Games Like DOOM The Dark Ages – Investment Policy

Summary

Many FPS games, such as Shadow Warrior 3, still draw inspiration from modern DOOM titles for action-packed, fluid gameplay.
Games like Metal: Hellsinger blend rhythmic gameplay with intense, gore-filled shooting, offering a unique experience for DOOM fans.
ULTRAKILL stands out as a retro Doom-like game with stylish movement, target priority, and intense combat, perfect for fans of blood-soaked action.

Id Software’s iconic game, “DOOM,” is a swift and engrossing first-person arcade shooter, offering players a vast array of lethal and imaginative weapons to annihilate the horrific forces of hell. Known for its action-packed, gory experience filled with collectibles and levels bursting with secrets and fiendishly challenging level design, it’s no wonder that many developers have longed to recreate the magic id Software brought to life. With so many games emulating the series, the term “DOOM clone” became a popular shorthand for describing numerous early first-person shooters (FPS) released following the game’s revolutionary debut in 1993.

Today, we find a multitude of games, often referred to as “modern Boomer Shooters,” still thriving. Many first-person shooter (FPS) games today have been heavily influenced by the more recent iterations of DOOM, specifically DOOM 2016 and beyond. The series remains at the forefront of innovation, creating a contemporary style of arena-based shooting that emphasizes action, rapid weapon switching, and agile movement.

The newer titles in the franchise are characterized by their focus on speed. For instance, they remove reloading to keep gameplay seamless, while encouraging proficiency in movement and target prioritization. This creates a gaming experience that feels like a frenetic game of chess and stands out distinctly from other FPS games.

In this discussion, we’ll highlight the games that draw inspiration from DOOM and why they are must-plays for any fan of the series.

1. Slayers X: Terminal Aftermath: Vengeance Of The Slayer

A 90s-Inspired & An Endearingly Cringeworthy Boomer Shooter

Originating from Big Z Studios Inc., Slayers X is a spin-off set in the fantastical realm of HypnoSpace. The narrative revolves around the character Zane Lofton, who discovers an incomplete mod for the fictional game Kataklysm that he had started creating with his friend Adam Chase during his teenage years. Years later, they decide to complete this project. This game’s concept is quite unusual yet captivating. Players assume the role of Zane’s character, gaining admiration from rats, the American president, a CEO, and an X Slayer. This character can manipulate hackblood to wield the S blade and talisman, firing green energy. The game offers a total of seven flamboyant and exciting weapons for players to use in their quest for vengeance against the Psyko Syndikate, responsible for killing Zane’s mother and mentor, Mikey.

The game is packed with secrets, ’90s vibes, humor, one-liners, and deliberate misspellings. The level layout is purposely illogical; one moment, the player might be in a shop, the next they could be battling foes in an underground secret hideout, playing an unfinished stage, or plummeting into a fiery toilet of doom for 20 seconds. The adversaries are equally ridiculous and distinctive, ranging from floating brains wearing jester hats, possessed rabbits, to sentient feces that shoot corn. It’s excessively ’90s and accurately recreates the spirit of retro shooters like Duke Nukem and DOOM. The soundtrack matches the ’90s style, offering a nu-metal sound from fictional bands, Seepage and Psyko Syndikate. This game is an enjoyable journey for any dedicated DOOM fan and enthusiasts of ’90s absurd humor, and those who have a stepfather named Mikey, as you might encounter him in a boss fight. However, those not fond of its humor may find it irritating.

2. Shadow Warrior 3

Slash, Shoot, & Wisecrack While Saving The World

As a gamer diving into Shadow Warrior 3, I find myself on an epic mission to take down the menacing Dragon of Darkness. This game offers a thrilling narrative journey with cinematic scenes that perfectly punctuate the plot, yet never loses sight of the over-the-top violence that’s become synonymous with this series.

Though the levels are designed along a single path, there are hidden orbs scattered around that boost Lo Wang’s skills, stats, and arsenal. Each weapon in the game is a joy to wield, but none quite match the sheer satisfaction of the upgraded shotgun – it packs a punch and reloads automatically once enhanced!

In Shadow Warrior, as well as DOOM Eternal, players can restore their ammunition using a melee weapon – in this instance, Lo Wang’s Katana. However, what sets Shadow Warrior apart is the incorporation of Chi powers and gruesome weapons, such as massive hammers, a brain that freezes enemies, and a heart that generates vortexes, which give it a unique twist on DOOM’s formula.

The core of this game revolves around movement mechanics and platforming. Players can use grappling hooks, double jump, dash, dodge, and wall-run for fast-paced and momentum-based battles. The settings are stunningly Japanese-themed, with expansive levels filled with imaginative and peculiar adversaries such as slinky Jack-in-the-boxes and drill-headed foes that burrow underground. However, the game struggles to deliver satisfying boss fights, with only two appearing throughout the approximately five-hour campaign. This brevity hinders the narrative’s development, making it feel hurried. The main character’s dialogue can also become repetitive. Nevertheless, the exhilarating gameplay experience compensates for these issues. It offers a gruesome journey and boasts an outstanding soundtrack that seamlessly blends traditional Japanese and electronic tunes.

3. Witchfire

A Dark Fantasy Roguelite With DOOM & Soulslike Elements

The game titled “Witchfire” is currently available in early access and advertised as a blend of RPG and shooter genres. It’s set in a gloomy fantasy universe, where players assume the role of one of six characters known as “preyers.” These are immortal beings who work for the Catholic Church, tasked with hunting witches and their monstrous creations. Each preyer class has unique statistics, weapons, and spells, although these only influence the early gameplay. Remarkably, every class can eventually unlock all items and max out all stats, much like in “Dark Souls.” The gameplay involves embarking on missions where players confront numerous enemies and bosses whose difficulty adjusts to their level of progression.

During these adventures, participants can amass different forms of currency such as gold, witchfire, and angelica. These currencies serve distinct purposes: gold for researching weapons and equipment, leveling up the player character, boosting gnosis level, and concocting healing potions respectively. The game incorporates roguelike aspects through its management of witchfire and enemy generation. If a player dies, they will drop all their gathered witchfire and have one chance to retrace their steps to recover it, but if they die again before reaching it, they lose it permanently. Witchfire crystals provide temporary upgrades for the ongoing run and are obtained by defeating enemy camps scattered across the map. The placement of enemies is randomized, yet the maps themselves remain consistent.

In Witchfire, battles unfold swiftly, requiring players to nimbly dodge enemy attacks while deploying an assortment of weapons to vanquish the witch’s minions. The enemies you’ll face are diverse, ranging from grim reaper-like figures brandishing lanterns, cloaked gunmen, and knights. This game is a must-play for enthusiasts who adore the gunfights in DOOM, medieval landscapes, and the leveling system reminiscent of Soulslikes.

Though it carries the “early access” label, it’s surprisingly refined with four maps available now, with more content promised for later releases, making it a solid investment.

4. Metal: Hellsinger

Headbangs & Headshots

In the game called “Hellsinger,” players assume control over a half-demon, half-human character named “The Unknown.” This character embarks on a mission to reclaim her voice and vanquish “The Red Judge,” also known as The Devil. The narrative is conveyed through Paz, a talking skull with a Southern accent. The gameplay mainly involves slaughtering enemies rhythmically using a sword, Paz, and two chosen weapons. Initially, there are four primary weapons: a shotgun, dual pistols, a crossbow, and a throwing scythe. DLCs have introduced additional weapons like a machine gun and a bow. All weapons come with unlimited ammo and an ultimate attack. For instance, the crossbow fires explosive bolts, while its ultimate creates a vacuum that pulls enemies inside. The relatively small weapon selection makes it simple to learn and adjust weapon selections for maximum points or demon destruction. To earn high scores, players must accumulate fury by attacking enemies on-beat, executing finishing moves, and maintaining their fury with Paz. Amassing fury increases both the player’s damage output and score while simultaneously revealing unique song elements within each level. “Hellsinger” features a pulse-pounding soundtrack that includes contributions from metal icons such as Serj Tankian (System of a Down) and Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy).

In Hellsinger, you’ll encounter a diverse array of adversaries, ranging from common foes to sorcerers to fearsome winged beasts. This action-packed game offers a streamlined experience lasting between four to six hours. Frequent boss encounters are a key feature, although their design and defeat methods share similarities, with the exception of The Red Judge. The movement mechanics are less complex than DOOM, limited primarily to dashes and double jumps. While the levels are visually stunning, they are linear in structure, offering no additional collectibles beyond power-ups that boost your fury. Completing levels grants access to “torments,” optional combat challenges set in arenas, which, when conquered, unlock sigils that can be equipped to enhance abilities such as fury gain and maintenance – essential for dominating the leaderboards. If you’re a fan of metal music, rhythmic gameplay, and DOOM-like action, Hellsinger promises a rich gaming experience. Post-launch additions, including the roguelite Leviathan mode, have expanded replayability and demon-slaying fun.

5. Dusk

A Modernized Gothic Twitch Shooter

The action-packed first-person shooter game titled “Dusk” showcases influences from classic titles like “Quake 1” and “2”. Players engage in combat against cultists, monsters, and hybrid creatures across three unique episodes. The initial episode combines elements of Gothic and rural terror, echoing horror masterpieces such as “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”. The second episode transitions to sci-fi terror, filled with laboratories, facilities, and military bases teeming with biomechanical mutants. The final episode plunges into Lovecraftian Horror, offering the protagonist, “Duskdude”, surreal and mind-bending levels to explore as he confronts otherworldly terrors. Armed with a diverse arsenal that includes dual sickles, a rocket launcher, and a powerful super shotgun, “Duskdude” can dish out destruction while still providing an intriguing twist: it’s possible to complete a pacifist run by avoiding enemy and even boss encounters.

The soundtrack of this game, blending industrial metal and ambient tunes, ignites adrenaline, with unsettling sound effects amplifying the horror. Although it maintains a retro visual style, it cleverly updates the graphics and mechanics for a more contemporary feel. Players can manipulate objects, moving them around or stacking them, which opens up possibilities to bypass certain tasks and discover hidden treasures. The movement is fluid; swimming, jumping, crouching, sliding, or climbing all respond well and intuitively. Power-ups keep the combat engaging, offering temporary enhancements like faster fire rate, bullet time, and immunity to lava damage. If you’re a fan of games like DOOM or horror-themed shooters, make it your priority to play Dusk. It pays homage to its roots, including Blood, Heretic, Half-Life, DOOM, and Quake, while significantly advancing the classic formula, offering a challenging experience with exciting boss battles.

6. Quake 2

A Remastered Retro Shooter Classic

Quake 2 is a game created by id Software, famously known for their work on DOOM. In this game, you take on the character of “Bitterman,” a marine whose family was brutally murdered by an extraterrestrial race called the Strogg who invaded Earth in search of resources and to transform humans into mechanical monsters. Driven by grief, anger, and a thirst for vengeance, you embark on a mission to exact revenge against the Strogg. The gameplay is similar to other classic shooters but offers more depth and complexity, with players required to explore levels and sometimes retrace their steps to gather items or complete objectives. The storyline is more linear than modern titles, and the movement system allows for jumping, swimming, and ducking throughout various levels that are more intricate than its predecessor. Weapons in Quake 2 range from grenade launchers, super shotguns, and the BFG10k to traps, providing numerous ways to annihilate Strogg creatures in exciting and gory combat scenes.

As a devoted enthusiast, I can’t help but express my admiration for the legendary game, Quake 2. Time and again, it’s compared to DOOM, having played a pivotal role in molding the contemporary first-person shooter genre. Its enduring impact is unassailable. The remastered version by Nightdive Studios and id Software brings this iconic title to life like never before, offering 4K and widescreen support, refined models, restored AI behavior, smoother animations, superior lighting, gorier effects, and numerous other enhancements. Beyond the technical upgrades, it offers both the original mission packs, a new mission pack, Call of the Machine, and even the Nintendo 64 version of the game. With its unrelenting action and blistering industrial metal soundtrack, any DOOM fan would feel instantly at home, wreaking havoc among the Strogg in this sci-fi masterpiece.

7. Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem

A “Seriously” Good DOOM Alternative

Created by Timelock Studios, a team of notable Russian modders working alongside Croteam, the game Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem serves as a standalone expansion and prequel to the events in Serious Sam 4. In

In contrast to DOOM, Serious Sam embraces a more satirical and over-the-top style. It has a playful tone, larger-than-life characters, and intentionally corny humor. Despite this, its incessant action, hordes of chaotic enemies, epic boss battles, levels filled with hidden treasures, and rock/orchestral soundtrack will be familiar to fans. For those new to the series, fear not, as the story is secondary to the gameplay, making it an inviting experience for beginners.

8. Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Alternative History & Over-The-Top Action

In the style of DOOM, published by Bethesda, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, created by MachineGames, immerses players in an alternate timeline where the Nazis have triumphed over the Allies. It’s now 1961, and players assume the role of William J. Blazkowicz, following the events of The New Order. The narrative unfolds as Blazkowicz recovers from his near-fatal injuries sustained during his battle against Deathshead in the previous installment. His body, despite a powerful suit, is still deteriorating, a fact that the game frequently underscores. This game skillfully weaves together several narrative threads: the struggle of resistance groups against oppression, Blazkowicz’s emotional trauma, grappling with mortality and identity, and familial themes as portrayed through William and Anya Oliwa-Blazkowicz, as well as General Engel. The game manages to balance these elements effectively while injecting humor at times, and featuring one of the most formidable villains in gaming history: General Engel, who is both terrifying and commands every scene she appears in.

To add on, the gameplay is an exhilarating, chaotic experience, where Blazkowicz can simultaneously wield any two one-handed weapons. This means players have the option of using a shotgun and a machine gun concurrently. For those who prefer stealth over direct confrontation, there are lethal stealth takedowns available, adding a gruesome touch. While it’s not as rapid as DOOM, it offers a fair pace. Players should be cautious, as they can easily find themselves in overpowering situations, without the option of retreating with a shield bash for instant health recovery. Instead, players may need to take cover and strategize their moves during intense combat sequences. However, there are also run-and-gun elements, abundant gore, and enjoyable enemy interactions, whether these enemies are bosses, robots, or Nazi troops. The New Colossus is a fantastic game that fans of DOOM will find appealing due to its excessive gore, smooth gameplay, and excellent soundtrack, created by Mick Gordon, renowned for his work on DOOM, and Martin Stig Andersen, the composer behind Limbo and Inside.

9. Deadlink

An Addictive Cyberpunk Roguelite

In the grimy, crime-ridden future of Deadlink, I find myself as a nameless soldier hired by the CSA to pilot combat shells from afar, cracking down on lawlessness. Each misstep could mean starting over, but with every setback, I retain my improvements and learn valuable lessons. The gameplay in Deadlink revolves around selecting a unique combat shell equipped with its own arsenal of weapons, melee attacks, abilities, and movement styles. I embark on a run, aiming for completion or until I meet an untimely end. Along the way, I can temporarily enhance my weaponry with mods or temporarily upgrade my shell using implants. After each run, I accrue Credits to buy new items, as well as Turing Tokens and EXP for permanent upgrades.

This loop in the game ensures it’s both instantly enjoyable and engaging over the long haul. Notably, the gaming experience resembles that of DOOM, featuring arena-style segments, swift-moving gameplay that focuses on movement and weapon transitions, plus target management where players mark targets to acquire shield, ammo, and other resources with grenades and special abilities. This diversity in gameplay mechanics significantly increases its replayability since each shell offers a distinct experience. Furthermore, every playthrough is randomly generated, resulting in truly distinctive enemy and boss battles. This game is an excellent choice for enthusiasts of modern DOOM series, offering more of the captivating run-and-gun gameplay they love.

10. ULTRAKILL

A Retro Doom-like With Copious Amounts Of Style

In a dystopian future after a devastating war, humans are extinct and robots now harvest their blood as fuel. Players control V1, a blood-powered robot on a quest to plunder the depths of hell for sustenance. Armed with an array of weapons across six unique categories – revolvers, shotguns, railcannons, rocket launchers, nailguns, and special arms – players can engage the forces of hell in thrilling combat encounters. Each weapon is designed with style and offers a rich level of detail, such as the Marksman revolver that lets players shoot coins for powerful impacts. This simple yet creative mechanic has inspired numerous videos online dedicated to exploring its various uses.

In this action-packed game, players employ various techniques such as dashing, sliding, floor pounding, wall scaling, jumping, rocket surfing, bunny hopping, and grapple hooking to gain speed and regenerate stamina – much like DOOM. The game emphasizes target prioritization: idols empower enemies and make the strongest invincible, while stalkers “sand” allies, meaning players cannot heal them by shooting and must instead parry for health. Bosses such as robot V2, angel Gabriel, and colossal King Minos add a unique challenge and visual spectacle. The levels are filled with secrets and collectibles, and they encourage free movement and vertical combat. ULTRAKILL caters to players seeking a tough challenge and who appreciate a gory aesthetic. It requires weapon mastery and encourages stylish enemy disposal for points. It offers a thrilling and intense experience, complemented by an energetic industrial metal and breakcore soundtrack. Despite being in early access, the game provides a comprehensive package and is worthwhile for any DOOM enthusiast.

2025-06-01 23:08