Doom director claims The Dark Ages can be beaten without using a gun, but “the game’s not necessarily built to do that”

When you think of Doom, your mind will undoubtedly go to blasting demons into hunks of viscera with a Super Shotgun or the BFG9000. And despite heading back to the past, Doom: The Dark Ages shows no signs of straying away from series tradition. The trailers have featured all the weapons you’ve come to expect and some new ones – like that really cool one that grinds skulls into projectiles. But according to Doom: The Dark Ages game director Hugo Martin, you can make your way through the game without firing a single shot, apparently.

One of the new features in Doom: The Dark Ages is a parry system and enhanced melee attacks with the likes of a shield/chainsaw hybrid and a demonic flail. And when asked by PC Gamer if it was possible to make your way through the game without shooting, Martin seemed optimistic. “If people could beat Dark Souls with no damage and pistol-only Nightmare runs on [Doom 2016], I’m sure people will figure out how to do it with the shield and the melee, because they’re pretty powerful, but you’d have a hard time, that’s for sure.”