DOOM Series Review (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo & PC)

Wolfenstein, Doom and Exhumed forged the (un)holy trinity of first-person shooters back in the nineties, permanently transforming the medium and shifting the axis into a more powerful, immersive experience that would ultimately inspire hundreds, no, thousands of franchises in future years. However, where the likes of Exhumed and other lesser known titles fell flat and retreated into their caskets before witnessing the ascension into the modern era, Wolfenstein and DOOM powered forward and lit the torches for others to follow. Shortly thereafter, a powerhouse was born, and first-person shooters became the most sought after games in the world. To that, we owe both id Software and DOOM our credit; without them, we wouldn’t have most of the franchises that we both play and adore today.

There’s a reason why seasoned gamers refer to the franchise as the “father” of first-person shooters — and that’s because, when all’s said and done, it both pioneered and modernized the genre. Before the rise in popularity, DOOM played an enormous role in the expansion of three dimensional physics, revolutionary combat mechanics, and a fast-paced gameplay feel that allowed its players to jump into the action and experience the world through an entirely different perspective. It was big, bold, and beyond epic — more so given that, at least during the time of its launch, the word “epic” wasn’t so widely spoken, much less used in relation to video games.

To Hell and Back

As a franchise, DOOM has traveled leaps and bounds to formulate a seemingly impenetrable iron fist that settles for no benchmark other than the one it set out for itself in the aftermath of its global success. Since then, the series has been able to retain that faithful signature whilst also evolving with the times to adopt new features, mechanics, and techniques. The thing is, at no point has it needed to breathe new life into its heart; it was beating at a rapid pace long before the surge in doppelgängers. But that’s something that I can’t help but admire: the fact that, despite already having the original tools to remain immortal, the series has continued to expand and explore vast new territories and innovations.

Say, if you think of the word “metal,” then you almost always pair it with the word “DOOM,” too. And there’s a reason for this: DOOM is metal. Scratch that, it’s the baddest thing you will ever sink your teeth into. It’s a pulpy concept, sure, but it’s also fair to say that, if you slot bullets and demons, grenades and the fiery pits of Hell into one cauldron, then you’re going to find the perfect cocktail of hazy flavors and a general sense of badassery that you wouldn’t normally find anywhere else. And that’s something that the franchise has been more than capable of producing since day one: the bullet-brazen chaos that not only feels barbarically bashful, but oh-so satisfying and morbidly endearing.

Bone Broth & Bullets

Although the core design and gameplay elements have undergone a few major adjustments over the years, the beating heart of the series’ hellish locale and bullet points have remained perfectly consistent throughout, with each chapter having that distinct theme and level of quality both within the combat and progression itself. Frankly, I have absolutely no quarrel with any of that whatsoever, as DOOM has, in all honesty, been holding onto liquid gold for the best part of thirty years, give or take. It’s an IP that, while still under the same umbrella as thousands of fantastic series, isn’t in need of anything majorly special to stay afloat. This isn’t to say that it’s an unstoppable force that has no weak points; it’s merely accepting the fact that, as a series, it has always been capable of capturing the right balance between excellent and outstanding, and it has proven that several times over, truly.

As much as I’d love to say that DOOM has always been an advocate for stellar storytelling, I can’t vouch for it. But then, being able to weave a compelling narrative isn’t its forte; it’s birthing captivating combat-driven sequences that lean into tense encounters and risky situations, last-ditch reserves and brutal battles. To be fair, DOOM has been able to clutch onto that mantra since its initial debut, and it’s only continuing to grow and grasp even greater features to further stoke the fire, both in the combat and the gameplay aspects, in general. Honestly, I can’t bring myself to complain about any of that, even if the series hasn’t ever been all that good at stitching an intriguing plot together. But, in all seriousness, DOOM isn’t a storyteller; it’s a middle finger to the conventional first-person shooter—a rebel with a pulsating heart of blood and bullets, demons and hellfire. DOOM, really, will always be that.

Verdict

Of all the forefathers of first-person shooters, DOOM was one of the select few that dared to rock the apple cart and take the genre beyond the realm of normalcy, with its brash and blood-injected combat style and pulsating gameplay mechanics that openly testified against the conventional shooter. Frankly, not many other intellectual properties can claim those bragging rights. But, for DOOM and its webbing of chaos-driven excursions into Hell and back, it’s a birthright that it can proudly wear on its sleeve for generations without needing to explain itself or fend its rightful place on the battlefield.

There’ll always be a soft spot in the back of my mind for DOOM. Sure, it’s a mixture of childhood memories and a general fondness of pioneering franchises that steer this kind of ship. However, I have absolutely no issue with openly recommending DOOM to those who just want to slip into the smoke and haze of a dainty battlefield. Of course, if it’s a story-driven battler with rich character development arcs that tickle your fancy, then you obviously won’t find any of that here. But, for a devilish romp through the fiery pits of Hell, you needn’t carve any deeper than into the veins of this ungodly world and its epic history.