DOOM: The Dark Agestranslates the iconic weapons from theprevious two gamesby giving them a more dark medieval aesthetic to the Slayer’s arsenal. Much like the last two titles,The Dark Agesboasts a wide range of weapon upgrades for players to earn.
Most weapons inThe Dark Agesremain pretty much the same in terms of function, except this time,the weapons in this newest DOOM entry emphasize getting within spitting distance of your enemies.
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No matter your playstyle, there’s a weapon for everybody, and most weapons will have a pretty linear upgrade path that requires gold, rubies, and precious wraithstones to unlock.
With that said, prioritizing which upgrades to get first is paramount to ensuring you get the most out of the weapons you use, aswe’ll be counting down the top 10 weapon upgrades you should get, ranked based on how useful and versatile they are.
10Chronospike
As far as I can tell, the Impaler has the potential to be a strong weapon thanks to its critical damage, but due to its low rate of fire and depressingly short range, it’s not a very useful weapon.
With that said, Chronospike helps make up for the weapon’s poor performance. This upgrade lets you slow time by holding the trigger button while dealingmore damage when you slow time.
The Ravager serves as the minigun equivalent ofThe Dark Ages. With the ability to ramp up damage based on how long it fires for,it excels at single-target damage and shredding through larger demons at close range.
But maintaining fire on a demon can leave you exposed to damage, which is why Vampirism is a useful upgrade to invest in as its beginning upgrade, as it makes demons drop health pickups when the Ravager is at its maximum fire rate.
With that said, using the Ravager should prioritize getting to max fire rate as soon as possible, so Ignition should naturally be the next upgrade you should use, and you’ll see this weapon chug out more health drops than you can take.
8Cannibalism
Rocket Launcher
The Rocket Launcher is a tough weapon to use at range,as its projectiles travel at a snail’s pace.
The game seems to want you to blow yourself and your target up, because the Rocket Launcher has the upgrade Cannibalism, which is a hilariously high-risk, high-reward upgrade thatheals you when you damage yourself after a successful parry.
It’s a fun upgrade to get, especially if you want to combine healing with crazy high damage.
7Heatblast
Accelerator
The Accelerator is this game’s version of thePlasma Rifle from the previous two games, so it’s safe to say that Heatblast has made a return.
As the second tier upgrade of the Accelerator, Heatblast allows you to build up a charge before unleashing a powerful blast,allowing you to finish firing with a bang.
You can only fire off the Heatblast once you’ve built up at least one charge, though the gauge surges a little when you release the trigger.
Unfortunately, Heatblast isn’t very convenient to trigger.Instead of manually pressing a button, you need to release the trigger once a charge has been built up, which may be hard to control when you’re in the thick of combat.
It’s also a third-tier upgrade, which means you might not be able to get it unless you invest your hard-earned rubies into it.
6Pincushion
The Shredder is a full-auto weapon that you acquire early in the game, and right off the bat, you can choose whether you want the upgrade Pincushion or Ricochet. As you can see, I’ve opted for Pincushion.
This upgrade allows you to build up railspikes on a thicker demon, and once enough spikes have been embedded into their bodies, you’re able to throw your shield at them and release a blast of spikes that damage surrounding demons.
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Pincushion is a much more versatile upgrade than Ricochet, as you’re able to trigger the blast even while your shield is already on an enemy, provided you shoot fast enough. It’s also a more satisfying payoff for focus-firing on a larger demon.
As a first-tier upgrade, the Cycler can be upgraded to deal Shock damage immediately after acquiring it.
Shock is a status effect that makes demons take more damage from you, and when a Shocked demon is killed, it arcs lightning to surrounding enemies, spreading the effect.
While you may still deal Shock later on with the Power Gauntlet’s upgrades and the Heaven Splitter Rune, this upgrade is great for the early game.
Combat Shotgun
Despite being a starting weapon, the Combat Shotgun is an utter workhorse.
It deals moderate damage at most ranges, and has Incendiary, the most fundamental upgrade that lets you set demons on fire and make them drop armor pickups.
We’ll be opting for Smelt, which makes burning demons drop more armor pickups. Blast can spread the burns, but thanks to another entry on the list, we won’t be needing that to get rid of fodder demons.
3Eldritch Blessing
I had my doubts about Chainshot due to its charge and release playstyle, but now that I’ve spent significant time on it, I can say that it is one of the best weapons in the game.
Its first-tier upgrade, Eldritch Blessing, is the core of using this weapon, as it instantly charges your shotafter a successful parry.
Combined with its later upgrades, the Chainshot is a great dueling weapon against bosses and larger demons, allowing you to crush your enemies with a single shot.
2Extended Edge
Your shield is the most important part of your arsenal since it can defend and and throw bisects at every single fodder demon in its wake.
Extended Edge is a simple upgrade that you can put on your shield, which widens its radius, allowing it to take out more demons with ease.
This is an upgrade that has proven itself to be one of the most valuable, as fodder demons essentially become an afterthought in the more dense combat encounters, allowing you to focus more on stronger demons.
1Speed Loader
Super Shotgun
What else can I say about the Super Shotgun? It’s one of the most iconic weapons in gaming, let alone the franchise.
Though it no longer has the meat hook, it returns to its roots by being an absolute monster indealing damage at close range, albeit at the cost of a slow fire rate.
But fear not, for the first upgrade that you can acquire for the Super Shotgun is Speed Loader, which speeds up the fire rate.
Although it’s a simple upgrade, it’s an invaluable one for a powerhouse like the Super Shotgun, which grows even more powerful once you fully upgrade it with “Eat This!”
Doom: The Dark Ages Review
Doom: The Dark Ages takes the series in a new direction, with its medieval theme tying into its more defensive and destructive playstyle.
