How to Upgrade Health, Shield and Ammo in Doom The Dark Ages

In Short
  • In Doom: The Dark Ages, players can upgrade the Slayer's health, shield, and ammo capacity.
  • Players must defeat Leader and Elite enemies to obtain these upgrades and collect their Demonic Essence.
  • The logo's color atop these enemies denotes the type of upgrade they offer. A green logo results in shield upgrades, a Leader with a blue logo offers health upgrades, and the yellow logo is reserved for ammo capacity upgrades.

Doom The Dark Ages switches up the gameplay loop from previous titles in some significant ways. For starters, the Slayer is no longer an acrobatic killing machine, having been transformed into a hell-raising tank instead. On top of this, the levels are more expansive, offering more opportunities for discovery and exploration. The upgrade systems have also undergone changes, and crucial elements such as health, shield, and ammo now have their own upgrade paths. With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide with instructions on how to upgrade your health, shield, and ammo in Doom The Dark Ages.

How to Upgrade Health, Shield, and Ammo in Doom The Dark Ages

The methods to upgrade health, shield, and ammo in Doom The Dark Ages are largely the same, and require hunting down Leader or Elite enemies found across different levels to collect their Demonic Essence. These demons are essentially an enhanced version of base enemies like the Mancubus or Hell Knights. Keep in mind that Leaders or Elite enemies are not named bosses.

Doom the Dark Ages execution
Image Credit: id Software (captured by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

You’ll encounter most of these encounters while following the main objective, but some Leaders can also be found off the beaten path. You can identify a leader by clicking the sizable health bar at the top of the screen.

You’ll also spot one of three logos right on top of the enemy; the color of these logos denotes the type of upgrade on offer. To check which upgrades are available on a specific level, navigate to the Chapter Details screen from the main menu, and the upgrade type will be specified. Once you collect this essence, your health, shield, and armor will automatically be upgraded.

Health Upgrades

Doom The Dark Ages combat gameplay
Image Credit: id Software (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

To get health upgrades, be on the lookout for Leaders with a Blue icon floating above their heads. Taking down these demons and collecting their Demonic Essence will permanently buff your health capacity.

Shield Upgrades

Doom The Dark Ages combat gameplay
Image Credit: id Software (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

You’ll need to hunt down Leaders with Green icons above their heads for shield upgrades. Collecting their Demonic Essence will permanently increase your shield capacity, bolstering the amount of punishment the Slayer can endure.

Ammo Upgrades

Ammo Upgrade Leader enemy in Doom The Dark Ages
Image Credit: id Software (screenshot by Sanmay Chakrabarti/Beebom)

Lastly, ammo upgrades can be obtained by executing leaders with Yellow icons above them. Doing so will increase the ammo capacity of an unspecified weapon, which will only be revealed once you collect the Demonic Essence.

And that’s how you upgrade health, shield, and ammo in Doom: The Dark Ages. Are you having problems locating a specific leader? Let us know in the comments below.

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