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For most newcomers, play DOOM (2016) first and DOOM Eternal second. Bethesda describes DOOM Eternal as the direct sequel to DOOM, so that order preserves the intended release and story progression. It also lets you learn the modern series’ fast movement and combat before taking on Eternal’s more layered resource and traversal systems.
You can start with DOOM Eternal if its heavier emphasis on managing health, ammunition and armor, along with dashes, wall climbing and platforming, sounds more appealing than a simpler introduction. Eternal is still a reasonable entry point; the evidence available here does not establish that it is incomprehensible without the earlier game.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
DOOM Eternal: Standard Edition - PlayStation 4 | $27.49 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Doom: Eternal (PS4) | $24.92 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Doom: Eternal (Xbox One) | $30.01 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
DOOM: The Dark Ages – PlayStation 5 | $69.47 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Numskull Pinky Doom Eternal in-Game Collectible Replica Posable Toy Figure - Official Doom... | $27.95 | Buy on Amazon |
The short answer: choose your priority
The right first game depends less on which title is “better” and more on the kind of first experience you want. Use this table as a quick decision.
| If you care most about… | Start with… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Story and release order | DOOM (2016) | DOOM Eternal is identified by Bethesda as a direct sequel. |
| A focused, combat-first introduction | DOOM (2016) | The developers framed its design around speed, weapon feel, movement, map flow and a fun combat campaign. |
| More systems to manage during fights | DOOM Eternal | A hands-on preview described a loop involving health, ammunition and armor replenishment, plus additional progression systems. |
| Jumping, dashing and environmental challenges | DOOM Eternal | The preview highlighted double jumps, dashes, wall climbing, secrets and platforming. |
| The safest narrative recommendation for a newcomer | DOOM (2016), then DOOM Eternal | You get the earlier game’s context before the sequel expands the formula. |
Neither game is proven here to be universally easier, longer, better reviewed or more enjoyable. The comparison is about structure and emphasis, not a declaration of an objective winner.
#1 Best Overall
- Gain access to the latest demon-killing Tech with the DOOM Slayer's advanced praetor suit, including a shoulder-mounted flamethrower and the retractable wrist-mounted DOOM Blade
- Upgraded guns and mods, such as the Super shotgun's new distance-closing meat hook attachment, and abilities like the double Dash make you faster, stronger, and more versatile than ever
- You can't Kill demons when you're Dead, and you can't stay alive without resources. These tools are the key to your survival and becoming the ultimate demon-slayer
- A new class of (destructible) demon
- Battle mode is the new 2 versus 1 multiplayer experience built from the ground up at id software
Why DOOM (2016) is the default first game
It establishes the modern series before the sequel expands it
Bethesda’s announcement calls DOOM Eternal “the direct sequel to DOOM.” That is the clearest reason to begin with DOOM (2016) when continuity matters. You encounter the first game’s version of the setting, combat language and protagonist situation before the sequel builds on them.
Starting in release order also avoids asking a new player to infer which ideas are returning and which are new. You can notice how Eternal changes the formula instead of treating every mechanic as an unexplained baseline. This is a recommendation for context, not a claim that Eternal cannot stand alone.
The first game presents a more concentrated combat lesson
In a 2016 TIME interview, DOOM co-director Marty Stratton emphasized speed, weapon feel, movement, map flow and a campaign focused on having fun in combat. Those priorities make DOOM (2016) a clean introduction to the series’ modern identity: keep moving, read the space around you and treat encounters as active problems rather than cover-based shooting exercises.
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That focus does not mean the game lacks exploration or progression. It means the available developer description puts combat at the center, making it a useful baseline before you decide whether you want the sequel’s additional layers.
What changes in DOOM Eternal
Combat asks you to maintain several resources
A TIME preview based on a writer’s first three hours described Eternal as a game in which combat actions help replenish health, ammunition and armor. This creates a more explicit resource loop: your attack choices affect whether you can continue fighting at full capacity, and a bad sequence can leave you short of one resource even if another is available.
The preview is an observation from an opening session, not a controlled comparison or a guarantee that every player will experience the system in the same way. Still, it identifies a meaningful design difference. In DOOM (2016), the developer’s public emphasis was on speed, weapons and combat flow. Eternal adds a layer of deciding how to recover what you need while the encounter is still unfolding.
Movement becomes part of the problem-solving
The same preview discussed double jumps, dashes, wall climbing, secrets and platforming. These elements make traversal more than a way to walk between arenas. You may need to read a gap, choose a route, use a movement ability and look for optional paths while keeping the combat mindset active.
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Rank #2
- Experience the ultimate combination of speed and power with the next leap in push-forward, first-person combat
- As the DOOM Slayer, return to take your vengeance against the forces of Hell
- Set to an all-new pulse pounding soundtrack composed by Mick Gordon, fight across dimensions as you slay new and classic demons with powerful new weapons and abilities
If you enjoy games that combine shooting with timing and spatial puzzles, that added movement can be a reason to begin with Eternal. If you prefer your first session to teach combat without as many traversal demands, DOOM (2016) is the less complicated starting point.
Progression and secrets occupy more of your attention
The preview also referred to additional progression systems and secrets. Those systems give Eternal more things to track beyond the immediate fight. Some players will see that as welcome depth; others will prefer to learn the core loop before dealing with more upgrades, collectibles or movement checks.
Because the cited hands-on account covered only the opening three hours, it should not be treated as a complete evaluation of the entire game. It is useful for identifying the direction of the design, not for proving that every later encounter follows the same pattern.
Story order versus standalone play
What you gain by playing in order
Playing DOOM (2016) first gives you the series’ modern starting point and then lets you see how the sequel follows it. The benefit is cumulative context: terminology, stakes and the role of the protagonist arrive before Eternal assumes that the player is ready for a continuation.
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This order is especially sensible if you plan to play both games rather than sample only one. You avoid beginning with the sequel’s expanded systems and then stepping backward to a more concentrated design.
When starting with Eternal is reasonable
Start with DOOM Eternal if its combat-management loop and movement challenges are the features that attract you. The available evidence does not show that a new player must complete DOOM (2016) to understand Eternal. You may miss some progression in the series’ presentation, but that is different from being unable to follow the sequel.
If you choose this route, treat the earlier game as a prequel you can play later, not as homework you failed to complete. The main trade-off is that returning to DOOM (2016) afterward may feel like moving from a more layered system back to a more focused one.
Rank #3
- Slayer Threat Level at Maximum - gain access to the latest demon-killing tech with the DOOM Slayer's advanced Praetor Suit, including a shoulder-mounted flamethrower and the retractable wrist-mounted DOOM Blade. Upgraded guns and mods, such as the Super Shotgun's new distance-closing Meat Hook attachment, and abilities like the Double Dash make you faster, stronger, and more versatile than ever
- Unholy Trinity - you can't kill demons when you're dead, and you can't stay alive without resources. Take what you need from your enemies: Glory kill for extra health, incinerate for armor, and chainsaw demons to stock up on ammo. These tools are the key to your survival and becoming the ultimate demon-slayer
- A New Class of (Destructible) Demon - obliterate more demons than ever before, each with unique attacks and abilities. Fan-favorite classics such as the Pain Elemental, Archvile, and Arachnotron make their return, while a horde of totally-new demons join the roster including the DOOM Hunter, Marauder, and the Gladiator. Rip apart your favorite demons to the core with DOOM Eternal's "destructible demons" system and take your power fantasy to new levels
Combat feel: focused momentum or layered management?
DOOM (2016): a direct combat-first identity
Stratton’s TIME interview described the team’s goals in terms of speed, weapon feel, movement and map flow. That combination points to a rhythm built around continuous motion and immediate weapon decisions. The design pitch is easy to understand: learn how the arena flows, keep pressure on enemies and make the combat itself the main attraction.
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DOOM Eternal: combat as a resource cycle
Eternal’s previewed loop asks you to think about what each action gives back. Health, ammunition and armor are not merely numbers to watch between encounters; they are connected to how you conduct the fight. That can make an arena feel like a sequence of decisions rather than a single test of damage output.
Choose Eternal first if you enjoy games that reward deliberate rotation between tools and punish ignoring your supplies. The added complexity is a feature for players who like optimization, but it can also make the opening learning curve busier.
Traversal, exploration and secrets
Why Eternal may appeal to movement-focused players
Double jumps, dashes and wall climbing give Eternal a movement vocabulary that affects both exploration and combat. Platforming sections and secrets create reasons to inspect the environment instead of treating every room as a straight corridor to the next fight.
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Why DOOM (2016) may be the calmer introduction
For a player who is new to the series’ movement style, beginning with the game whose public design description centers on speed, weapons, movement and map flow can make the fundamentals easier to isolate. You can decide later whether more advanced traversal is something you want, rather than learning it at the same time as Eternal’s resource loop.
Rank #4
- Developed by id Software, DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells the epic cinematic origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage.
- In this third installment of the modern DOOM series, players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
- A dark fantasy/sci-fi single-player experience that delivers the searing combat and over-the-top visuals of the incomparable DOOM franchise, powered by the latest idTech engine. With a customizable difficulty system, it’s the perfect entry point whether you’re new to the franchise or a long time fan.
- As the super weapon of gods and kings, shred enemies with devastating favorites like the Super Shotgun while also wielding a variety of new bone-chewing weapons, including the versatile Shield Saw.
- Experience the origin story of the DOOM Slayer’s rage in this epic, cinematic, and action-packed story.
Campaign scope and time expectations
The only specific length figure is an estimate for Eternal
Developers told TIME in 2020 that DOOM Eternal was projected to offer a 20-to-30-hour campaign. That is a dated developer estimate reported by a publication, not an independently measured completion-time statistic. It may also vary with difficulty, exploration and optional content.
No equivalent verified figure is available here for DOOM (2016)
A directly comparable campaign estimate for DOOM (2016) was not established in the available material. Do not use Eternal’s projected range to infer that it is definitively longer, nor assume that one game offers better value from that number alone.
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Both games are graphically violent
Violence is a significant content consideration, not a minor footnote. Stratton said of DOOM: “Violence-wise, it’s not for everybody, but I think it’s all in good fun.” Bethesda’s launch information for DOOM Eternal lists blood and gore, intense violence and strong language.
If you avoid graphic violence or strong language, neither title is a safe recommendation based on the available content descriptions. If you are comfortable with that material, the tone is intentionally exaggerated and action-focused rather than realistic, but that does not make the imagery suitable for every player.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choose your starting game by player type
You want the complete series progression
Start with DOOM (2016), finish it, and then move to DOOM Eternal. This follows the direct-sequel relationship Bethesda identifies and lets the sequel’s added systems arrive in context.
You want the simplest introduction to the combat philosophy
Start with DOOM (2016). Its documented design goals put speed, weapon feel, movement and map flow at the center, giving you a concentrated lesson in the modern series’ combat identity.
You enjoy managing interconnected systems
Start with DOOM Eternal. The previewed health, ammunition and armor loop gives you more to coordinate during fights. Be prepared for a denser opening experience than a purely combat-first introduction.
Best Value
- Renowned for its incredibly robust defense capabilities, it’s best not to attack The Pinky head on as his incredibly strong armored front allows him to endure high amounts of damage
- Standing at a mighty 135mm (5.3 inches) tall, this officially licensed collectable is an exact replica to the in-game toys that you can find in DOOM Eternal
- Try out different poses by adjusting the figure’s limbs to your own liking, or display it in its original packaging to preserve its value
- Hunt down all DOOM Eternal figurines and complete your collection; an excellent gift for gamers, fans of the DOOM series and collectors
- Official Bethesda merchandise designed and engineered by Numskull
You prefer movement challenges and environmental discovery
Start with DOOM Eternal. Double jumps, dashes, wall climbing, platforming and secrets are explicitly part of the sequel’s previewed experience.
You are unsure whether you will play both
Pick based on the mechanic that sounds most attractive. Choose DOOM (2016) for a focused campaign introduction; choose Eternal for the more layered combat and traversal pitch. There is no evidence here that one is the universally correct single-game purchase.
A practical play-order plan
- Confirm your platform. Check the live store page for the system you own and verify that the edition you are considering runs on your hardware.
- Begin with DOOM (2016) if you want continuity. Treat its campaign as your introduction to the modern series’ pace, weapons and arena flow.
- Move to DOOM Eternal when you want more layers. Expect to learn how health, ammunition and armor management interact with combat, then add dashes, wall climbing and platforming to your movement toolkit.
- If you start with Eternal, do not assume you chose incorrectly. You can play DOOM (2016) afterward for the earlier context and its more concentrated combat emphasis.
- Adjust expectations about length. Eternal’s 20-to-30-hour figure is a developer projection reported by TIME in 2020, not a guaranteed completion time.
Hardware and purchase checks before you install
Use current platform listings, not old packaging
Bethesda Support notes that its PC requirements for DOOM Eternal were revised from specifications printed on the physical PC packaging. That is a warning against treating an old box as definitive. Requirements and compatibility information can change as storefronts and supported configurations are updated.
The published Eternal figures to check against
The Bethesda Support page lists 8 GB of system RAM and 50 GB of storage among the Eternal PC requirements. Those figures belong to the support page’s listed configuration; verify the complete requirement set and any operating-system or graphics requirements on the live support page and store listing before buying or installing.
A current, directly comparable requirements table for both games was not established in the available material. Do not infer that a computer capable of one title automatically satisfies every requirement of the other.
Check the edition and availability you are actually buying
Store pages can differ by platform, edition, included content and regional availability. Confirm the product name, system, required storage and any account or launcher requirement at checkout. Avoid relying on an old price, stock status or physical listing when a platform’s live store provides the authoritative information for your purchase.
What this comparison can and cannot prove
The story-order recommendation rests on Bethesda’s description of Eternal as a direct sequel. The combat and traversal contrast combines a 2016 developer interview with a 2020 preview writer’s three-hour session. Those sources support a difference in design emphasis, but they are not a controlled side-by-side playthrough, a current critic-score dataset or a universal measurement of difficulty.
Accordingly, the useful conclusion is conditional: DOOM (2016) is the best default first game for continuity and a concentrated combat introduction; DOOM Eternal is a valid first choice for players drawn to resource management, expanded progression and movement-heavy traversal. Both carry graphic-violence and strong-language considerations, and both should be checked against your current platform’s requirements before purchase.
Quick Recap
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