Classic Doom games ranked

Doom started its journey back in the early 90s and has been a fan-favorite franchise ever since. The series has been loved for its fast gameplay and the idea of killing demons in pixelated environments. This franchise gave importance to the first-person shooter genre on the retro gaming systems, which evolved with future entries. These games also inspired the gaming industry with its clean and responsive FPS mechanics, which inspired games like Duke Nukem back in 1996.

In 2024, we witnessed the Xbox Showcase which revealed the trailer for Doom The Dark Ages, an entry that is set in medieval times. This game will be released in 2025 for the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5, which is why fans have been looking back at the classic games in the franchise in excitement. Here we will be ranking all the classic Doom games from worst to best.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer.

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These classic Doom games are ranked from worst to best

4) Doom 3 (2004)

This game was more of an action-horror (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

This entry focused heavily on delivering players atmospheric horror, by putting them in dark claustrophobic environments. The production quality was through the roof for this game as it used advanced lighting and sound effects to make the environments feel more eerie than previous games. However, this game featured a detailed storyline, that was slower-paced than previous games in the franchise.

This slower pace was also prominent in the gameplay, which wasn't like the fast-paced action we had seen from the series before. The level designs this time around were linear as well, which the players didn't find engaging, and the weapon feel also took a hit making the gunplay less satisfying than the previous entries in the franchise.

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3) Doom 64 (1997)

This game is an old-school boomer shooter (Image via Bethesda Softworks)

This first-person shooter was specifically designed for the Nintendo 64 and wasn't available on any other console, meaning its availability was limited because of its console exclusivity. Everything in this title was changed for the Nintendo 64 including the graphics and the sound design. The game featured a darker atmosphere, compared to the previous entries in the franchise.

We also got to see unique level designs that helped in telling the story through environments and in-game texts. However, the console it was made for wasn't the best choice, as the Nintendo 64 controller was not built for first-person shooter games, making the gameplay difficult for many players.

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2) Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994)

The sequel was heavily anticipated by the gaming community (Image via id Software)

Hell on Earth was a much-awaited sequel by the players, which improved the first game's shortcomings. The second game introduced new weapons to the mix such as the super shotgun, which went well with the newly added enemies such as Arch-vile and Pain Elemental. This entry also focused on making the levels feel larger than life, by making them bigger and more complex than the first game.

However, this idea of expanding the size and scope of the levels came at a cost. Stages now felt overly complex and confusing to some players, resulting in frustration during traversal. Also, players expected the sequel to look a little better graphically than the first game, but there were only minor improvements, making both entries look identical for the most part.

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1) Doom (1993)

This game is a 2.5D first-person shooter (Image via id Software)

The first entry that started it all, aimed at introducing players to a fast-paced first-person shooter game. This was revolutionary at the time as the FPS market wasn't filled with unique games, which is what Doom (1993) capitalized on. It featured an iconic soundtrack to make your heart race during the gameplay, complex yet understandable level designs and co-op play.

Since it was the first entry in the franchise, the gameplay was a bit repetitive, an issue that the developers would resolve in future entries. The story here is minimal as the gunplay takes the front seat, however, the main plot revolves around closing a portal to hell, by killing all the demons that have come out because of an experiment gone wrong.