Doom is easily one of the most popular and recognizable video game IPs out there, and it's easy to see why this is the case. A historic franchise that — along with Wolfenstein — pioneered the evolution of the first-person shooter genre, the journey of Doom through the ages as it went through several gameplay evolutions and changes is truly fascinating for fans of video gaming, in general.
The history of Doom encompasses multiple decades and innovations that have become a staple of the FPS genre ever since, with all the games in this series being notable in some way or the other. For ardent gamers who want an in-depth look into the history of Doom, here are all the games in the series listed out in the chronology of their release dates.
7 Doom (1993)
Unlike its brother series Wolfenstein, Doom started out as an out-and-out FPS with the Doomguy shooting down waves of monsters from hell... and it never looked back since its first installment released all the way back in 1993.
The first Doom was nothing short of a monumental achievement that showed just how much fun it could be to mow down waves of enemies without a care in the world. The runaway success of this legendary title spawned a successful series that is still going strong to this day.
6 Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994)
Given the massive success of the original Doom, it was only a given that id Software would capitalize on this success by developing a sequel that would allow the Doom franchise to shine even more... and this was successfully accomplished with Doom II: Hell on Earth.
While the gameplay of Doom II might be similar to that of its predecessor, it's the level design of this game that ends up being world-class and a step above the original Doom. Levels are bigger, more sprawling, and non-linear, praising people for straying off the beaten path and rewarding them with a whole host of collectibles — a form of level design that was replicated in the modern Doom titles as well.
5 Final Doom (1996)
Final Doom was another chapter in the classic Doom series that ended up combining two megawads (basically a collection of levels) into a massive package that offered up more of the beloved Doom goodness... although it did have its fair share of detractors.
Most people pointed out the fact that, with the thousands of levels that fans could download online, Final Doom was pretty much a waste of money and only for hardcore fans of Doom who wanted to support the series and play some well-constructed levels as well.
4 Doom 64 (1997)
One of the few Doom games to be strictly exclusive to consoles before the game was finally ported over to modern systems after a 13-year gap, Doom 64 is another chapter in the series that sees the iconic Doomguy go through another batch of levels as they destroy all the hellspawns in their path.
While Doom 64 was one of the better-looking Doom games at the time, players and critics alike had to admit that the Doom formula had become somewhat stale. This, coupled with the fact that thousands of levels of Doom could be downloaded online and played at a moments notice, made Doom 64 feel even more unnecessary... although some people did find the new levels in Doom 64 to be some of the most well-made levels in the entirety of the series.
3 Doom 3 (2004)
After a 7-year hiatus, id Software decided to release a new chapter in the Doom series in the form of a numbered sequel that would take the franchise in a new direction. This was achieved with Doom 3, which was a massive departure from the previous Doom games that emphasized on the horror and story aspects of the game along with its gunplay.
In fact, Doom 3 was such a major success for id Software that they actually focused on this game for almost a decade, with the two most notable additions and re-releases for this game coming in the form of...
Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (2005)
An expansion pack for Doom 3, Resurrection of Evil was a worthy addition to the atmospheric and engaging levels of Doom 3 that ended up being a worthy purchase for any fan of the Doom series.
Featuring two new weapons, four new enemy types, and a wide array of new content, Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil was a blast to play through... even though it didn't really tread any new ground.
Doom 3: BFG Edition (2012)
Most people who've played Doom 3 have definitely tried out the BFG Edition — the definitive release of Doom 3 that ended up overhauling the graphics, control system, and various gameplay mechanics to make the game all the more accessible to new players who wanted to try out Doom 3 for themselves.
While some of the new additions in Doom 3: BFG Edition were rightly criticized — with the broken autosave mechanic being a source of irritation for many players — the overall game is certainly a step-up over the original Doom 3 and the best way to experience this classic.
2 Doom (2016)
After the release of Doom 3: BFG Edition, the franchise was silent for the longest time, which was a source of worry for some Doom players who assumed that this historic IP had been silently put to rest. However, this was far from the case — id Software was actually hard at work trying to revolutionize the gameplay of the classic Doom titles for a modern generation.
The end result was a reboot of the franchise simply called Doom, which ended up becoming one of the biggest surprises of 2016 with its fast-paced gameplay and game design, which served as the perfect mashup of retro gaming and modern gameplay innovations to serve up a delectable demon-shooting package that is quite a blast to play through... literally!
1 Doom Eternal (2020)
With the massive success of Doom's reboot, it was only a matter of time before id Software would release a sequel that could make everything bigger, badder, and better than this game — something that Doom Eternal manages to accomplish in impressive fashion.
Doom Eternal features numerous gameplay improvements — with traversal being an obvious highlight in this regard — that elevate the experience to an entirely different level. While the massive number of nuances in Doom's gameplay can take a while to get used to, there's no denying the fact that the end result is nothing short of magical.
Stepping into the shoes of the Doom Slayer and wrecking all his foes from hell is a wildly entertaining experience that never gets tiring no matter what.