If there is one franchise that successfully mixed old-school elements with modern gaming mechanics better than anything else, it is Doom. Breaking the franchise down to its core, the Doom games’ premise is pretty straightforward. You play as a badass doom slayer who stands as Earth’s last line of defense against hellspawns. It is a single-player first-person shooter where you kill demons left and right while listening to fast-paced heavy metal music. Now, tell me that isn’t adrenaline-inducing or blood-pumping fun?
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Admittedly, the franchise has gone on a rollercoaster ride—it became the pinnacle of the FPS genre, plummeted down in quality, and rose right back. The Doom series encountered problems that seemed unpassable over the years. Whereas most franchises would buckle from the pressure and ultimately die out, Doom persevered and is arguably in its best form yet. And you can thank the newest series reboot for that.
The Doom series, in our opinion, is in the best place today than ever before. Doom (2016) revived interest in the franchise in every sense of the word. While its follow-up, Doom Eternal, took it to avenues fans could only imagine back then. Both are excellent, and both are worthy of inclusion in any great FPS games list.
This begs the question: Which of the two is better? Doom (2016) or Doom Eternal? Read on as we get into the gritty nitty of that.
What Makes Both Doom Games Great
But before we answer which of the two is better, let us first remind ourselves of what made both of them great.
Doom (2016) and its follow-up, Doom Eternal, are considered great games for a number of reasons. First, the combat in both games is incredibly satisfying. These games reward players for aggressive play and encourage them to constantly switch weapons and use all of their abilities in order to survive. There is never a dull moment with these two, and that is perhaps the main pulling factor of Doom games. Moreover, the enemies are also very well-designed and provide a good challenge.
Second, the level design is excellent. The levels are all very well-paced and visually stunning. They also offer a good variety of challenges, from platforming sections to combat arenas. Third, the two games’ soundtrack is absolutely incredible. It perfectly captures the intensity of the action and helps to immerse players in the experience. In fact, they are so good, you’d want to unironically listen to them even outside the games themselves.
Overall, both Doom games are fantastic. They are sure to please fans of the genre, and, of course, the Doom franchise itself. It is fast-paced, action-packed, and visually stunning. We cannot recommend both games enough. If you have the chance to experience any of the two for a low price or for free, then do yourself a favor and grab it! That is how good this rebooted Doom series is now, and I believe, the guys at id Software is just beginning.
With that out of the way, let us finally crown which of the two stunningly great video games is better.
Which Is The Better Game?
There is no doubt in our minds that in terms of overall impact, for both the series and the gaming industry as a whole, Doom (2016) takes the cake. After all, it was the title that brought back this storied first-person shooter franchise to relevancy. It was the saving grace that the franchise needed when it was at its lowest point. If not for Doom (2016), an argument can be made that there wouldn’t be Doom anymore. Without it, the franchise may just ultimately go under along with the beloved franchises of decades back.
Well, thankfully enough, we live in a timeline where Doom (2016) existed. In a timeline where the franchise is shaping up to be in its best form yet. In a timeline where both the diehards of the classic games and the new fans of the franchise are in unison in praising what id Software has done for the franchise. There is no better way of saying it, this is all thanks to the brilliance of Doom (2016).
However, just because it is more impactful does it mean that it is the better game. For everything that worked perfectly for Doom (2016), its follow-up, Doom Eternal, did even better. All the great things that gamers enjoyed in the previous game were turned up a notch by Eternal quite literally. The graphics are better, the soundtrack is just more magnificent, and the gameplay is definitely more rewarding.
We can sing praises to Doom Eternal for as long as we want, but we digress. After all, we have an entirely separate article about that which you can read as well after this. Nevertheless, we have to give the crown for this match-up to Doom Eternal.
Final Thoughts
We cannot stress this enough, Doom Eternal did what many thought was impossible. It made Doom (2016) look inferior, and it is a 10/10 game in our books! Yes, there wouldn’t be an Eternal without the Doom (2016), but we are talking about which of the two is better here. Not which of them is more influential. And for that, Doom Eternal is our pick as the better game in the current Doom series. In fact, we might believe it to be the best Doom game ever. It would certainly be a tall task for the folks at id Software and Bethesda to come up with an even better follow-up on this one.
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