Summary
TheDoomfranchise is one of thelongest running and most loved in all of gaming, consistently delivering gritty shooters that redefine the violence every time and demonstrate that FPS games can simply rely on fun to be successful. Each game follows a pretty similar formula of running through corridors and across the land, slaying demons to save the world, with each title having a slightly different plot or setting to keep things fresh.
While the games are most known for the gore and gruesomeness, the campaigns are actually pretty high quality and offer a decent narrative thread to follow that stops the shooting from becoming mindless and instead poses an actual objective to follow. Each game has its own charm and positives, but there are some stories that sit above the rest and feel more complete and enjoyable to play.
An N64 title that was so much more than a simple port,Doom 64is a fully fleshed-out entry into the franchise that brings a dark, atmospheric design that really plays with the setting and environment in a big way. Moody lighting and an eerie soundtrack made every stage feel like a drawn-out battle that maintained all the same tropes of the previous games,while introducing a few new tricksof its own.
The level design focused more on puzzles for progression, which pushed exploration in a big way whilst still keeping intense firefights at the core of the loop. The combination of slower, more methodical gameplay with heavy action sequences makes the game feel perfectly paced, and while it may not have been the most exciting storylines, the campaign is still well worth revisiting even today.
Doom 3is perhaps one of the most dramatic shifts in the franchise’s history, opting for a far slower, horror-driven tone that looked to build tension over time rather than have jam-packed action from start to finish. Claustrophobic environments and fear-filled encounters contrast significantly with the series' usual emphasis on speed and aggression.
With a new engine that allowed for dynamic lighting and an enhanced audio design, the game leveled up the immersion in a big way. It may have been a divisive game among fans of the original games, but it remains a distinct and bold experiment into a new genre that shares more than a few parallels with theDoomuniverse.
Final Doomdelivers one of the most challenging campaigns in the series, featuring two long episodes that incorporate over 60 different levels into a single title. Acombination of community designers and the publishing of id Software, the game pushed the engine to its limit and elevated the map design to new heights.
The game focused on difficulty and map complexity, bringing to life some notoriously challenging stages that often required near-perfect movement and awareness to clear. It is a proving ground for veteran players, giving them a campaign that rewards precision unlike any other and remains a strong title in the franchise.
The originalDoomrevolutionized gaming with its blend of breakneck combat, maze-like levels, and aggressive enemy design. Its campaign spans three iconic episodes, each showcasing escalating intensity and increasingly complex layouts that have become more than iconic in the years since their release. The visceral feedback of weapons, combined with a thundering soundtrack, makes every level feel like a fight against hell itself.
Even decades later, the campaign remains remarkably high-quality, thanks to its intuitive design and precise gameplay loop. Every level encourages forward momentum and spatial awareness, demanding both speed and strategy, which are two aspects that have been carried forward all the way to the most recent releases. As the foundation of the franchise, it established the DNA that every subsequentDoomtitle would expand upon.
Doom(2016)brought the franchise roaring back with a campaign thatreimagined the original’s aggressionwith a modern lick of paint that was more than welcome. Fast, fluid, and brutally efficient, it emphasized mobility and allowed players to seamlessly cycle between weapons and chain together kills, offering a pure power fantasy grounded in skill.
Level design is expansive and layered, with many secrets and hidden details that blend well with the overall sense of momentum. Backed by an adrenaline-pumping soundtrack, the campaign revitalized the franchise without compromise, and it successfully bridged old-school design with contemporary mechanics, earning its place as one of the genre’s most influential modern shooters.
Doom IIexpanded on the original with more complex maps, tougher enemy encounters, and the introduction of iconic foes that have now stuck around for over three decades. Its campaign is faster and denser than the first game, emphasizing chaotic firefights and tight resource management that elevated the original experience without straying too far from what fans loved.
While it lacks the episodic structure of its predecessor, the 32-level campaign compensates with escalating challenge and greater scale that still feels cohesive throughout the playthrough. The game remains a cornerstone of the FPS genre and demonstrated that follow-up titles could take an original idea and build upon it, whilst not sacrificing the DNA that made the first so compelling.
The trailers alone sent goosebumps all over anyone who saw it,Doom: The Dark Agesisan absolute ride when it comes to pure FPS chaosand demonic destruction. A narrative that is told through cinematic cutscenes and codex entries dotted around the map, and a campaign that sees players taking on increasingly insane chapters that no longer have the Slayer running around on just his two feet.
Robotically-enhanced dragons and giant mechanical suits, every action and every gunshot feels responsive and satisfying, and every chapter feels like a meaningful leap in progress towards pushing back the scourge that taints the planet. It has everything aDoomfan could ever want and so much more, and demonstrates that the franchise is still capable of delivering exceptional campaigns all this time later.
One of the best games in the franchise, and for good reason,Doom Eternalis modernDoomat its best. More movement and more guns to juggle between, every encounter is an elaborate combat puzzle that really rewards aggression and precision in a way that few other games in the genre come close to. The level design is pure perfection, and the campaign is a technical showcase in both enemy and world building.
With Hell quite literally knocking on the door, it is up to the player to save humanity and to rid the world of the evil that seeks to destroy it. Every battle is pure cinema, and it is hard to put the controller down once the momentum really starts rolling, as there is just so much fun and joy that comes from every scene, and every aspect of the game is at the highest quality it has ever been.
