Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC Targets 10-12 Hours, With 40% of That Being Endgame Content

When Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations, the upcoming run DLC for past year’s fantabulous modern-Doom prequel, was archetypal announced astatine the Xbox Showcase past month, 1 happening jumped retired astatine me: the classical Doom 2 representation disposable for a fewer seconds successful the trailer. As a immense instrumentality of the legendary archetypal brace of Doom first-person shooters agelong earlier I fell successful emotion with the much caller trilogy, my involvement successful this DLC abruptly skyrocketed. So erstwhile I got a presumption showing much Revelations gameplay from Doom manager Hugo Martin and got to inquire him questions afterward, I instantly asked astir that infinitesimal successful the trailer.

“[Revelations] is simply a solemnisation of the Doom games,” Martin said. “We've ever treated each of the Doom games arsenic canon. We person ne'er had the accidental to research who helium was arsenic the Slayer. Before helium was the Slayer helium was a marine, his sanction was Flynn Taggart. [So successful Revelations] we spell backmost successful the Nightmare levels and archer immoderate of the Flynn Taggart story.”

“These are modernized versions,” co-studio caput Marty Stratton added, speaking astir the look of the classical levels specifically. “History with the graphics turned up.”

My Doom superfan caput was being blown successful existent time. I’ve work each 4 of the Doom paperback novels from backmost successful the day. That’s wherever “Doom Guy” archetypal got fleshed retired arsenic a character, including his name: Flynn “Fly” Taggart. I felt similar Marty McFly archetypal seeing the DeLorean successful Back to the Future.

Wait a minute, Hugo, are you telling maine that Flynn Taggart – the feline from the 1993 archetypal and 1994 sequel – and the Doom Slayer from Doom (2016), Doom Eternal, and Doom: The Dark Ages, are the aforesaid guy?

“We don't see the novels arsenic portion of the modern Doom bid – the games, yes, prevention for Doom 3,” Martin told me. “Doom 3 was ever benignant of an outlier fictionally to america but from the commencement of Doom (2016), we wanted to propulsion unneurotic each the games and their fiction. We took the astir fashionable elements from the novels and comics: his sanction and his celebrated lines.”

Martin went connected to picture the classical levels featured successful Revelations: "They're playable. They're abbreviated but meaningful, playable experiences. Part of the theme/narrative attack is to consciousness it and not ticker it. You'll play done his memories.”

So they’re being selective astir the canon, arsenic is their right, but I find this oddly satisfying arsenic a instrumentality of the aged Doom games – and those somewhat obscure novels. But here’s what other I learned during my Revelations presentation: namely, that chap fans of Doom Eternal are astir apt going to emotion this DLC.

That’s due to the fact that the caller weapon, the Chain Spear, has a grappling hook quality that tin beryllium utilized for a ton of aerial maneuvers, a la the superb mediate crippled successful the modern Doom trio. One of them specifically lets you ellipse astir successful the aerial with the concatenation plunged into your foe portion you attack. And furthermore, Martin confirmed that the Chain Spear volition person unsocial glory kills, and much importantly, that it volition beryllium perfectly required to past successful the endgame contented that makes up astir 40% of this 10-12-hour DLC. Master Arenas, Martin said, volition beryllium particularly cardinal places to marque astute usage of the spear.

Fellow fans of Doom Eternal are astir apt going to emotion this DLC.“

You tin besides expect plentifulness of caller force variants, positive immoderate returning friends. The Archvile was specifically mentioned – though present he’ll summon demons but won’t resurrect demons, dissimilar successful the archetypal Doom 2. Oh, and id Software says that the Ripatorium – the customizable endless arena mode – volition get a large update for Revelations.

The name's Flynn Taggart.

And Martin recommends you implicit the basal Dark Ages run earlier jumping into Revelations, arsenic it has a higher basal trouble than the halfway campaign. It has six levels full – 5 positive the Purgatory hub – that you’ll bash plentifulness of backtracking through. But it won’t beryllium for nothing; these spaces are designed metroidvania-style, truthful you’ll beryllium capable to entree caller areas wrong them arsenic you gain and upgrade abilities during the people of play.

All successful all, Martin told america that Revelations “kind of plays similar the culmination of 35 years of Doom.” Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations drops connected July 7 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN's enforcement exertion of previews and big of some IGN's play Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, arsenic good arsenic our semi-retired interrogation show, IGN Unfiltered. He's a North Jersey guy, truthful it's "Taylor ham," not "pork roll." Debate it with him connected Twitter astatine @DMC_Ryan.