This is a DLC upgrade pack, not a standalone game, so let's be clear about what you're actually buying. The DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Upgrade adds four things on top of the base game: up to two days of early access before the standard release date, a digital artbook, a digital soundtrack, and the Divinity Skin Pack for cosmetic variety. If you already own or plan to buy the base game separately, this is the delta you're paying for. If you're picking up the Premium Edition from scratch, this content is folded in. DOOM: The Dark Ages itself, developed by id Software, takes the series into a medieval-flavored setting - think the Slayer dropped into a world of demons, stone fortresses, and gothic machinery rather than the sci-fi corridors of Mars or the neon sprawl of Hell on Earth. id Software has built a reputation for movement-driven, arena-focused combat that rewards aggression over cover-seeking, and early footage suggests The Dark Ages leans into new melee-heavy mechanics alongside the series' trademark gunplay. The tonal shift is a genuine creative swing, not a reskin. For the upgrade pack itself, the value question is pretty straightforward. Early access is the main draw for anyone who wants to be playing on day one without waiting in line. Two days is a real window if you've cleared your schedule - meaningless if you're a weekend-only player. The artbook and soundtrack are standard collector extras: good if you actually use them, filler if you don't. The Divinity Skin Pack is a cosmetic bundle, so its worth depends entirely on how much time you expect to spend in the game and whether skins matter to you in a first-person shooter where you rarely see your own character model outside of cutscenes. With no Metacritic score and no Steam reviews at the time of writing - this DLC launched alongside the base game in May 2025 - there's no critical consensus to lean on yet. That's not a red flag for id Software specifically, given the studio's track record with DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal, but it does mean you're buying on reputation and preview material rather than verified reception. That's a reasonable gamble for series fans, a riskier one for newcomers who haven't already committed to the base game. Bottom line: if you know you want The Dark Ages and you want it the moment it unlocks, the Premium Upgrade is a tidy bundle. If you're on the fence about the base game itself, sort that out first before paying extra for early access you might not use. Alex, Scout Team