id Software’s originalDOOMis recognized today as being not only one of themost influential first-person shooters of all timebut one of the most influential video games of all time, period. It wasn’t the first game of its kind, as id Software’sWolfenstein 3Dfrom the year before had a similar gameplay formula, butDOOMperfected the playstyle and consequently popularized it.
RELATED:15 Brutal Games Like Doom You Need To Play
One similarity that all products have, whether it be video games, books, or shampoos, is that successful products will be imitated. Therefore, numerous games were released in the years that followedDOOMthatall had very similar gameplay and became known simply as “DOOMclones.”
10Star Wars: Dark Forces
Considering the enormous amount ofStar Warsvideo games that have been released over the last few decades, it makes sense that at least one of them would attempt to capitalize on theDOOM-hype.Star Wars: Dark Forceswas released just over one year afterDOOMand did a fantastic job of recreating id Software’s FPS formula within theStar Warsuniverse.
It may surprise younger gamers that back in the 90s,LucasArtswasn’t predominantly known to the gaming industry for their licensedStar WarsandIndiana Jonesgames. The company was acclaimed for its numerousexcellent graphic adventure titles, such asGrim Fandango,Day of the Tentacle,and theMonkey Islandseries.
9Disruptor
Disruptoris best known today for being the first title ever developed by Insomniac Games. US-based developer Insomniac Games has created some of the most beloved family-friendly games of all time, such as theRatchet and Clankfranchise and originalSpyro the Dragontrilogy,as well as the last twoSpider-Mangames.
ADOOM-clone may sound like it’s out of the comfort zone of a developer known for itsplatforming and wholesome adventures, thoughDisruptoris one of the unofficial genre’s best.
8Alien Trilogy
Alien Trilogy,much like the aforementionedStar Wars: Dark Forces,tried to differentiate itself from the many otherDOOM-clones being released around the mid-90s by implementing the gameplay into the world of a well-known film franchise. The game was developed by the aptly named Probe Entertainment, which became known as Acclaim Entertainment before they went bankrupt in 2004.
RELATED:10 Things That Make No Sense About The Doom Franchise
Alien Trilogy’s graphics and visuals struggled to impress, which was a significant issue for amovie-licensed game. However, the game nailed almost every other design area, particularly with the immersive sound effects.
Rise of the Triad: Dark Warwas released almost exactly one year afterDOOMby Apogee Software, which is today known as 3D Realms. The game put an interesting spin on theDOOMformula by giving players a selection of characters to choose from, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Rise of the Triadis set to receive some mainstream attention this year, over 25 years after it was initially released, asit was announced in 2020that the game would be getting a remaster on Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.
6Strife
Strifewas initially released in 1996 by Velocity Inc. The game was developed by Rogue Entertainment, who tried to improve upon theDOOMformula in a multitude of ways. Most notably, Rogue Entertainment implemented numerous role-playing elements intoStrife, such as improvable abilities and NPCs in the game-world who players can interact with.
The Veteran Edition ofStrifewas recently released on the Nintendo Switch, giving a new audience of gamers the chance to try out the FPS-RPG hybrid.
5Heretic
Hereticdidn’t try to hide its influences fromDOOM;as large, bold writing on the game’s front cover read “From the Publisher of DOOM,” letting audiences know thatHereticwould offer a similar experience. The game was developed by Raven Software and marked the beginning of the “Serpent Riders” trilogy.
Hereticis one of the most well-known entries on this list; this is not only because of the game’s quality but also because it was available to so many people. It was released on Microsoft Windows, MS-DOS, Mac, PlayStation 1, Sega Saturn, andthe Nintendo 64in that order between 1995 and 1997.
4Blood
The aptly namedBloodwas initially released in 1997 by GT Interactive Software, which was rebranded as Infogrames before changing names again to Atari, Inc. The game was developed by Monolith Productions, which is best known today for developingMiddle-earth: Shadow of MordorandMiddle-earth: Shadow of War.
In May 2019,Bloodreceived a remaster entitledBlood: Fresh Supply.The remaster was made by Nightdive Studios and is currently available on Steam among other platforms.
3Hexen: Beyond Heretic
The second entry into the aforementioned “Serpent Riders” trilogy,Hexen: Beyond Hereticdifferentiated itself from otherDOOMclones in a handful of ways. For starters, the game took a leaf out ofRise of the Triad: Dark War’s book by giving players a selection of characters to choose from, each with differing abilities. Moreover, the game’s levels were very open for the time, making the game feel less claustrophobic thanDOOM.
RELATED:id Software’s 12 Best Games (According To Metacritic)
Although they may not seem like much today,Hexen: Beyond Heretic’s visuals were fantastic for the time and, along withthe non-linear level design, helped make the game feel like a true evolution of the originalDOOM.
2Marathon 2: Durandal
It’s fair to say that the team behindMarathon 2: Durandalknows a thing or two about creating excellent first-person shooters, as the game was developed and published by Bungie. US-based developer Bungie created the originalHalotrilogy,Halo 3: ODSTandHalo: Reach,before creating theDestinyfranchise. TheMarathontrilogy has many similarities toHalo,leading to the franchise being considered a spiritual successor.
Marathon 2: Durandalwas initially released on Mac in 1995 before coming to PC the following year. The game was later released on the Xbox 360’s Xbox Live Arcade in August 2007, presumably to capitalize on the hype forHalo 3,which hit stores just over a month later.
1Duke Nukem 3D
TheDuke Nukemfranchise was initially released in 1991 withDuke Nukem,a 2D platformer. The side-scrolling gameplay was repeated in the game’s 1993 sequel beforeDuke Nukem 3Dgave the franchise theDOOM-clone treatment in 1996. All three games were developed by the aforementioned 3D Realms, previously known as Apogee Software.
AlthoughDuke Nukem 3D’s similarities toDOOMare clear to see, 3D Realms clearly tried hard to make the game feel different from id Software’s classic. Not only does the game take the same approach as a few others on this list by offering more open levels, but it also swaps the silent protagonist known as Doom Guy for the cocky, crude, and outspoken Duke Nukem.
