Doom The Dark Ages' new Revelations DLC is "the culmination of 35 years of Doom" and movement is back

Shorn of his armor, Shield Saw smashed, the Slayer of the new Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations DLC is less of a tank than in the main game, and that's a good thing, because it means movement is back. In this new paid-for DLC, id Software has drawn on 35 years of Doom, delivering an expansion that looks like it could be the perfect balance of TDA's fearless tanky combat and Doom Eternal's more movement-focused gameplay.

The key to Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations movement is a new Chain Spear weapon that evokes memories of the Meathook chain grapple of Doom Eternal, but cranks it up a notch. It lets you swing, stab, and sling your way to victory over the ultra-challenging new arenas of combat in this "10 to 12 hour" expansion. We recently got a sneak peek of what to expect, and spoke to both id Software's Game Director, Hugo Martin, and the game's Executive Producer, Marty Stratton.

Commencing with the Slayer having been condemned to his tomb, Revelations is, in part, a campaign-driven expansion. You'll follow the Slayer as he regains his strength and powers following his downfall, building back up to be the all-conquering demon stomper that he is and culminating in a moment where "the Slayer's action will change the world around him forever."

The remaining 40% of the game, though, is all about endgame experiences, with Master Level challenges, new ways to traverse the single sprawling map that makes up the DLC, Praetor suit challenge arenas for upgrades, Slayer Trials, puzzles, new resources, and classic levels. The latter are literally levels from the earliest Doom games - mostly Doom 2 - recreated on the new engine and packed with demons.

The endgame culminates in unlocking the Astral Key that lets you try and take on the Uber Boss, which, once defeated, then unlocks four further "super intense" combat spaces. These, id says, are the hardest encounters in the game.

Back to that movement, though, and the Chain Spear is a new weapon that can be wielded instead of the Shield Saw, and which provides "most of the skill expression" in the new DLC, according to Martin. With it equipped, you can parry enemy fire, throw it at enemies for extra damage, or use it as a grappling hook. It's the latter that really opens up a whole new world of movement tech into the game, with you able to sling the Spear into enemies, then leap upwards to fly over them or come crashing down on them, plus you can swing around them, pummelling them with gunfire as you do so.

What's more, a dash/double jump feature has been added, so you can use the grapple to fling yourself into the sky, then redirect your movement in mid-air. It's not quite the overall movement combination of Doom Eternal, but the Chain Spear is so much more powerful than the Meathook, with you able to wield any weapon with it, not just the super shotgun.

So much potential skill expression does this new feature add that Stratton suggests you'll struggle to really master it in one playthrough, and that "you're learning things [in the] second, third playthrough."

A handful of new enemies also join the fray, with the Archvile and Pain Elemental from previous Doom games added back in, plus the Whiplash gets an "invisible" Spectre version, and there are purple (for example, buffed and explosive) Hell Knights and Zombies. A new Wizard character also presents a particular challenge as they're very evasive and can buff other demons.

Filling out the DLC, a new Slayer's Hub provides a base for upgrading the Slayer - a bit like the Doom Eternal ship - and also includes some encounters, "Metroidvania-esque elements," and puzzles that "make it worth your time to explore," we were told. There's also an update to TDA's Ripatorium endless arena mode that adds new maps, the new Revelations demons, and the Chain Spear - all the other weapons are the same as in the core game.

Doom: The Dark Ages Revelations is available July 7 for $19.99, with the base game required to access the DLC. However, right now, the full game is only $23.09 on Steam, thanks to the Steam Summer Sale, so you can grab the full game and DLC for under $45.