After more than four years of silence, Doom is finally back in the spotlight. A physical Collector’s Edition of the entire series complete with replica BFG will soon be available for pre-order. Meanwhile, the first two entries in the franchise recently received a nice facelift along with a variety of other improvements. And, of course, there’sDOOM: The Dark Agesto look forward to next year. In other words, there’s never been a better time to be a Doom fan.
Doom: The Dark Ages Writes History at Xbox Showcase
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Doom is one of those iconic series that inspired a ton of developers over the years. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to say that there are literally dozens upon dozens of Doom clones out there. But if you spend enough time sifting through all the terrible copycats, you’ll eventually run into some pretty good Doom-like games, too. Check out the list below for the best examples.
10Forgive Me Father
Who Doesn’t Love Some Lovecraftian Horror?
Forgive Me Father
We’re starting off with a little-known title called Forgive Me Father. This Lovecraftian horror FPS is fast, loud, and plays similarly to the original Doom despite being released only a couple of years ago. Forgive Me Father tackles entirely different themes, but features hellish monsters and oversized weapons that would definitely not look out of place in a Doom game. Bonus points for the sick heavy metal soundtrack.
Visually, Forgive Me Father stands out from the crowd of Doom-like games thanks to its comic book-inspired art style. To add to the retro feel, the title cleverly combines 2D and 3D elements to create a unique atmosphere. There’s also an interesting insanity mechanic to look forward, which fits the eldritch horror theme perfectly. If you end up liking Forgive Me Father, we recommend also trying out the sequel. Forgive Me Father 2 is still in Early Access as of writing, but the game is mostly complete at this point.
9Painkiller: Battle Out of Hell
It’s Worth Putting Up With the Jankiness For the Stake Gun Alone
Painkiller: Hell Wars
Painkiller is a game you don’t hear much about these days. But if you were into edgy shooters back in the mid-2000s you probably have fond memories of “that weird FPS with the badass weapons.” That was Painkiller, and while it didn’t age particularly well compared to other titles from that period, it’s still a solid shooter that you should look into if you’re a fan of Doom. There are several games in the series but we recommend trying the original to see if you like it before jumping into the sequels.
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Painkiller is a fairly basic FPS where you run around blasting hellspawn by the dozen. The game takes place in a gothic horror fantasy world where a war between the forces of Hell and Heaven is imminent. You’re playing a character who is essentially a cross between Constantine and Max Payne with a bit of a twist – you can transform into a demon-like creature by collecting a certain number of souls from fallen enemies. It’s all a bit cheesy by today’s standards, but very fun regardless if you can get past the jankiness.
8Quake Champions
Yes, This Game is Still Around
Quake Champions
Multiplayer wasn’t a thing when the OG Doom came out, but it would end up becoming a major selling point of the sequel. The feature was so popular, in fact, that developerid Softwarewould go on to create an entire spin-off series focused on multiplayer rather than single-player. That series was, of course, Quake. The series arguably peaked with Quake III: Arena (laterQuake Live), but we’re recommending Quake Champions instead because it’s a bit more forgiving to newcomers.
Quake Champions is a hectic and fast-paced game that has all the hallmarks of old-school arena shooters. At the same time, the game packs some decisively modern features like hero classes and special abilities that were not welcomed by everyone with open arms back when Quake Champions was first announced. If you’re looking for an arena shooter that does a good job of blending old and new playstyles, ensure to give Quake Champions a shot. We also recommend checking out Quake Live if you prefer the classic FPS experience.
7Metal: Hellsinger
Possibly the Only Game With a Better Soundtrack Than Doom
Metal: Hellsinger
Prepare to headbang your way through hell in this rhythm FPS designed specifically for fans of heavy metal music. If you’re thinking to yourself, “nah, rhythm games aren’t my cup of tea,” you may want to reconsider that stance because this isn’t just any rhythm game. In many ways,Metal: Hellsingerplays like a typical Doom-style FPS where you go around shooting demons in the face, with the music merely serving to pump you up along the way.
Metal: Hellsinger has the best soundtrack out of all the games on this list. Yes, even better than Doom (2016), which we’re going to cover later. The game features original songs from artists like Serj Tankian (System of a Down), Tatiana Shmayluk (Jinjer), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquility), Randy Blythe (Lamb of God), Matt Heafy (Trivium) and more. Granted, those names might not mean much to you if you’re not a metalhead, but even so, Metal: Hellsinger is worth checking out because the gameplay is just as good as the soundtrack.
6Wolfenstein: The New Order
Wolfenstein: The New Order
While many people credit Doom with popularizing the FPS genre,Wolfenstein 3D(which launched a year before) was the game that set the template for future first-person shooters. Playing Wolfenstein 3D is the closest thing you can get to reliving the glory of the original Doom, but if you’re looking for something a tad more modern, we recommend checking out Wolfenstein: The New Order andWolfenstein: The New Colossusinstead. The prequel, Old Blood, is pretty good, too. The spin-off, Young Blood, not so much.
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Running and gunning doesn’t get better than this!
Much like Doom (2016) and its sequel, the newer Wolfenstein titles were designed to modernize id Software’s iconic retro games while preserving all the elements that made them so memorable in the first place. Naturally, there’s more emphasis on storytelling and worldbuilding in the newer ones, but the basic gist of playing as a one-man army is identical. Replace demons with Nazis, Mars with some 1960s alternate history, and Doomguy with B. J. Blazkowicz, and they’re pretty much the same game.
Captures the Classic Doom Atmosphere Without Feeling Like Another Copycat
Prodeus is another newish boomer shooter that wears its influences on its sleeve. The visuals are an interesting combination of old and new where the Prodeus looks pixelated enough to pass for a mid-90s game at first glance, but the movement and animations are more in line with modern games. Unlike Forgive Me Father, Prodeus ditched the faux 2D style in favor of full 3D, which is honestly for the best. That retro 2D look can work on occasion, but it generally tends to feel tacky when it’s used in a first-person game.
As far as the gameplay is concerned, Prodeus doesn’t stray too far from the Doom formula. You can expect more weapons, more enemy variety, and more gore, but otherwise, it’s a classic arena shooter. The most noteworthy feature of Prodeus is that it features several game modes, including multiplayer and co-op. There’s also a pretty solid level editor for players who love making custom maps.
90s Nostalgia at its Finest
Duskis a game that takes retro nostalgia to a whole different level. There are plenty of modern games designed to look old, but you’re able to usually tell right away when they’re not. Dusk is different. The game looks exactly like a low-budget obscure FPS from the 90s, complete with terrible textures, animations, and character models. The only thing that gives it away is the sound design, with Dusk’s music and sound effects being miles ahead of most games of that era.
Dusk is a retro game that looks absolutely terrible but offers amazing gameplay. The gunplay is snappy, the enemies are weird, and the story is a bunch of nonsense involving cultists and mutants. What more could you want? All of this is accompanied by a kickass soundtrack and the developers even threw in PvP to boot. If the visuals are a bit too hard on your eyes, you could also grab the free HD mod, but we suggest leaving it as is. After all, bad graphics are a hallmark of 90s games.
3Ultrakill
Quake Meets Devil May Cry
Speaking of bad graphics, next up we have Ultrakill, an FPS you’re probably already familiar with if you’re into these types of games. Ultrakill is one of the most popular retro first-person shooters around and while it primarily draws inspiration from Quake, there’s also plenty of OG Doom in there to keep you satisfied. The game has been in Early Access for years, but it’s finally getting close to full release. If you haven’t played it before, now’s as good a time as any.
Ultrakill is the most fast-paced game on this list and features a combo system reminiscent ofDevil May Cry. Anyone can go around mowing down monsters, but can you do it in style? If you care about style points in games like this, Ultrakill will be right up your alley. Interestingly enough, Ultrakill ditched the heavy metal soundtrack pretty much every other Doom-like game is using in favor of some head spinning J-core. A bit unorthodox, but it works surprisingly well.
2Warhammer 40K: Boltgun
For the Emperor!
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Warhammer 40K has one of the few settings that’s even darker and more brutal than that of Doom. Considering there’s some natural overlap between the two universes, it’s a bit surprising that it took until 2023 for someone to put out a proper Doom-style 40K game. There are other 40K titles that draw inspiration from Doom, such asSpace Hulk: Deathwingor Necromunda: Hired Gun to some extent, but Boltgun was the first game to go all-out, and the results are spectacular.
Review: Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a solid throwback FPS that makes up for being generous with the resources by its excellent weapon design.
Warhammer 40K: Boltgun is a textbook example of how to pay tribute to a classic game without straight-up copying it. The game takes everything we love about the original Doom and improves upon it in every way while also offering 40K fans the retro Space Marine power fantasy they always wanted. If you haven’t checked it out yet, we urge you to fix that asap. You won’t be disappointed by what this boomer shooter has to offer.
1Doom (2016)
It Doesn’t Get Any More Doom Than Doom
We realize this isn’t the most original pick, but it would just feel wrong to talk about the OG Doom without mentioning the modern games. Doom (2016) is basically the game id Software would have made back in the early 90s if they had the technology to do so. While the OG Doom will forever remain a classic and one of the most important games ever made (certainly one of the most important FPS games), the 2016 reboot is superior in every conceivable way.
It’s incredibly impressive how id Software managed to update the series while keeping its soul intact and avoiding most of the trends and questionable decisions plaguing modern games. And they didn’t stop with Doom (2016) either.DOOM Eternalis a worthy follow-up that’s somehow even more action-packed than its predecessor and then, of course, there’s the upcoming Doom: The Dark Ages, which looks incredible from what we’ve seen so far. If you’re a purist who insists on only playing retro – or retro-looking games – make an exception just this one time for the modern Doom games. We promise you won’t regret it.
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