Doom from 2016 was a triumphant reboot of id Software's legendary series, which after the disappointment of Doom 3 returned to its roots of brutal, breakneck demon-slaying on Mars and in Hell itself. The game builds on a philosophy of push-forward combat, where the player is actively encouraged to charge straight into enemy waves rather than hide behind cover, since the Glory Kill system lets brutal finishing moves on staggered demons instantly refill health and ammo. There's no automatic health regeneration and no conventional reloading, so the player has no reason to retreat and the game keeps pushing them forward.
The arsenal includes the iconic Super Shotgun, a chainsaw for carving enemies into ammo, and the series' undisputedly most iconic weapon, the BFG9000, with each weapon moddable via two distinct upgrade paths depending on preferred playstyle. The level design combines fast, vertical arenas full of hidden secrets with nods to the classic nineties titles, such as secret levels accessible only through retro-styled portals. Collecting figures, runes, and Praetor Suit upgrades also gives exploration a purpose beyond combat itself, rewarding players who don't settle for the shortest path to the next elevator.
Mick Gordon's accompanying soundtrack, with its aggressive metal-industrial sound that reacts to the flow of combat, became one of the most iconic game soundtracks of the decade and, for many players, is inseparable from the game itself. The multiplayer component and the SnapMap editor were received more mixedly than the single-player campaign, which on its own definitively restored players' faith in the Doom brand and paved the way for the even more successful sequel Eternal four years later. On Xbox One the game maintained smooth performance, which matters more for a shooter this fast than texture detail, and it still feels fresh today.
Game 28 of 204 for Xbox One
The same title elsewhere (3)
The PC/DOS version is the original and remains the definitive edition — it ran at higher resolution, supported mouse-and-keyboard controls, and had music through sound cards like the Sound Blaster or AdLib. The Atari Jaguar port became famous for a different reason: under time pressure the developers cut the music entirely, so you play through in near silence with only sound effects, even though the speed and smoothness of the action were praised at the time as remarkably good for a console. The SEGA 32X version came off worst of all — its levels had to be shortened and rearranged compared to the original, resolution and frame rate were lower, and its thin music plus sluggish pace still make it the weakest and least recommended way to play Doom.
