Rage: The Scorchers

Gamers can add a little freshness to 2011 first-person shooter Rage next week when the new downloadable-content pack goes live.

Developer id Software is adding six new areas with a new band of enemies called The Scorchers in the expansion that shares the same name. The DLC will go for $4.99 on PlayStation 3 and PC or 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox 360.

This content also introduces new minigames, a new, superpowerful Nailgun, and a new “Ultra-Nightmare” difficulty level.

Rage received positive reception from most critics, although many took issue with its linearity. It was also one of the better-looking games of 2011, though it famously suffered from compatibility issues with certain video cards on the PC.

Studio id Software is, of course, best-known for popularizing the first-person shooter with its Doom games from the early 1990s.

This week is also the 22nd anniversary of the developer’s first release, the 2D side-scrolling game Commander Keen for PC.