Whether you’re a veteran Slayer or new to the series, here’s our breakdown of all the Doom games ranked, worst to best.
It’s hard (if not impossible) to understand the evolution of the first-person shooter (FPS) genre without having played the original Doom games. Their amazing level design and gunplay, brought to life with remarkable tech and a banging soundtrack, reshaped the entire medium forever. Even to this day, many developers are still honoring that Doom legacy, such as Auroch Digital’s Warhammer 40K: Boltgun.
For the sake of simplicity and brevity, this ranked list of Doom games strictly focuses on the main releases in the Doom franchise (we’ll still need to wait a while until the prequel Doom: The Dark Ages can grace this list). Although honorable mentions must go to the many, many user-made mods and notable re-releases which have arrived over the decades.
“But isn’t a Doom a dark fantasy series of sorts, with demons and all?” Well, technically yeah. However, in all the continuities the main character, the Doom Slayer (aka Doomguy), finds himself on Mars after demons break into our dimension due to experiments having gone wrong. The lore gradually got more convoluted, and the reboot entries are much more packed with worldbuilding, but the point is: Doom is a series of sci-fi video games set in the future that just so happen to feature demons and fantasy elements too.
Doom is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the best space games and famous FPS video game series. If you’re into shooting aliens and bad guys in order to get sick loot and save the universe, be sure to check out our ranked lists for the Borderlands, Halo, Half-Life, and Alien franchises too.
6. Doom 3
- Platforms: PC, Linux, macOS, PS3/4, Xbox/360/One, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: id Software
Doom 3 isn’t a bad game by any means. In fact, it could be considered one of the best shooters of the 2000s due to its (back then) advanced graphics, tight gunplay, and really spooky vibes. The thing is (and still is) Doom wasn’t meant to be scary despite its darker elements and all the gallons of blood; in other game series with similar premises, you’re scared of the demons and monstrosities, yet in Doom it’s the other way around.
On the surface, Doom 3 looks and plays like a classic Doom game. While the rebooted story (also set on Mars in the future) plays things safe, the overall mood, pacing, and approach to its mechanics outside of shooting made it more of a modern space horror FPS that happens to be a Doom game instead of an actual follow-up to Doom 1 and 2.
5. Doom 64
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo 64/Switch
- Developer: Midway Studios, Nightdive Studios
Doom 64 is a funny release in the sense that it’d been stuck as a Nintendo 64 exclusive since 1997 all the way up until 2020! That’s when Nightdive Studios released a remastered port alongside Bethesda Softworks. Now, we finally have easy (and legal) access to the true Doom 3.
Mind you, id Software didn’t develop this entry, but Midway Games did a remarkable job with what they were given. In many ways, Doom 64 offers improvements over its two predecessors, from more advanced visuals to new weapons. The story isn’t a retread either and presents itself as a logical sequel to the events of Doom 1 and 2. If you’ve never played it before, give it a fair shake.
4. Doom (2016)
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: id Software
The 2016 Doom reboot, once again handled by id Software, nailed almost everything it set out to do: it looked spectacular, ran smoothly, played super well, and expanded on the vibes and level design of the two original games. This was the kind of “return to the OG roots” that many franchises had been trying to achieve with poor results. Meanwhile, id Software took its time to evaluate what Doom truly was and came out swinging.
Admittedly, Doom (2016) does lose some steam towards the end, where chaotic battle arenas become more intense and less creative. However, it offered much more than crunchy shooting and gory kills; it was also one hell of a riff on ‘metroidvania‘ level structures and progression that had been explored in the FPS space by the Metroid Prime series first.
3. Doom Eternal
- Platforms: PC, PS4/5, Xbox One/Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: id Software
Doom Eternal reworked much of the overall flow of common combat encounters and level design, resulting in a more frenzied and relentless experience. Not every Doom fan loved this, but its daring energy alongside id Software’s “let’s really try not to repeat past hits without some extra juice” approach should be applauded.
Eternal is a direct sequel to Doom (2016), so you shouldn’t skip that one (why would you anyway?), but it immediately raises the stakes to a whole new level. The player is given plenty of new toys and abilities that make every level a joy to clear… if you can absorb all the information and hellfire that will rain down upon you.
2. Doom II
- Platforms: PC, Linux, iOS, macOS, Android, Sega Saturn, Tapwave Zodiac, PS1/3/4, Xbox/360/One, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: id Software
Sorry, but the two original Doom games still remain the best of the best in the FPS space. The real question is, out of these two, which one was actually the best on its own? Sure, Doom II strongly nurtured the development of amazing mods for decades (and continues to do so), but is the “vanilla” experience better than its predecessor’s?
We’re gonna go with “not really” on this one. Yes, Doom II is a fantastic game, among the best ever made, yet if you play the first two games back-to-back, it’s easy to notice the shortcomings of Doom II’s level design, especially during its back half. As great as every other element is, some of Doom II’s more advanced levels just feel too random when it comes to their layout and flow, and they can even become frustrating before the quality bounces back up again.
1. Doom
- Platforms: PC, Linux, iOS, macOS, Android, Sega Saturn, PS1/3/4, Xbox 360/One, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch
- Developer: id Software
And the number one spot goes to… just Doom. The classic, the OG, the grandaddy of all first-person shooters. This game is downright iconic and memorable, despite the basic graphics and the almost non-existent narrative. Everything just clicked together, and it still holds up.
The thing with the original Doom is that the FPS genre has come incredibly far since its initial release. Sure, by today’s standards it might not be as important for younger players, but even if you take the nostalgia goggles off, its genius is in plain sight (as long as you can stand the game design and graphical limitations of the 1990s). It was a leap of faith that redefined an entire medium, not just the FPS genre, and on a purely visceral level, it simply feels good to play from start to finish, even now.
