The Dark Ages truly surpasses expectations is in its bold departure from the norm. The final and most extensive part of the demo drops me into id’s interpretation of a sandbox open zone, giving me the freedom to tackle it as I see fit. With the sole objective of shutting down five portals that spew forth demons, I’m left to my own devices to decide how to accomplish this task and what detours I might take along the way. Over the course of an hour, I’m consistently reminded that this is a DOOM experience unlike any other I’ve had before.

The overarching impression from my comprehensive session with DOOM: The Dark Ages is that of a development team overflowing with enthusiasm, not merely for the DOOM franchise itself, but for the limitless possibilities of what DOOM could evolve into. I anticipated a new narrative, novel guns, and unfamiliar demons, but I did not expect the introduction of new genres. The anticipation is palpable to uncover what other innovations this team has in store.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is slated to launch on May 15, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PC (accessible via the Xbox app for Windows PC, Steam, and Battle.net), PlayStation 5, and cloud platforms. It will be available on day one with Game Pass.