Compare Doom: The Dark Ages vs Forza Horizon 5

Accessibility options receive strong praise, including difficulty sliders, speed tuning, parry timing, remapping, UI scaling, colors, and other customization.

Accessibility is strongly supported through difficulty assists, disability options, prosthetics, pronouns, sensory options, and broad playability.

Age appropriateness is generally good for a racing game, with a caveat for suggestive lyrics and bleeped language.

AI behavior is mixed: some reviews cite rubber-banding or runaway opponents, while one says past AI has improved.

Shooting precision is supported by reviewers who describe the gunplay as tight and satisfying, especially alongside melee and shield systems.

Animation quality is generally positive in glory kills and cutscenes, but one reviewer flags dragon animation weight as off.

Animation quality is a weak spot in at least one review, especially for NPC crew presentation.

Art direction is praised for distinctive medieval/dark-fantasy identity, though at least one critic finds the shift less Doom-like.

The art direction benefits from Mexico’s colorful, exotic festival setting and diverse landscape identity.

Atmosphere is praised for moody color, dark fantasy scenery, and distinctive hellish/medieval tone.

Atmosphere is a major strength, with reviewers emphasizing sense of place, Mexico’s beauty, and a breathtaking world.

Boss design is mixed: shielded leaders and bosses add structure, but some reviewers call them missed opportunities or overly derivative.

Bug frequency is mixed: several reviewers encountered glitches or unclear damage/deaths, while another reported no bugs.

Bug frequency is generally low or minor, but reviewers still report specific issues such as radio bugs and small glitches.

Checkpoint design is mixed, with reviewers noting checkpoints can help but also citing restart/checkpoint irritation.

Co-op experience is absent, with one reviewer specifically lamenting the lack of co-op or multiplayer.

Co-op centers on Horizon Arcade and nearby-player minigames, which reviewers find approachable but sometimes less compelling than racing.

Combat receives the broadest praise: most reviewers find the parry-heavy, close-quarters fighting satisfying, powerful, and fresh, with a minority missing the older acrobatic style.

Community features are strong through EventLab, custom races, shared routes, and creator tools.

Competitive balance is a concern in long-term coverage because ranked or serious competitive features are limited.

Content variety is strong in the campaign’s weapons, chapters, secrets, and set pieces, even if some nonstandard sections are less loved.

Content variety is one of the strongest themes, with many race types, events, activities, modes, expansions, and map objectives.

Controls are described as responsive and easy to execute once learned, with several reviewers calling out smooth feel even in demanding encounters.

Controls are described as slick, intuitive, responsive, and supportive across both casual driving and more serious handling.

The core loop is repeatedly described as shield, melee, shooting, and resource recovery working together, though some reviewers feel it becomes more prescriptive than Eternal.

Reviewers describe the loop as open-world driving, racing, challenges, and self-directed play rather than a linear campaign.

Crash stability is mixed, with at least two reviews reporting hard crashes or dashboard crashes.

Crash stability is mixed: one review reports no crashes while another reports a few PC crashes.

Cross-play is explicitly supported on PS5 with PC and Xbox players.

Cross-save support is a weakness because existing Xbox or PC saves cannot transfer to PS5.

Dialogue quality is weakly supported and criticized in the evidence as lacking meaningful reveals or character building.

Dialogue and voice work receive criticism for being lacklustre and overly peppy.

Difficulty balance is highly customizable, with generous parries and sliders praised for accessibility but criticized by some as making challenge too easy to dilute.

Difficulty is highly adjustable and newcomer-friendly, though some reviewers note uneven balance or a game that can feel too easy.

DLC and expansions add value, especially Rally Adventure, Hot Wheels, free updates, car packs, and bug fixes.

Driving is one of the strongest areas, with reviewers praising sublime mechanics, distinct cars, sim-arcade balance, and improved handling.

Resource balance is praised in at least one review for reducing ammo frustration through melee replenishment and frequent drops.

Enemy variety is well supported, with reviewers citing familiar demons, redesigns, returning obscure foes, and new enemy types.

Environmental detail is strong, with reviewers noting vivid gore, neon, secrets, and large detailed spaces.

Environmental detail is often praised for lush, lifelike biomes, though some city spaces are criticized as lifeless.

Exploration and secret hunting are repeatedly valued, though some reviewers note open areas can slow momentum or make secrets feel too obvious.

Exploration is a major strength, with reviewers enjoying Mexico alone, with friends, and even without racing objectives.

Facial animations are mentioned positively in one review as solid, alongside strong character models.

Faithfulness to franchise is generally positive: despite changes, reviewers often say the core Doom identity remains intact.

The game is faithful to the franchise by continuing and elevating Horizon’s open-world racing legacy.

Family friendliness is supported by low objectionable content compared with many other games.

Fast travel boards add another exploration incentive, though the evidence is limited to board hunting rather than system depth.

Dragon flight is the most mixed vehicle-related element, praised by a few for smooth controls but often criticized as shallow, rigid, or repetitive.

Frame rate stability is repeatedly praised across PC, PS5, and Xbox impressions, with several reports of stable or high framerates.

Frame rate is often solid, especially at 60 fps, but a few reviews mention performance-mode issues or dips.

Fun factor is high overall, with many reviewers calling the game a blast, fun, or grin-inducing despite caveats.

Reviewers repeatedly describe the game as joyful, fun, welcoming, and capable of converting non-racing fans.

Reviewers consistently point to the Shield Saw, parries, melee, and grounded combat as the defining mechanical changes, generally praising their depth and fit.

Graphics quality receives strong praise across reviews, with repeated admiration for id Tech 8 visuals, crisp image quality, and impressive scenery.

Graphics are an overwhelming strength, with repeated praise for photorealism, draw distance, lighting, reflections, cars, and environments.

Handheld play suitability is poor in the cited evidence, with PCMag noting the game does not run on Steam Deck.

Haptic feedback integration is present on PS5, but reviewers describe it as limited or partly obnoxious rather than transformative.

DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers make the PS5 version more tactile, though not revolutionary.

HUD clarity is supported by clear threat indicators, enemy outlines, and customizable visual feedback.

Immersion is supported by detailed sound design and environmental presentation that make the world feel absorbing.

Immersion is strengthened by storms, visibility changes, speed, and environmental spectacle.

Innovation is repeatedly noted through the shield, grounded combat, accessibility, and broader reinvention of Doom’s formula.

Innovation is best understood as refinement rather than revolution, improving a proven formula.

The learning curve is moderate: reviewers note the new style takes adjustment but becomes manageable once players acclimate.

The game welcomes novices with assists and adjustment options, though one later review still found the learning curve daunting.

Level design splits reviewers between praise for expansive, secret-filled spaces and criticism that some large maps become flat or repetitive.

Live-service support is supported by years of free and paid additions, including cars, expansions, and features.

Load times are supported by one review that calls them extremely quick.

One PS5 review says frequent loading screens interrupt gameplay flow.

Lore depth is appreciated by reviewers who value codex detail and expanded Doom-universe backstory.

Map and navigation design is mixed, with praise for the automap and objective ping but criticism over missing map markers.

Map and navigation design are praised for scale and biome variety, though one long-term review finds parts of the map emptier.

Menu usability is mixed, with reviewers appreciating customization but criticizing unclear sliders or awkward melee switching.

Menus receive criticism for being messy or too numerous despite the game’s strengths elsewhere.

Microtransaction impact is a negative caveat, especially unskippable car-pass promotion reminders.

Expeditions and Showcases give the campaign authored set-piece structure beyond standard races.

Mission variety is generally praised for new enemies, weapons, set pieces, and open-zone objectives, though vehicle missions weaken the mix for some.

Mission variety is generally broad, but one later review warns that some races and missions can become repetitive.

Movement is divisive: reviewers agree it is slower and more grounded, with some loving the tank-like heft and others missing Eternal’s freeform mobility.

Multiplayer design is essentially absent, and multiple reviewers explicitly note there is no multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer is broad and improved, with PvP, online modes, group play, and easier linking, though competition depth is debated.

Narrative quality is one of the most divisive areas; a few reviewers like the cinematic lore, but many find the story weak, self-serious, or forgettable.

Narrative quality is mixed, with several reviews calling it thin while later coverage notes a more personal campaign tone.

Onboarding is viewed positively where reviewers note newcomer-friendly design and early chapters that ease players into the altered combat loop.

Onboarding is usually exciting and fast, but some reviews mention content bombardment or mandatory account friction.

Online stability is a recurring caveat, with reviews noting server connection issues, lag, and flaky online behavior.

Semi-open design earns mostly positive attention for expanding combat spaces and optional objectives, though it does not work equally well for every critic.

The open world is consistently praised as massive, gorgeous, varied, and one of the best racing maps in the series.

Originality is strongly supported by praise for the Shield Saw as a standout modern weapon concept.

Originality is limited because one review says the series cannot do much new at this point.

Pacing is uneven across reviews: some find the chapters well-paced, while others dislike the extended ending, cutscenes, or repetitive stretches.

One review found the abundance of interruptions and prompts could make the game feel scatterbrained.

Performance optimization is generally strong, with several reviewers reporting smooth PC or console performance, though ray tracing demands are noted.

Performance is generally strong on consoles and newer hardware, though some reviews mention hardware-dependent issues or PC crashes.

Platform-specific feature support includes DualSense adaptive triggers and controller-speaker support, though the implementation is mixed.

Platform-specific support is strong on PS5 through DualSense, adaptive triggers, and enhanced graphics features.

Platforming is considered reduced or less central than in Eternal, which some reviewers accept while others see as a loss.

Polish is uneven: some reviewers call the game polished, while others cite bugs, missing glory-kill feel, or streamlined systems.

Polish is a core strength, with multiple reviewers describing the game as highly polished or nearly flawless.

Progression centers on upgrading health, armor, guns, shield, and melee tools, with Kotaku describing it as streamlined and useful.

Progression is broadly praised for steady rewards, accolades, unlock choices, cars, and a constant sense of advancement.

The protagonist remains appealing as a powerful vehicle for badassery, even when the surrounding story underwhelms reviewers.

Puzzle design is generally simple and functional, with shield-based environmental interactions adding light variety rather than deep puzzle challenge.

Replay value depends heavily on completionism; some praise secrets and challenges, while others doubt they will replay after finishing.

Replay value is high because the campaign leads into ongoing discovery, car collecting, seasonal goals, and repeatable races.

Sandbox freedom is mixed: some praise objective freedom, while others reject the marketing idea that the game is a true combat sandbox.

The sandbox lets players set their own goals, roam freely, and create their own fun with minimal pressure.

Seasonal and weather content is mostly praised, but later playlist reuse becomes a concern.

Side character depth is a concern, with at least one reviewer finding the supporting cast unmemorable.

Skill-tree depth is limited but present through melee and shield/weapon upgrades; reviewers describe it as useful but not especially elaborate.

The skill tree is criticized because upgrades remain tied to individual cars rather than the driver profile.

Social features make playing with others easier and more seamless through Forza Link and online grouping.

Sound design is a clear strength, with reviewers praising weighty weapons, impacts, deflections, and visceral audio feedback.

Sound design is repeatedly praised for revamped car audio, engine detail, and improved spatial/vehicle sound.

Soundtrack quality is mixed: many enjoy the heavy metal score, but several miss Mick Gordon or find the music less memorable.

Soundtrack impressions are mostly positive, especially licensed and Mexican music, with one reviewer finding the stations less memorable.

EventLab’s lack of tutorial guidance is called out as a weakness for creators.

Upgrade systems are widely mentioned, usually as meaningful rewards for exploration, though some reviewers find upgrades too passive or simplified.

Upgrade and customization systems are a major strength, with extensive tuning, swaps, visual options, and shared designs.

User interface design is supported through UI/HUD scaling and customization options mentioned in accessibility discussion.

The interface can feel overloaded, with one review describing the experience as information overload.

Value for money is mixed, ranging from Editors’ Choice praise and worthwhile highs to criticism of price, lack of modes, or sale/free recommendations.

Value is strong through Game Pass and content breadth, but PS5 pricing is more mixed for a four-year-old game.

The vehicle roster of mech and dragon sections adds spectacle and variety, but most reviewers find these sections shallower than core combat.

The vehicle roster is consistently praised as huge, varied, and still expanding through updates and DLC.

Visual effects are praised through vistas, skyboxes, and dramatic city or battlefield imagery.

Weapon balance is broad and divisive: many praise flexible weapon usefulness, while others find some guns less distinctive or unnecessary.

World-building benefits from Mexico as a cultural setting, car stories, and small character/environment details.

World interactivity is strongest around the Shield Saw, which reviewers cite as a tool for navigation, switches, walls, and combat interactions.

World interactivity is mixed: destructible foliage and objects impress, while disappearing NPC traffic hurts believability.

Writing quality draws repeated criticism for cheesy, incoherent, or overbearing storytelling, even from reviews that enjoy the gameplay.