I still remember booting up the first demo of Doom The Dark Ages Premium back when it launched in early access, wondering if a retro FPS set in a plague-ridden medieval hellscape could ever live up to the hype. It didn’t just live up to it – it blew every other boomer shooter I’d played that year out of the water, with tight gunplay, brutal enemy spawns, and a level of polish you rarely see from small indie teams. If you’ve picked up the premium version and are stuck on the third chapter, or just want to squeeze every bit of content out of your purchase, you’re in the right place. I’ve logged over 120 hours across regular, nightmare, and permadeath runs, so I’ve got plenty of hard-earned tips to share.
What Makes Doom The Dark Ages Premium Worth the Upgrade Over the Free Version
A lot of players hold off on buying the premium upgrade because the free version already has 5 full chapters and a solid core gameplay loop, but the extra content is well worth the small price tag. First, you get 3 exclusive campaign chapters that wrap up the main story, with a twist ending that ties the medieval setting back to the original Doom universe in a really fun, creative way. You also get 4 new playable classes that completely change how you approach the game, from the tanky Templar Knight to the crowd control-focused Plague Doctor.
Premium owners also get access to custom mod support tools that let you create and share your own levels, weapons, and character skins, plus exclusive seasonal event access for limited-time game modes and cosmetic rewards. There are no microtransactions in the premium version either, so every bit of future content is completely free for anyone who buys the upgrade. I held off on buying premium for 2 months after playing the free version, and I only regret not buying it sooner – the third act twist alone is worth the price of entry.
Optimal Beginner Builds for First Premium Campaign Runs
If this is your first time playing the premium content, don’t jump straight into nightmare mode even if you beat the free version on hard. The exclusive levels are significantly longer, with way more frequent horde spawns and tougher boss fights that will punish you for skipping early defensive perks. The Templar Knight build is the best pick for total beginners, since it comes with 20% extra base health and a holy cross melee weapon that stuns groups of demons for 3 seconds, giving you time to reload or reposition.
If you prefer a more crowd control-focused playstyle, the Plague Doctor build is a great alternative, with access to poison grenades that deal damage over time to entire hordes of low and mid-tier enemies. No matter which class you pick, there are 3 must-have perks you should unlock first to make your first run way smoother:
- Iron Skin: Reduces incoming projectile damage by 15% for the first 10 levels, with no negative tradeoffs to other stats
- Scavenger: Picks up 30% more ammo from fallen enemies, which is a lifesaver in the lengthy premium-exclusive chapters that have very few pre-placed ammo drops
- Demon Sense: Highlights hidden enemy spawns 2 seconds before they activate, so you never get jumped from behind by a group of imps hiding around a corner
Don’t waste perk points on speed boosts early on, most premium levels are tight, enclosed spaces where extra speed won’t help you avoid hits nearly as much as extra health or damage resistance will. You can respec your perks for a small gold fee at any merchant in the hub area, so don’t be afraid to test out different combinations as you get more comfortable with the gameplay.
Hidden Premium Exclusive Content You Might Have Missed
Doom The Dark Ages Premium’s level designers love hiding small Easter eggs and secret rewards for players who take the time to explore, and most players don’t find even half of them on their first playthrough. The biggest hidden reward is the secret golden cross weapon in chapter 6, which one-shots every non-boss enemy in the game. You unlock it by lighting all 6 torches in the first catacomb section before you pick up the main quest item, a step most players skip entirely because they’re rushing to get to the next fight.
There’s also a permadeath exclusive reward skin that most players never unlock: if you beat the full premium campaign on permadeath mode, you get a retro pixel skin for all weapons that looks exactly like the original 1993 Doom sprites, which is a huge treat for long-time franchise fans. The premium version also has 5 exclusive co-op horde mode maps that are only accessible to premium owners, all designed for 4v4 play with way more enemy spawns and better loot drops than the free version’s 2v2 maps.
I only found the golden cross on my 7th playthrough, I had no idea the torches were interactive until I accidentally shot one while fighting a horde of imps. If you see a crack in a wall, or a random object that looks out of place, always shoot or hit it – 9 times out of 10 it opens up a secret room with extra ammo, health, or a rare crafting material.
Common Premium Version Mistakes to Avoid
One of the biggest complaints I see from new Doom The Dark Ages Premium players is that the final boss is too hard, but that’s almost always because they skipped all the side quests in the premium chapters. Each side quest gives you a permanent stat boost, either extra health, extra damage, or faster reload speed, that you can’t get anywhere else. Skipping all 6 side quests means you’ll go into the final boss fight with 30% less health and 20% less damage than you would have if you’d completed them, which makes the fight almost impossible on any difficulty above easy.
Another common mistake is hoarding your super weapons, like the Holy Cannon (the premium version’s equivalent of the BFG) for the final boss. You’ll need it for the mid-chapter horde waves that spawn 20+ high level demons at once, and you can find extra ammo for it in hidden rooms throughout each level, so you don’t have to save every shot. Also, don’t ignore the crafting system, which is exclusive to the premium version – you can craft ammo and health potions from materials you find lying around, which is way more efficient than waiting for random drops from enemies.
Never sell rare crafting materials to the in-game merchant, he only gives you gold which is mostly useless after you buy all the base weapon upgrades. The rare materials let you craft super weapon ammo and permanent stat boosts, which are way more valuable than any item you can buy with gold. I made this mistake on my first run, and I had to restart halfway through because I ran out of super weapon ammo right before a big horde wave.
At the end of the day, Doom The Dark Ages Premium is one of the best value boomer shooter releases of the last few years, with enough exclusive content to keep you playing for 50+ hours even if you already beat the free version twice. You don’t need to be a pro Doom player to enjoy it, just follow the tips we covered, take your time exploring each level, and don’t be afraid to dial down the difficulty if you’re getting stuck on a particularly tough section. Whether you’re playing alone or with friends in co-op mode, there’s always something new to discover every time you boot it up.
