The first big patch for DOOM: The Dark Ages dropped; some players are hyped about it, while some remain in limbo awaiting fixes that either were not quite addressed or they just did not land. Update 1 claimed some balance tweaks, bugs fixes, and audio improvements-mostly hailed by some, scorned the very next day by others.
That being said, the good stuff first. Preserved in patch notes are the game balance refinements; so smooth combat or altered difficulty was possibly in the balancing. Audio mix improvements may mean shotgun blasts louder than ever. Of course, fixes to bugs are always a win, right? Well… some players sure are not celebrating.
Like, for example, the Berserker achievement. Multiple users on PS5 stated that the patch failed to make this trophy lock. One user named Joseph said he tried re-running missions, activating multiple shrines, but nothing. Others leap at the same gripes, some considering it “disgusting” that such an easy fix had not been properly done yet.
Then we have our friends watching from the sidelines, the Xbox players. Some Series X owners expressed that the graphics looked like they came from 30Hz CRT monitors. One user flatly asked when the devs were gonna “fix those awful graphics”; another was still wondering where this promised “Extra Contrast” option was. Spoiler: It is nowhere to be found.
Drama for audio? Oh yes. One player tagged ex-id Software exec Marty Stratton asking if the iconic DOOM music of Mick Gordon got included in the update. Given the… history, it was a spicy ask. No replies so far, but it’s gaining traction.
Bugs *not* fixed? Well, one player declared a new one that suddenly locked missions, upgrades gone, and rune swaps broken. Another one detailed the last level gold bug wherein key enemy never spawned, blocking progress. Classic “Fix one thing, make another worse” feels.
But some were not mad. For instance, a few, including Simply, who started playing, ran in hoping for a smoother experience. And a couple of Xbox players say the Berserker fix worked for them, so… small win?
The biggest groan ever came with: Still no path-tracing. Several called it out, one bluntly tweeting, “No path tracing. 😔” Now that it is June, and ray tracing has been the supposed selling point for modern DOOM, the wait goes on.
Balance changes? Let’s just say balance changes have the contempt of several. One snarky personality swore never to install it, convinced that “balance refinements” just means “nerfing the fun weapons and buffing the most annoying enemies.” To be honest, all they’re saying is true. Power fantasy is pretty much the entire point of DOOM.
And then? Hopefully, more patches: Players are screaming for fast travel, cheat codes, and you know basic stuff like *working trophies*. For now, Update 1 is a step in that direction, just maybe not the step everybody wanted.
And for those still playing, watch those Mancubus spawns. Or maybe don’t. Maybe just wait for Update 2.
