Video: DOOM Gameplay Comparison Shows Decades of Evolution

To mark the release of DOOM: The Dark Ages on PS5 this week, we decided to take a look back at id Software’s series, and how its gameplay has evolved over the last three decades.

From the pixelated beginnings in 1993 to the deliciously detailed hellscapes of the reboot trilogy, the father of the boomer shooter has never quite stayed in the one place for too long. You can watch this evolution over the course of a handy eight minute video over on the Push Square YouTube channel.

Playing through the original game and its sequel (via the upscaled remasters on PS4 and PS5), it’s almost surprising just how well the gameplay experience holds up. With a big emphasis on tight corridors, maze-like levels, and depleting ammo counts, it forces you to utilise the best weapons for the job and keep on the move — a mantra that remains for most entries in the series.

DOOM 3 is the black sheep of this demonic family, doubling down on that claustrophobic feeling to go for a horror vibe. We don’t necessarily think DOOM 3 is a bad game, it’s just not quite the right fit for the DOOM series.

That’s certainly clear when the franchise makes its comeback 12 years after DOOM 3 with the reinvented and simply named DOOM. The 2016 reboot is slick, fast-paced, and hellishly energetic. Playing the PS4 version still controls excellently, and in our opinion offers up the most balanced take on the DOOM formula from the respective reboot trilogy.

For us though, DOOM Eternal may be the best of the bunch, with blindingly fast gameplay mixed in with diabolical weaponry, intensely platforming arenas, and more demons that your super shotgun can deal with. It’s a hardcore shot of adrenaline for the FPS genre.

And that brings us onto DOOM: The Dark Ages, the latest offering in this iconic series. You can read our full thoughts in our PS5 review but to break it down, we called it a “fantastically ferocious first-person shooter” despite its more methodical, slower approach to combat.

The Dark Ages does feel very reminiscent of those first couple of entries in the series back in the 90s, where rather than jumping and zipping, you’re strafing around enemies. However, the Shield Saw and its parrying system gives combat a real rhythmic feel, ensuring that the game still has its own flavour.

Looking back, each of the games in the series has its own reason to be played, even in 2025. We really love the tactical feel of the originals, where there’s a much keener emphasis on learning the map layouts and enemy positioning.

That said, we adore how the series has evolved with its reboot trilogy. Each entry is offering its own take on the demonic bullet hell formula. It’s not necessarily a case of the same dish being tweaked and improved, but different dishes to suit different tastes.

But we want to know how you feel about this evolved series. Glory kill your way into the comments to tell us about your favourite take on series’ iconic first-person gameplay.