How to upgrade weapons and shield in Doom The Dark Ages

One of the most important aspects of Doom The Dark Ages is the upgrade part, which is key to improving your character.

As you clear more chapters, you’ll unlock new weapons and additional tools for your shield. They’ll make you more powerful, but you’ll need to upgrade them, too. Doing so will unlock new effects, some of which are crucial for particular enemies.

This guide will help you understand the upgrade system and how to prioritize things.

How to upgrade in Doom The Dark Ages

The upgrade system of Doom The Dark Ages is fairly straightforward, but you’ll need to plan carefully. You can’t upgrade your weapons whenever you want. The resources required for upgrading are also finite, so you’ll have to use them carefully.

To start the upgrade process, you’ll have to reach something called Sentinel Shrines. These shrines are highlighted in bright green, so it’s very easy to spot them. Whenever you’re near a Shrine, the game will alert you to its presence.

The Sentinel Shrine allows you to upgrade your weapons, shield, and melee. You’ll need Gold for upgrades, which you can find lying around the map as you explore. Certain enemies also reward you with Gold when you eliminate them.

Based on the early hours, Gold is quite limited, so you’ll have to prioritize which upgrades to do first. Open the relevant section from a Sentinel Shrine, press the Space Bar, and confirm the purchase of an upgrade. Since upgrades are irreversible, make sure to read the text carefully to ensure that you don’t end up wasting your resources.

Should you upgrade your weapons, shield, or melee first?

Based on the first few chapters, this is my priority list for upgrades.

As you clear the early chapters, you’ll unlock more weapons. You won’t want to invest in any weapon upgrades until you have a fair idea of which is your favorite. Identify the ones that suit your play style before going in for the upgrades.

The Shield is absolutely incredible in both offense and defense, and spending heavily on them. One of my earliest upgrades allows my Saw Throws to chop through multiple shielded enemies at once. This is a perfect upgrade since shielded enemies take longer to take down. Unlike weapons, you’ll be using the same shield throughout the game, and hence, any upgrades will be permanent.

The last logic also applies to your melee weapons, and they’re also a safe bet for upgrades. You’ll be using these weapons heavily, and getting a few early upgrades won’t be a bad investment.