Since the widely acclaimed Doom was released in 1993, video games have based their design around the series. Doom is a sci-fi first-person shooter that is known for being the earliest to put the genre on the map. Someone was even audacious enough to get Doom running on a McDonald’s cash register! Decades later, Doom continues to be relevant with a 2016 reboot.
In-between entries of this legendary FPS franchise, players have time to try other first-person shooters along the lines of Doom. Doom (2016) has a story that deals with the afterlife and is complicated enough that it isn’t convoluted or unnecessary. Set on the planet Mars, the protagonist Doom Slayer must endure an onslaught of demonic entities. These are brutal games like Doom fans of the franchise need to play.
Updated March 25, 2022, by Ritwik Mitra: Doom was one of the most groundbreaking FPS titles of all time. The game was nothing short of an absolute blast, paving the way for these shooters to become the norm in PC gaming and still defining trends to this day. A big part of what made Doom such a popular title was the sheer levels of brutality present in the game, with enemies exploding in heaps of gore with the right weapons. Players who want to check out more games in the same vein should try out the following games on this list.
20 Soldier Of Fortune 2
For a game that was released in 2002, it’s genuinely amazing to see just how fleshed out the gore systems of Soldier of Fortune 2 really were. Players could shoot enemies at various parts of their bodies to kill them in a myriad of ways.
Some of these deaths were extremely brutal, with players being able to hit different parts of a dead body and watch these areas react realistically to the bullets being aimed their way. It was an extremely violent game that has become a cult classic of sorts nowadays.
19 Postal 2
The phrase “going Postal” has become pretty popular, and fans have this game to thank for that. At a glance, Postal 2 doesn’t seem like the most revolutionary game around, but it’s when players start messing around in the game that they truly find out the depths of their character’s depravity.
Postal 2 is a highly controversial game that doesn’t shy away from violence. While the problematic nature of this game is up for debate, there’s no denying that the game is extremely violent and lets players kill off enemies in the most creative — and sometimes hilarious — ways.
18 Hell Let Loose
This multiplayer tactical first-person shooter might not let players run rampant with their guns, but the degree of violence in this game is pretty intense. This makes it a great candidate for brutal games like Doom.
Hell Let Loose might not be the most popular shooter around, but managing to play a single game will let players witness the true carnage of war indeed. The gore here might be overt, but it’s not for show and serves a purpose. The horrors of war are not something to be glorified, and Hell Let Loose personifies this statement to a T.
17 Unreal Tournament: Game Of The Year Edition
Unreal Tournament is one of the most beloved and revolutionary first-person shooters. Racking up kills as the narrator commends the player at every step of the way is nothing short of an absolute blast.
The Game of the Year Edition is easily the best version of this game, featuring some amazing content and great gunplay that still holds up to this day. This fast-paced arena shooter was so popular that most people still don’t think this game has been topped to this day.
16 Serious Sam 4
The Serious Sam series is one of the most underrated FPS franchises around, allowing players to adopt classic run-and-gun tactics as they shoot down wave upon wave of otherworldly enemies. For the longest time, players assumed that Serious Sam would end its legacy as a trilogy of games.
So, these people were pleasantly surprised to hear the announcement of a fourth game in the series. It’s a great title that combines the old-school gameplay of the series with modern improvements to make for the best Serious Sam experience that longtime fans absolutely loved.
15 Bulletstorm
While Bulletstorm plays out closer to a modern military shooter than a classic ’90s romp, it certainly does not hold back when it comes to creative kills. With an enjoyable over-the-top narrative that presents countless opportunities to tear enemies apart, Bulletstorm balances a decent selection of guns with an energy leash that is an absolute blast to use.
A downside to Bulletstorm is that it does not offer too great of a challenge, even on its highest difficulty. Therefore, this is one game that allows players to brutally demolish fodder enemies without the constant fear that the same will happen in reverse. Also, Duke Nukem is in some versions.
14 Devil Daggers
This 2016 indie game strips down the classic FPS experience to its bare minimum. Dropped into an arena that forever fills with spawning mobs, the goal is to survive for as long as possible while taking out hundreds of enemies.
It is a simple concept that works brilliantly due to Devil Daggers’ responsive and frantic gameplay. This is one of those titles that makes the basic acts of moving and shooting fun while ensuring players never have a moment’s rest. Once a session is underway and a rhythm is established, Devil Daggers can be cathartic.
13 Blood
Anyone fond of Doom’s earliest games should feel right at home with 1997’s Blood, which was remastered in 2019 as Blood: Fresh Supply. Caleb is a gunslinger out for revenge against the god Tchernobog, and his quest involves plenty of gore, humor, and inventive weaponry.
Blood is one of the best shooters of the ’90s, even if it never quite garnered the same reputation as Doom or Quake. As far as old-school shooters are concerned, this one is difficult to beat.
12 Hard Reset
Sometimes, there is nothing more satisfying than ceaseless carnage. Hard Reset does not pretend to be anything sophisticated or deep; the point is to simply destroy everything that moves en route to the end of a level. This proves to be rather difficult to accomplish as Hard Reset eventually begins to throw full armies at the player, crafting an energetic symphony of explosions, corpses, and electricity.
Hard Reset features a unique upgrade system revolving around two weapons, although everything else screams “’90s shooter.”
11 Painkiller: Black Edition
Shooters just love to pit rough heroes against the forces of hell. Painkiller: Black Edition features 2004’s base game and one of its expansions, “Battle Out of Hell,” which combine to create 34 levels of exhilarating FPS mayhem. After diving headfirst into a truck, Daniel Garner wakes up in Purgatory and learns that his wife has made it to Heaven. Naturally, Daniel sets out on a journey.
Painkiller features diverse settings, a small pool of versatile weapons, and an impressive assortment of enemies; more importantly, it is incredibly fun to play.
10 Remnant: From the Ashes
Remnant: From The Ashes is one of the most overwhelming games of 2019. Inspired by Dark Souls, it is a third-person shooter that offers a new kind of challenge to players. With its dark themes, including demonic entities, Remnant may have also been inspired by Doom.
It may not be as violent as Doom, but there’s more than one reason why Remnant: From The Ashes received an M for mature rating; it contains strong language, blood, and violence. If you want a break from Doom Eternal, this game will keep you occupied in the meantime.
9 Unreal Tournament 3
Although the Unreal Tournament series isn’t the first example of a first-person franchise shooter, it is one of the earliest. From Epic Games, the same developer who created games like Gears of War and Fortnite, Unreal Tournament 3 is available on platforms such as Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
It’s one of the first games to make use of the Unreal Engine, a widely popular game engine used in a variety of games today. The most recent Unreal Engine is the Unreal Engine 4, which is used for games like Ark: Survival Evolved, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Gears 5, Kingdom Hearts III, Minecraft: Dungeons, and Sea of Thieves.
8 Quake Champions
For longer than we can remember, Quake has been closely linked with Doom for being one of the earliest examples of a first-person shooter. Quake Champions was developed by id Software, the same development company behind Doom. Quake Champions was released in 2017.
Given the popularity of Doom, it seems that Quake has been overshadowed in recent years. Quake Champions is a free-to-play PC exclusive, so there is little preventing people from jumping into the game today. Quake Champions is the first Quake game to release since 2005’s Quake 4.
7 Halo 5: Guardians
Many people’s first reaction would be to say that Halo 5: Guardians and Doom are not alike. The first obvious argument would be to say that both Halo 5: Guardians and Doom are similar because they are both first-person shooter games. Halo has evolved into a game that is more and more like Doom.
The multiplayer in particular is very similar to Doom with both games using character classes with similar customization. Their campaigns might be very different, but it looks like 343 Industries has taken a step towards Doom with their latest Halo.
6 Crysis
When Crysis was released, its graphics were among the best we’ve ever seen. Photorealistic graphics combined with heart-racing first-person combat made Crysis a must-play. There have been three Crysis games in total. This revered franchise should introduce new games to the series since there is undoubtedly a demand for it.
It’s comparable to Doom because they are both futuristic first-person shooting games. The fast-paced nature of Crysis is another reason why it’s akin to Doom. It’s a good option to check out while you’re waiting for the next Doom game.
5 Prey
Prey is a single-player first-person shooter adventure. Along the lines of BioShock and even Doom, Prey was released in 2017. The story takes place in an alternate timeline where the world is a different place. The game kicks off with an exciting premise.
Many will find something to like in Prey because of its immersive open-world on an unsafe space station. It’s worth noting that both Prey and Doom were published by Bethesda Softworks. The game publisher is responsible for handling the finances of a video game’s development and its marketing.
4 Metro Exodus
Continuing the Metro game series is the latest addition to Metro Exodus. This time around, the game has the most immersive world to explore yet. When we think of the Soviet game Metro Exodus, it is comparable to a game like GoldenEye 007. It is an exceptional game if played on the Xbox One X or PS4 Pro.
However, long loading times on Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 prevent the game from reaching its potential. The story of Metro Exodus keeps the game together when it reaches its low points.
3 Killing Floor 2
It’s a brutally graphic game that will put the skill of the most talented Doom players to the test. It contains a great deal of blood and violence, which makes it not recommended for children.
The game could make your stomach churn because of its graphic nature. Killing Floor 2’s enemy and weapon variety keeps the game interesting. Its boss fights are arduous fun. Killing Floor 2 is widely available on platforms such as Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.
2 Wolfenstein: The Old Blood
Since the beginning of Wolfenstein, it has been in close competition with Doom. Wolfenstein 3D came out before Doom, but rarely gets the credit it deserves. The weapon variety may be the highpoint of Wolfenstein: The Old Blood.
Unfortunately, Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is not the most enjoyable Wolfenstein game to be released. Games like Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus had a better narrative and were more fun to play. That won’t stop many from enjoying Wolfenstein: The Old Blood for what it is; an immersive first-person shooter with a gripping single-player campaign.
1 Shadow Warrior 2
The amount of violence, blood, and gore makes Shadow Warrior 2 remarkably similar to Doom. Both games dip into demonic themes and are first-person shooters. IGN compared Shadow Warrior 2 to Doom, saying it is like “Doom with a pottymouth.” The weapon variety and gameplay make it similar to games like BioShock and Doom.
Players can upgrade their weapons for others with higher stats. Its loot system makes it much like Diablo. This 2016 hidden gem is one that few have experienced, but everyone should.
Doom was released on December 10, 1993, and is available for PC, Sega 32X, Atari Jaguar, Amiga OS, SNES, PlayStation, 3DO, Sega Saturn, RISC OS, Game Boy Advance, Xbox 360, Mobile, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
