Doom is one of the most successful first-person shooter game series of all time. The original doom game that started it all was truly groundbreaking for its time and is still a blast to play today. We are here to tell you all about it, share gameplay videos, and tell you how you can start playing Doom right now on any computer.
More About The Original Doom Game
Prior to Doom, the closest thing to a 3D FPS game experience available were games like Wolfenstein 3D and Castle Master. While those are good games, the gameplay can feel a bit repetitive after a while. Doom was the first shooter game to truly provide an immersive 3D experience, with large floors to explore, complete with plenty of secret spaces, sudden traps, and variations in texture and lighting.
You play as Doomguy, a man fighting through the carnage of Martian military bases and, eventually, Hell after researchers experimenting with transporters accidentally opened a gate to Hell. Somehow, you are the only one left to save the world by fighting the resulting demons and other creatures.
Doom is easily one of the best and most popular game franchises ever. The gameplay has stood the test of time, with plenty of surprises, carnage, and dimly-lit spaces to entertain everyone from the casual players to hardcore gamers.
Here is a sample of the first level of gameplay.
As you advance to later levels, things get way more intense with the addition of demons, shadow demons, lighting changes, and areas where one move triggers an onslaught of creatures springing forth as the walls open up and the door you entered from closes.
If you want to get 100% secrets on every level, you can also check out our complete Doom Episode One secrets guide for screenshots and descriptions of every hidden area.
How You Can Play Doom Now
If you have the original game disk(s), it is as simple as opening the .exe file with a Dos emulator, like DosBox.
Otherwise, your best bet is to purchase the enhanced re-release from GOG. You get the full game, along with what used to be referred to as Ultimate Doom for a very reasonable price, often on sale. It plays just like the original Doom from 1993 and offers several improvements. The addition of blood spatter is cool, too!
What do you think of the game that started it all? Share your thoughts and memories of Doom in the comments!