10 Years Ago, Bethesda Released One Of The Best Shooters Ever To Grace Xbox

The DOOM series has been top of the FPS game for most of its life – from the 1993 original to recent releases like Eternal and The Dark Ages. Id Software usually knows just when to mix things up in the right way; surprising and delighting shooter fans for decades now. However, around the early 2010s, the series wobbled a little bit with the controversial move towards a more horror-focused DOOM 3 – and after that game’s mixed reception, the series needed a reset, and that’s exactly what it got just about 10 years ago.

Enter, DOOM 2016. Yes, it’s really been a whole decade since the Bethesda-owned studio reinvented the DOOM franchise (well, nearly, the game launched for Xbox on May 13th, 2016), and we just wanted to take some time out this weekend to remember this landmark release. The series really hasn’t looked back since it launched.

We can still remember stepping out onto the harsh landscapes of Mars for the very first time, basking in the then-current-gen glory of it all. Seriously, DOOM had never looked so good, and this reboot of sorts really felt like it captured the very essence of the series; certainly much better than DOOM 3 did. Those hellish reds and orange hues are still seared into our brains 10 years later – man, we really need to replay this one ASAP.

Speaking of, there’s further benefits to playing this DOOM title on Xbox Series X. Sure, the game never got a proper new-gen upgrade (that was saved for Eternal), but thanks to an Xbox One X patch from circa 2018, you get a fully locked 4K/60FPS on Microsoft’s beefy current-gen console. Seriously, this thing hardly skips a beat on XSX, delivering a heart-pumping FPS experience that shouldn’t be missed, even 10 years on.

We’re also grateful for what DOOM did for the franchise as a whole. Since this game’s 2016 launch, id Software has continued to climb to new heights with DOOM Eternal and DOOM: The Dark Ages – the 2016 game really was an important moment to help ensure the series stayed on track for years to come. Here’s to DOOM 2016, then, a masterclass in FPS design and still one of the best shooters ever to grace Xbox. Happy 10-year anniversary!