Final Score: Doom

Bethesda Softworks and id Software released its reboot of the classic Doom franchise last week. If you were on the fence as to whether or not you should pick up the game, you probably felt like you were left in the dark, or playing Doom 3. That’s a little Doom humor there for those who recall how dark it was without the use of your flashlight.

I digress.

Bethesda Softworks didn’t provide review codes for Doom prior to its official launch, leaving many publications scrambling to complete their experience to write up their reviews. Luckily, many publications, including yours truly, were able to complete our review just in time for the weekend. Is Doom a reboot both fans new and old could enjoy, or is it just another example of game developers tapping into properties from yesterday in hopes to earn big sales.

Shacknews 9/10: That a first-person shooter like Doom exists in 2016 is shocking. Its levels are vast and intricately designed, its gameplay diverse and joyful, its toolset robust. Multiplayer is its weak link, but the adaptability of SnapMap is more than enough to offset that. While other first-person shooters have stepped forward to challenge convention in recent years, none carry the clout and cachet of Doom. For id Software to overcome the challenges specific to its history and craft a shooter that flies in the face of convention marks Doom as nothing short of a triumph—and, one hopes, a sign that change is in the air for a genre in desperate need of it.

PC Gamer 88/100: With Doom’s campaign, id Software found a sweet spot nestled somewhere between nostalgia and modernity that celebrates the pulpy sheen of big-budget shooters and resurrects an intense, simplified focus on the shooting itself. Doom sticks a bit too close to home to reinvigorate the genre, but it’s a reminder that FPS games aren’t limited to stop and pop corridors and political melodrama. It’s a reminder that sometimes a controlled, crafted appeal to base desires—going fast, flying high, and swift, tongue-in-cheek demon justice—is more than enough.

Game Informer 8.75/10: Driven largely by its successful single-player campaign, Doom is a welcome return to form for the genre-defining franchise. By sticking to time-worn traditions in all the right places and deftly employing some modern flourishes, id has rediscovered what made this demon slaying series so successful. Multiplayer and SnapMap don’t reach the same heights, but shooters fans shouldn’t miss this bloodthirsty romp through hell..

Polygon 8.5/10: Doom struggles somewhat to finish what it starts, and for a franchise that practically created what we understand as shooter multiplayer 22 years ago, its largely flavorless multiplayer is surprising. But on the whole, as a new interpretation of one of gaming's most formative, difficult to pin down cyphers, id has done a pretty great job in making something that feels familiar and fresh, and, most importantly, pretty damned fun.

GameSpot 8/10: Many shooters chase the thrill Doom delivers, but few are as potent in their execution. It captures the essence of what made the classic Doom games touchstones of their day, and translates it to suit modern palates with impressively rendered hellscapes and a steady influx of tantalizing upgrades. Doom is the product of a tradition as old as shooters, and while it's not the model to follow in every case, modern shooters could learn a thing or two from Doom's honed and unadulterated identity.