Doom 64

Hell has returned, and this time it looks darker than ever. Doom 64 was not just a lazy port of the PC legend to a console but an entirely new chapter built on its own engine, with new levels, new graphics and an atmosphere that ventured much deeper into horror darkness. For many it is one of the most underrated installments of the entire series.

The game was developed by the studio Midway and released in 1997. All textures and sprites were redrawn from scratch, so demons and environments gained a more sinister, richer look. A key role was played by dynamic lighting, thanks to which the corridors drowned in darkness and the shadows kept you in constant tension. Together with the excellent, atmospheric and almost ambient soundtrack by Aubrey Hodges, it created a feeling of lonely dread the original Doom never had.

In play, Doom 64 stays true to its roots: fast movement, hunting for colored keys, flipping switches and mowing down hordes of enemies with an arsenal rounded out by a devastating new weapon. The level design, however, was more labyrinthine and darker, with an emphasis on traps and puzzles with secret rooms.

For many years Doom 64 remained the exclusive domain of Nintendo 64 owners, a kind of lost chapter of the saga. That changed in 2020 when an official remaster came out for modern platforms, thanks to which a whole new generation rediscovered the game and critics hailed it as a worthy part of the canon.

Today Doom 64 is recognized as a unique, horror-tinged offshoot of the series that is worth getting to know even beyond nostalgia. Its atmosphere is unmistakable.

Why play: For the darker, spookier face of Doom and the atmospheric soundtrack that turns hell into a truly oppressive place.