The Best Games Like Doom Where You Blast the Baddies To Hell
DOOM has always been the defining benchmark of the First-Person Shooter genre—this is a statement that will rarely be argued against. It blew our minds in 1993, it did it again in 2016 with the release of the 'reboot', and it’s revving it up big-time for the upcoming DOOM: Eternal.
The series laid the groundwork for virtually every FPS that came after, but that's not to say it's the only rip-roaring trailblazer in the genre. Taking influence from DOOM while treading entirely new ground, here are 15 games that kick ass in their own rights.
15. Space Hulk: Deathwing
Space Hulk: Deathwing Campaign Gameplay
Taking place in the universe of Warhammer: 40,000, Space Hulk: Deathwing is a dark, atmospheric FPS experience. In the armored suit of a Space Marine Terminator, wield an array of powerful weapons and evolving abilities to take on the alien threat that lurks before you.
Space Hulks—massive derelict structures drifting through space—often hold the secrets of ancient technologies, hidden away in the dark. As a member of the unrivaled Deathwing marine force, it is down to you to brave the darkness, and survive against the vicious Genestealers that infest its depths. Lumber through claustrophobic halls; hone your unique Psyker powers; stay close to your fellow marines and watch your ammo counter—for a violent death could be lurking behind every corner...
Space Hulk: Deathwing takes DOOM's bombastic approach to sci-fi action/horror, places it in the much-loved Warhammer setting, and even allows for up to 4-player coop in addition to its single-player mode.
Brothers in arms: whether they're AI-controlled or controlled by friends through coop, your fellow marines will always fight by your side.
What makes a marine: pick out your preferred gun and melee weapon; customize your armor; and develop your powers and abilities through dedicated skill trees.
14. Shadow Warrior 2
Shadow Warrior 2 Gameplay Demo
While the relation to DOOM may not be so obvious, Shadow Warrior 2's gory, fast-paced, arcade-style gameplay carries with it a very similar spirit. Whether by the blade or dual-wielding SMGs, it’s time to tear your way through the demonic legions that now call the earth home.
It's been five years since the world order was blown to pieces, and legendary warrior Lo Wang is once again drawn into the fray. With a wicked arsenal, dry sense of humor, and collection of arcane powers up his sleeve, it's up to him to save the world from the growing darkness.
Completely de-emphasizing the modern shooter's trend of 'stick-to-cover' gameplay—not unlike DOOM—Shadow Warrior 2 is all about speed and brutality. Dash in circles around your enemies while deconstructing them one gib at a time. As well as single-player, up to 3 friends can join you online to share in the bloodbath.
Never saw it coming: a familiar weapon to DOOM fans... Shadow Warrior 2's gore-filled combat gets up close and personal, sparing no detail.
The art of destruction: every weapon and skill at Wang's disposal is upgradeable through the use of earned 'karma' and amulets—mix and match!
13. Hellbound
Hellbound Arena Mode Gameplay
Hellbound's mission statement is simple: take things back to basics. Openly identifying itself as a callback to the 90's era of DOOM and Quake among others, Hellbound is all about simple, satisfying, demon-crushing violence.
Become Hellgore, a being who wants nothing more than to unleash merciless destruction upon the forces of hell (sounding familiar yet?). Enter into fast-paced, brutal combat accompanied by a soundtrack that really couldn't have been anything other than pulse-pounding heavy metal—let's not kid ourselves here.
Developer Saibot Studios claims that there is indeed a story to complement the action, but of course it's not exactly the main draw for this gory indie venture. Hellbound is still under development and is expected to be released at some point in 2019.
Big F***ing Guns: Hellbound spares no expense when it comes to eradicating demons with satisfyingly hefty weaponry.
Let's go clubbin': Bullets aren't the only method for demon extermination. You can also kick it Bedrock style and enjoy some good old-fashioned melee.
12. Reborn
Reborn Gameplay Trailer
Yet to be released, Reborn is an FPS that leans far more heavily on the horror side of the spectrum. Where it differs from most other recent games in the horror genre is in the power it gives you to fight back. Games like Outlast and Amnesia: Dark Descent are well known for making the player feel helpless—offering no means to take on the beings that stalk you, other than to run and hide.
Reborn drops you into a dark world filled with all things occult and hellish, but with more than just a lighter or camcorder at your disposal. Pick up a shotgun and blast away the horrors that lurk around you. The game of course balances this with an oppressively spooky atmosphere, and never lets the player feel too powerful.
While showing great promise, there has been no word from the developers for quite some time, and so the game's progress towards a release remains uncertain. Having said that, it is definitely a title to keep your eyes on...
Who's scary now?: a different take on the survival/horror experience, Reborn gives you the opportunity to fight rather than flee.
Creature comforts: Reborn shares one of the genre's most brilliant characteristics—well-designed atmospheric environments that make your skin crawl.
11. Destiny 2
Destiny 2 Story Gameplay
Taking a substantial step away from the horror and more towards straight-up sci-fi action, Destiny 2 is the refined follow-up to the massively successful original. Like its predecessor, Destiny 2 is an online-only ‘shared world’ experience—meaning you’ll run into other players, but it’s entirely up to you how you interact with them (or ignore them entirely).
In a future where the Earth has become a deadly nightmare with only one remaining sanctuary for civilization, you take up the role of a Guardian—tasked with the protection of Earth’s remaining peaceful citizens as well as waging battle against the ever-threatening alien species wreaking havoc across the galaxy. You choose from 3 class options (Titan, Hunter, and Warlock), each possessing their own unique abilities to be upgraded and customized, and make use of a bewildering variety of weapons (all waiting to be looted or purchased).
Each class is designed to complement the others, so although going solo is always an option, teaming up with others for Destiny’s famous raids is always rewarding—especially when combined with a tactical yet fast-paced style of combat that makes blowing through hordes of enemies an absolute delight.
Defend the tower!: the tactical dynamics of combat are perhaps a bit more complex than others on this list, but it’s so well done that blasting through an onslaught of aliens is never dull.
For loot’s sake: the constant cycle of seeking better and better loot is as present as ever, and the sheer variety is quite impressive.
10: Gears of War 4
Gears of War 4 Campaign Gameplay
Pulling ourselves out of first-person perspective, we arrive at one of the most legendary contributions to the third-person shooting genre: Gears of War. While it’s gameplay relies much more heavily on cover-based combat (being one of its signature features) than a game like DOOM, the mix of sci-fi action with atmospheric horror is definitely here, and the pace of combat is faster and more thrilling than it’s ever been.
Gears of War 4 sees you take control of J.D. Fenix—son of the original trilogy’s hero, Marcus Fenix—as he and his pals Kait and Del investigate what turns out to be humanity’s greatest threat since the end of the Locust Horde 25 years prior. With a little (actually a lot) of help from his friends—some familiar and some new—J.D. has to follow in his grizzled father’s footsteps and put a righteously violent end to humanity’s latest threat.
It’s got gore (A LOT of it); it’s got chainsaws (mounted to guns no less); it’s got an entirely unsympathetic enemy just begging to have its head curb-stomped; and it takes the tone a bit more towards the horror vibes of the original. Add in 2-player coop and fantastic online multiplayer and you have yourself quite the recipe for enjoyable blood-soaked mayhem.
Bit of a headache: brutal executions have always been a key part of the GOW formula. The faint-of-heart need not apply.
Take cover!: the Gears series is renowned for its intuitive and well-designed cover system—you won’t last long standing around soaking up bullets... or tail needles...
9. Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 Gameplay
Borderlands 2 is a semi-open world FPS with lite RPG elements and an unquenchable thirst for loot, loot, and MORE LOOT! If DOOM to you is a game about simple “just give me a gun so I can shoot things” values, then Borderlands 2 absolutely deserves your attention.
Picking from a new set of Vault Hunters, you arrive on the planet Pandora a little while after the climactic events of the first, and it’s not long before you encounter the treachery of charismatic professional bad guy Handsome Jack. But you get back on your feet, meet some familiar faces, grab a few of the nearly infinite variations of guns (procedurally generated so the loot never stops!) and set off into a world that is beautiful, charming, varied, hilarious, and all together much better designed than the original.
The name of the game is ‘shoot and loot’, and man is it ever an addicting formula. There is always a way to improve your character’s skills and lethality, and always some new variation of monster to challenge in hopes of finding yet more loot! More so than the first, Borderlands 2 is far more accommodating to those that wish to tackle the massive game on their own, but coop (both online and offline) is always a massively fun option.
Lootin’ and levelin’ up: Each playable character has a unique class with a unique ability and unique skill trees to upgrade.
8. STRAFE
STRAFE Gameplay Walkthrough
STRAFE claims to be a 90’s style roguelike FPS of unparalleled quality and goriness. Although it definitely has its tongue in its cheek, it’s also not that far off the mark. With procedurally generated maps, a huge selection of enemies and weapons, plus that endearing pixelated look, STRAFE does quite a good job at creating a nostalgic and fun experience for fans of the 90’s shooter era.
You are a Scrapper on your own in the far reaches of space, with many tools of destruction yet only one life in which to use them. You must survive and complete the mission, because should you die, you will find yourself at the beginning of an entirely different map that neither you nor anyone else has had any experience with. So there aren’t any layouts or level exploits to learn, it’s simply all about them skills!
STRAFE does not have any form of multiplayer, but—very much in the vein of 1993’s DOOM—it is a game that sets out to just do its ‘thing’ as perfectly as it can. And that is a violent, fun, and light-hearted while at times painfully challenging ‘thing’ (a truly classic old school formula).
Elegantly simple: unlike many games today, STRAFE opts entirely for satisfying gameplay over photo-realistic visuals.
Mind the gibs: Just because it doesn’t have the cutting-edge visuals of 2016’s DOOM doesn’t mean it can’t crank the gore up to eleven!
7. Wolfenstein: The New Order
Wolfenstein: The New Order Campaign Gameplay
Wolfenstein’s heritage is not that far removed from DOOM, both being considered the pioneers of first-person shooters in the early 90’s. Similarly, the Wolfenstein series also experienced a critically-acclaimed reboot with the release of Wolfenstein: The New Order in 2014.
Beginning during the final days of World War II, you find yourself in the combat boots of B.J. Blazkowicz, who’s on a mission to take down a twisted Nazi bigwig known as ‘Deathshead’. Things of course don’t go according to plan, and B.J. ends up adrift and unconscious. Fast-forward 20 or so years and he wakes up in a hospital only to find that history took a turn for the worse: the Nazi’s won the war.
What follows is a fantastic story of revenge, heroism, and terror, framed around a decidedly old-school approach to gunplay. Health doesn’t regenerate, you’ve gotta pick up medkits—but on the flip-side if you feel like dual-wielding massive shotguns, go for it! It’s fast, explosive, and did an awesome job of reminding people about the glorious days of the 90’s shooter and the gameplay qualities that were taken for granted. It has also been followed up with a fantastic sequel: Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.
Good doggy: Wolfenstein sees you fighting not only malicious Nazi's, but also terrifying bio-mechanical abominations.
Different kind of demon: amongst the brutal and bombastic combat is a fleshed-out cast of characters—some loveable, and some of the most despicable beings you can possibly imagine.
6. HordeZ
HordeZ VR Gameplay
Unlike the rest of the games on this list, HordeZ is a virtual-reality-based ‘on-rails’ FPS—which certainly makes it arcadey, albeit in a different way, while also taking advantage of today’s groundbreaking VR tech.
Playable solo or coop, HordeZ sends you (an elite mercenary) to sort out a demonic invasion that has seriously inconvenienced the people of earth. Rolling your way through dark hallways dripping with horror atmosphere and coming up against demon-possessed zombies, you could be forgiven for briefly thinking you’d been dropped into DOOM 3.
HordeZ strikes that balance between horror and madcap violence to great effect, especially considering your survival depends almost entirely upon how well you handle virtual firearms. Be prepared for flailing arms and shrieks of terror/laughter.
Getting a bit cramped in here: experience dark, terrifying environments filled with horrifying foes, all in virtual reality.
Am I holding it right?: rather than the arcade light-guns of old, the only firearms you’re holding are inside the game itself. Remember which way to point it...
5. Prey
Prey Intro Gameplay
Released in 2017, Prey was also a sort of reboot (although really in name only) of the 2006 game of the same name. Although the original Prey was itself compared to DOOM 3 (sharing many gameplay elements), the new iteration can be compared in much broader terms.
You are Morgan Wu (male or female), one of only a few survivors aboard the Talos I space station which has been overrun by an ill-meaning and physics-defying alien species called the Typhon. Find and upgrade whatever weapons you can, and choose from a wide selection of unique abilities (Neuromods) to give yourself an edge—even if it means becoming like one of those horrible things.
A strong emphasis on atmosphere and the implications of mankind’s desire to push beyond scientific boundaries both show common ground between Prey and DOOM (not to mention sharing the composer of DOOM 2016’s brilliant soundtrack: Mick Gordon). Having said that, Prey’s approach to gameplay is magnitudes slower-paced, favoring slow-building tension over break-neck action. Both approaches deserve appreciation from any sci-fi/horror fan.
Jorgen...you doin’ alright?: it’s up to you whether you face the typhon head-on with all-out combat or opt for a stealthier approach.
Who Yu is, is up to You: put thought into your character. You could try out everything, but going for a more specific playstyle may turn out better in the long run.
4. Titanfall 2
Titanfall 2 Single-player Gameplay
Set in a future far removed from Earth, Titanfall 2 puts you in control of a pilot, who consequently has the ability to take control of the eponymous Titans—massive mechs designed for large-scale warfare. Unlike the first Titanfall, this one introduced a very solid single-player campaign alongside its online multiplayer.
Jack Cooper (your pilot) fights for the Militia who in turn fight against the oppressive environment-exploiting corporation known as the IMC (Interstellar Manufacturing Corp.). Fighting his way through the ongoing conflict, Cooper forms a unique friendship with BT, the AI of a Titan. Many action-packed escapades follow throughout a well told sci-fi story.
Aside from piloting the Titans, much time is spent on foot as the pilot himself, armed with jet boosters that allow for an incredibly fast and agile way of getting around. Like DOOM, it has become increasingly clear how much people missed the speed of classic shooters.
Unleash the titans: take out your enemies on foot with great speed, or hop in a Titan and sacrifice mobility for greater firepower.
Tranquility: outside of the chaotic warfare, you may get to see glimpses of the world’s threatened beauty.
3. Hunt: Showdown
Hunt: Showdown Gameplay Demo w/ Commentary
Part western, part zombie horror; Hunt: Showdown is a unique survival FPS that tasks you—a bounty hunter—with exterminating the horrific ghouls that now occupy the bayous of Louisiana. Entirely online, the game melds together a unique brand of survival/horror with the phenomenally popular ‘battle royale’ genre of games like Fortnite and Playerunknown's Battlegrounds.
Initially, the goal is primarily focused on the tracking and killing of monsters. Once this has been accomplished, fulfilling the bounty, you’d best start watching your back—because you just snagged everyone else’s opportunity for pay.
This uneasy blend of cooperation and paranoia adds another layer of tension on top of an already rather bleak situation, and works it to great effect. So grab your duster and get ready to fan that hammer, because this swamp ain’t big enough for all y’all!
Extra-Wild-West: almost like a slightly more serious version of Red Dead Redemption’s Undead Nightmare expansion, the western/horror mix actually works quite well.
Beware the living: ’friend-or-foe' is an ever-present concern in this corner of the bayou.
2. Rage 2
Rage 2 Gameplay Preview
DOOM and Rage may both come up in the same conversation pretty quickly because they are both creations of id software, but while there is some definite commonality, each stands quite strongly on its own. Although Rage 2 has mostly involved id software in more of a consulting context (with the bulk being handled by Avalanche Studios), their fingerprints are still there in the game’s fast-paced gunplay and concept.
Taking place in a post-asteroid-impact wasteland, sprinkled with some heavy Mad Max flavoring, you have the choice of navigating the massive open-world by foot or by vehicle. Various weapons and upgradeable powers are also at your disposal, and you will need them for your inevitable encounters with the wasteland’s mutated denizens.
Rage 2 is still in development and is currently slated for release on May 14, 2019. And most are in agreement that it looks very worthy of excitement. id software themselves consider it to be the true realization of their ambitions for the original Rage.
Non-friendlies: you will meet your fair share of unpleasant things in the wasteland that would just love to ruin your day.
Threats both big and small: Rage enjoyed throwing the player into the odd David vs. Goliath type encounter, and the second appears to carry on this tradition.
1. Metro: Exodus
Metro: Exodus Gameplay Preview w/ Dev. Commentary
We finish off this list with an upcoming survival/horror game that I personally am incredibly excited for. Metro: Exodus will be the third game based off the novels of Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, and promises to be the most ambitious one yet.
Picking up a while after the events of Metro: Last Light, Exodus brings you back to the brutally inhospitable Russian wasteland; home to peaceful survivors as well as bloodthirsty mutants and Nazis (among other horrible things). In a similar vein to Prey, Metro takes a slower-paced approach when compared to DOOM, but introduces many of its own unique gameplay elements to form a survival/horror FPS experience that stands out very distinctly.
Even with extreme firepower, sometimes stealth is the smarter approach, and don’t even think about heading out onto the surface without your gas mask and Geiger-counter. Every move you make requires thought, otherwise it could easily be your last.
Metro: Exodus has its release planned for February 22, 2019—just enough time to check out the others if you haven’t already (go for the ‘redux’ editions if you can!).
Nuclear winter: the metro series depicts a particularly formidable post-apocalyptic environment, taking place only 23 years after the bombs dropped...
Adapt to survive: many of the weapons you will find and use are makeshift creations that while looking a little rough, may prove remarkably effective.
But Wait!...
Bonus: Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Wolfenstein: Youngblood Official Teaser Trailer
Although we already touched upon the Wolfenstein series, an honorable mention goes to this upcoming spinoff sequel. Following the events of The New Colossus, you will play as one of B.J. Blazkowicz’s twin daughters as they seek him out in the Nazi-infested city of Paris.
Having twin sisters fighting alongside one another presented an organic way of introducing a coop mode into the previously single-player-only series. Of course, it’s still entirely playable solo, but the notion of being able to share the experience of Wolfenstein’s visceral combat with a friend is just too exciting to ignore.
Little is known about gameplay and story specifics at this point, with only a teaser trailer to go by—but hopefully we’ll find out more in the next few months, as it is planned for release in 2019.
Like father, like daughters: roughly 20 years after The New Colossus, B.J’s daughters are grown up and ready to kick some Nazi ass.
Paris, Je t’aime: Youngblood will see the daughters in Nazi-occupied Paris, a locale previously visited in The New Order.
So there you have it.
In the end this article is not so much about games 'resembling’ DOOM as it is about how they use its legendary example to create entirely new types of gaming experiences. And with games like Rage 2, Hellbound, Metro: Exodus, and DOOM: Eternal on 2019’s horizon, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic year for inventive shooters.
But in the meantime, there’s a bunch of awesome titles worth checking out right now!
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