 with Doom, because they have quite different audiences I think. There is overlapping and some like both genres, but it looks like RPGS and JRPGs do quite well on Steam, and games that appeal to the Asian market. Like the monkey game sold a billion copies in China, and Indiana Jones (the American hero) sold almost none. But then Steam used to have a lot of shooter diehards back in the day and probably still do with Counter Strike. And something about people who grew up with Doom are getting older and its tough to pull new fans in. I dont know if its brand or the kind of game, because its one hell of an action game and thats what should pull people in to play it and not because youve played Doom all your life.

With Game Pass its hard to say, how many chose to use that option. Just going by what people say in the threads a lot of them are playing it on game pass (Indy, Avowed, Doom).
Has nothing to do with steam but just PC gaming in general. Third person action adventures are not big sellers on PC like they are on console.
 
Honestly it just seems like a no brianer to get this on Gamepass.

Haven't played it but just from what I've read/heard about it:
-It's a 12-15 hours single player game with limited replay value unless you are into permadeath modes and stuff like that
-It's good but not great, with many people mentioning it's worse than 2016 and Eternal

Why spend $70 when you can basically rent it for $12? (and MS might even give you back your money when you cancel) . Even more casual players will probably be able to finish it within a month and they can also check out other gamepass games on the side
As someone that beat it, I'd recommend everyone check it out there before buying it outright. But if you wanted the collector's, or something like me, I get that.

There are various factors at play, imo

1. Doom 2016 and eternal both had weren't on gamepass.

2. Eternal's launch was kind of perfect, it was hyped through the roof, was trending due to memes( especially with animal horizon), and was a follow up to the universally liked doom 2016. Doom 2016 was a reboot and Bethesda had an ongoing issue with reviewers which muted the launch a bit. Doom the dark ages is post Covid and is a sequel to a far more controversial entry that is doom eternal.

3. 80$ price in current situation, where money is tight for most people, just doesn't make sense, imo.

4. Unlike eternal, dark ages is releasing after a string of great releases.

5. Unlike it's predecessors dark ages doesn't run as well on low budget pcs. Sure it runs on all etc cards, but how well it runs is a question. Same problem as Indiana Jones, imo.
1. Exactly.
2. Very true, it also focused a lot more on nostalgia. They even highlighted all of the old demons and their new looks and they all looked like throwbacks to their old styles and designs.
3. Yup!
4. Yeah, there's a lot of other titles people are currently interested in, or actively playing.
5. Yeah, honestly the entire project kind of feels like a rush job, especially compared to 2016 and Eternal.

I really don't get the obsession of a game's CCU and wanting to see things fail. I've already seen people calling the game trash, etc. because apparently Steam's CCU is the only thing that matters, lmao. Also, the game may not be for everyone, just like the last ones. But it's far from trash, lol.
 
As someone that beat it, I'd recommend everyone check it out there before buying it outright. But if you wanted the collector's, or something like me, I get that.


1. Exactly.
2. Very true, it also focused a lot more on nostalgia. They even highlighted all of the old demons and their new looks and they all looked like throwbacks to their old styles and designs.
3. Yup!
4. Yeah, there's a lot of other titles people are currently interested in, or actively playing.
5. Yeah, honestly the entire project kind of feels like a rush job, especially compared to 2016 and Eternal.

I really don't get the obsession of a game's CCU and wanting to see things fail. I've already seen people calling the game trash, etc. because apparently Steam's CCU is the only thing that matters, lmao. Also, the game may not be for everyone, just like the last ones. But it's far from trash, lol.
Yeah. Not to mention that Eternal, like Valhalla and many other games got a massive Covid boost.

Also, yeah, sales are not indicative of quality. Older persona games didn't sell nearly as well, yet are great. Same with a lot of other games. Sales can be a popularity contest rather than one of quality. Otherwise cod games have been the best games and goty almost every year for the last 20 or so years
 
All these reports about not being like Doom Eternal are music to my ears.

I hated the Doom Eternal jumping around like a kangaroo thing.
 
I just didn't like eternal so have no plans to buy this one... I bet you there's a fair few like this who didn't like eternals weapon ammo rationing system and weird ass fucking lore that over explains everything, so just wrote the next one off like me.
I think Eternal badly affected the franchise big time.

1. Those who loved Eternal are mad because this game is nothing like it

2. Those who hated Eternal are reluctant to buy it because they're afraid to experience another disappointment from this game

I was one afraid we got another Eternal, and just installed this from Game Pass to see how the mandatory RT affected my GPU running this game... It ran amazingly and it was fire from the very beginning so I stayed, now this is my favorite game from the trilogy, I'm pretty sure those who liked 2016 but not Eternal will most probably love this one as well.
 
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I think Eternal badly affected the franchise big time.

1. Those who loved Eternal are mad because this game is nothing like it

2. Those who hated Eternal are reluctant to buy it because they're afraid to experience another disappointment from this game

I was one afraid we got another Eternal, and just installed this from Game Pass to see how the mandatory RT affected my GPU running this game... It ran amazingly and it was fire from the very beginning so I stayed, now this is my favorite game from the trilogy, I'm pretty sure those who liked 2016 but not Eternal will most probably love this one as well.
Yep. I just want Doom 2016, but moreso. Their continued refusal to deliver that makes me uninterested.
 
I think Eternal badly affected the franchise big time.

1. Those who loved Eternal are mad because this game is nothing like it

2. Those who hated Eternal are reluctant to buy it because they're afraid to experience another disappointment from this game

I was one afraid we got another Eternal, and just installed this from Game Pass to see how the mandatory RT affected my GPU running this game... It ran amazingly and it was fire from the very beginning so I stayed, now this is my favorite game from the trilogy, I'm pretty sure those who liked 2016 but not Eternal will most probably love this one as well.
I loved 2016 for a lot of reasons including just overall content and the vibe of the game. I enjoyed Eternal for what it was, but certainly not as much as 2016. Somehow I enjoy this one even less than the two. I thought it was fun enough to finish, but after completing it, I feel like there was no real take away for me unfortunately. Other than having "some more DOOM" to play.
 
All these reports about not being like Doom Eternal are music to my ears.

I hated the Doom Eternal jumping around like a kangaroo thing.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.

Flying bullet-hell mini game.

Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
 
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.

Flying bullet-hell mini game.

Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
To be fair, Eternal's loop wasn't that much different. Replace parry with dodge and shoot with chainsaw because out of ammo.

I think the loop itself is fine and parrying looks satisifying. The problem seems to be that they're trying to sell the game to the wrong crowd. If there was a more traditional Doom on the pipeline and this was a Hexen reboot or something, it might have been looked at far more favourably. But when you market it as a Doom sequel (technically prequel) expectations are very different and not everyone will enjoy such a radical departure.
 
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Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.

Flying bullet-hell mini game.

Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
So what exactly in doom 2016 or eternal is better?

Shoot shoot, chain saw, shoot shoot, glory kill.

All 3 of these games aren't deep in any regard. It's just how does the moment to moment feel and is it fun.

All shooters boil down to that and not just DOOM. Exception may be like Halo or Destiny where you get vehicles, or in Destiny you also have powers in your arsenal and rpg elements.

This game either feels good in hand or it doesn't. I think all 3 new doom games are good but each will be a great cup of tea to different types of players. I think Eternal is the best but plenty find 2016 the best yet I find it dull.

Dark Ages is a good game with just as much depth or strategy as prior entries.
 
Not giving the Doom Guy a lame millennial retcon story for one.
I haven't finished dark ages so I'll wait to see what the story does or doesn't do. I've found the second half of dark ages a lot better. Especially , without spoilers, where you go in chapter 13/14 and the mythical creature you release in chapter 14 or 15.
 
2016 >>>>Dark Ages >>>>>> Eternal


IMO.

I dunno, I like the additional tools and abilities Dark Ages gives you without being as demanding/strict on play as Eternal. But the map/arena design was soooo much better in Eternal and 2016.

Weapon/Combat feel (sounds/hit reactions/etc): Dark Ages >> 2016 >>> Eternal
Encounter Design: 2016 >>>>> Dark Ages >>>>>>> Eternal
Map design: Eternal >> 2016 >>> Dark Ages
OST: 2016 >>>>>>>>
 
I dunno, I like the additional tools and abilities Dark Ages gives you without being as demanding/strict on play as Eternal. But the map/arena design was soooo much better in Eternal and 2016.

Weapon/Combat feel (sounds/hit reactions/etc): Dark Ages >> 2016 >>> Eternal
Encounter Design: 2016 >>>>> Dark Ages >>>>>>> Eternal
Map design: Eternal >> 2016 >>> Dark Ages
OST: 2016 >>>>>>>>
I think Eternal and 2016 miss the mark with gore nests and the arena fighting, bit of exploration, locked in another arena fights bit of exploration, arena fight… that was not core DOOM either…
 
To be fair, Eternal's loop wasn't that much different. Replace parry with dodge and shoot with chainsaw because out of ammo.
The problem was that a lot of people, myself included, found "out of ammo" to be a REALLY annoying state. The big bad Doom Slayer can only hold 10 shotgun shells, what the fuck
 
I played through the first chapter. I miss the verticality of Eternal. I'll keep playing but it feels like the Dark Ages is a return to previous gameplay form for ID. Graphically it's a phenomenal game. But Eternal kinda set the bar really high in showing how Doom has evolved. I guess I just don't really want to go back.
 
I am really struggling with getting into this and I can't quite put my finger on why. I loved pretty much all of the previous titles, this just feels like it's missing something.
 
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.

Flying bullet-hell mini game.

Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
Parry parry shoot shoot.
I dislike those big ball mini games during bosses and lines as it ruins the immersive and makes everything feel so fake.
 
Not gonna lie here, knowing they dared to charge $80 for this game as their inaugural price raise title while it's on Gamepass is some diabolical shit

As much as I hate the PC Xbox app (it's flaming dogshit and always has been), I'm willing to do the Ass of Can Whooping Ass of Can Whooping method and sub to PC Gamepass for a month and then unsub just to play this game and Indiana Jones
 
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Folk saying this isn't like Doom 😂 It's never felt MORE like Doom.

Grounded, large areas/rooms, loads of enemies, strafing projectiles.

Eternal was just too mental in comparison, having to continually jump up high and drop down, step through portals, and fling yourself to other sides of the map on launchers - headache inducing (I liked Eternal by the way).
 
2016 >>>>Dark Ages >>>>>> Eternal


IMO.
I dunno, I like the additional tools and abilities Dark Ages gives you without being as demanding/strict on play as Eternal. But the map/arena design was soooo much better in Eternal and 2016.

Weapon/Combat feel (sounds/hit reactions/etc): Dark Ages >> 2016 >>> Eternal
Encounter Design: 2016 >>>>> Dark Ages >>>>>>> Eternal
Map design: Eternal >> 2016 >>> Dark Ages
OST: 2016 >>>>>>>>
I think Eternal and 2016 miss the mark with gore nests and the arena fighting, bit of exploration, locked in another arena fights bit of exploration, arena fight… that was not core DOOM either…
Yeah, overall I think I'm 2016 > Eternal > Dark Ages.

I loved a lot of what 2016 did, I also loved that it included multiplayer and snap map so it felt like there was a lot of content. I wasn't too keen on the whole locked area gore nest thing, but that was small compared to everything I did enjoy.

I liked the increase on speed with Eternal's gameplay, I also loved all the connections to the original DOOM in regards to demon design, colors, etc. But I felt like as a whole the game had less content than 2016. But it still felt fun and polished.

Dark Ages still has fun on the ground gameplay, but I could've done without the turret, Atlan, and Serrat sequences and just had more on the ground levels. I wasn't too big on the big open areas either, it just felt less like DOOM and more like Serious Sam or something whenever that happened. I mean DOOM 1/2 DID have open areas, but not THAT open. There's also a LOT less content, so once you're done with the campaign, that's it. I did dig the Medieval vibe and the art and design of some weapons, demons, and environments. But the game felt rushed to me in a lot of ways. SO many invisible walls, some pretty eh level design in some cases too. So many issues with the music mix as well, I had stages where there was just no music at all.

I still enjoyed it and had fun. But yeah, I think it was kind of a no brainer decision for me.
 
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All these reports about not being like Doom Eternal are music to my ears.

I hated the Doom Eternal jumping around like a kangaroo thing.
I guess you'll love the going to point a just to parry an attack, and then running to point b to parry another one. Except it's less smooth because you don't have a dash.
 
A shame. Game is fucking awesome, hopefully it sells well over time.

That said, it is definitely flawed.

- Music is the elephant in the room. The Mick Gordon situation is still a disgusting stain on id and the new music doesn't hold a candle to his work.
- Graphics weirdly look worse than Eternal.
- Levels seem short. Some Eternal levels went on forever, some of the ones in this can be breezed through pretty quickly.
- Mech and dragon stuff were a cool concept, but the execution is lackluster.
- Removal of glory kills was a huge mistake. They became a staple of this series as much as Mick's music.
- It's light on content. No multiplayer and a lot of the "extras" Eternal offered seem to have been stripped back.

Overall I think they need to go back to the 2016 philosophy. Keep it simple and effective.
 
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Yeah, overall I think I'm 2016 > Eternal > Dark Ages.

I loved a lot of what 2016 did, I also loved that it included multiplayer and snap map so it felt like there was a lot of content. I wasn't too keen on the whole locked area gore nest thing, but that was small compared to everything I did enjoy.

I liked the increase on speed with Eternal's gameplay, I also loved all the connections to the original DOOM in regards to demon design, colors, etc. But I felt like as a whole the game had less content than 2016. But it still felt fun and polished.

Dark Ages still has fun on the ground gameplay, but I could've done without the turret, Atlan, and Serrat sequences and just had more on the ground levels. I wasn't too big on the big open areas either, it just felt less like DOOM and more like Serious Sam or something whenever that happened. I mean DOOM 1/2 DID have open areas, but not THAT open. There's also a LOT less content, so once you're done with the campaign, that's it. I did dig the Medieval vibe and the art and design of some weapons, demons, and environments. But the game felt rushed to me in a lot of ways. SO many invisible walls, some pretty eh level design in some cases too. So many issues with the music mix as well, I had stages where there was just no music at all.

I still enjoyed it and had fun. But yeah, I think it was kind of a no brainer decision for me.
I agree with most of your criticisms but still enjoy Dark Ages WAY more than Eternal
 
Eternal is by far the best of the modern DOOM games, basically 2016 but with the speed and action crancked up to 11.

I'll never understand the complaints about being forced to use certain weapons with certain enemies. Game doesn't force on you anything, you can use whatever weapons you want, it's just there are better weapons to use against certain enemies but imo that's common sense in game design, and something that already happened in the original game. I never heard anyone complain about DOOM II because the chaingun is the best weapon against the pain elemental but they'd rather use rockets instead. Nonsense.
 
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There are various factors at play, imo

1. Doom 2016 and eternal both had weren't on gamepass.

2. Eternal's launch was kind of perfect, it was hyped through the roof, was trending due to memes( especially with animal horizon), and was a follow up to the universally liked doom 2016. Doom 2016 was a reboot and Bethesda had an ongoing issue with reviewers which muted the launch a bit. Doom the dark ages is post Covid and is a sequel to a far more controversial entry that is doom eternal.

3. 80$ price in current situation, where money is tight for most people, just doesn't make sense, imo.

4. Unlike eternal, dark ages is releasing after a string of great releases.

5. Unlike it's predecessors dark ages doesn't run as well on low budget pcs. Sure it runs on all etc cards, but how well it runs is a question. Same problem as Indiana Jones, imo.
All of this plus Switch 2 releasing three weeks after the game... They really didn't want to sell the thing lol. But given people is wanting to save money, I guess most are playing through Game Pass and I wouldn't discard that this current situation is actually more beneficial for MS than it selling 4 times more on Steam... They don't care about game sales more than they do about increasing Game Pass engagement these days.
 
Fuck you.
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This game is so insanely expensive in my country it would be irresponsible to buy it. if you took what it cost and converted it to dollars, it's close to 80$ - which is already insane - but it's actually even more than that because of exchange rate issues - and apparently this is the case for a lot of countries. If companies insist on charging these crazy prices they're just gonna have to learn the hard way.
 
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