Actually, the new Doom: The Dark Ages is scheduled to be released on May 15, 2025. However, some lucky players already have access because their versions were shipped early. They have already completed the shooter and are sharing their experiences.
Who can play?
- Pre-order customers of the Collector’s Edition and seemingly also the regular physical version of Doom: The Dark Ages for PS5 received their games during the week of May 5.
- The official release is actually on May 15, so some fans have been able to play a week before the actual release and have even finished the game.
- Some reviewers also had early access and praise the game with a strong Metacritic. There is approval from players.
This is what the players are saying: On Reddit, a user shares their experience with the new Doom. They write:
Hey guys, I was lucky and got the Collector’s Edition on the 8th [of May] and just completed this incredible game, what a trip.
The player does not give deeper insights into their experiences but praises individual battles and design decisions. They also provide a plethora of screenshots and cutscenes from the new Doom. Hence, a small warning: If you don’t want spoilers, you should better not click any links in that thread.
Some of the demons you will face, boss fights, story scenes, as well as the end of the game with an unexpected twist can be seen. In another thread, a user warns about the spoilers and receives a response that is largely unanimous: Oh no, there are weapons and demons! What do we care about spoilers in Doom? We want to tear and rip apart! (via Reddit)
If you want to get deeper insights into the new Doom, here are the reviews from our colleagues:
- GameStar – Doom: The Dark Ages in Review: If Hell is this much fun, we gladly embrace sin!
- GamePro – Doom: The Dark Ages in Review – The best shooter of the year so far has a major weakness
The physical version is “material waste”
However, one point is quite sour. Even owners of the physical version of the new Doom apparently have to download the game. The disk only contains the necessary data to start the download.
To play, however, you need to download another 80 GB from the internet. That is a “material waste” if a case along with the disk serves no function anymore. At least the preload has already started, as it seems (via Reddit).
Another criticism: the price. Doom: The Dark Ages costs 80 euros. For many fans, that’s too much and they say they will just pirate the game.
Starting from May 15, you can get a personal impression of Doom: The Dark Ages. The shooter comes with the classic “Doom Guy vs. demons” gameplay, a plethora of weapons, and a familiar dark world.
Compared to its predecessors, The Dark Ages feels harder. Even someone with experience in the games can definitely break a sweat. However, there is a significant change in gameplay. Instead of focusing on speed and skill, the Doomslayer in The Dark Ages is much more robust: In Doom Eternal, your Slayer was fast and agile like a fighter jet – In the new Doom, you are solid like a tank
