Published：2024-08-14 Author：Xiaohei
Doom is a very special game for me. I know it is for most people really, but I can’t remember a demo (shareware back then) I put this much time into ever aside from maybe Jazz Jackrabbit back in the 90s. Doom was one of the first games I played as a kid on DOS, and I didn’t even realize back then that I didn’t have the full game until years later when I asked my dad to get me Doom II when he was in the UK. Fast forward a few years, and I started replaying both Doom games and buying them on whatever platform I owned or eventually owned. Doom and Doom II then hit iOS, Steam, Xbox 360, and in 2019 saw a massive overhaul with good ports for all current consoles including Switch. One of the most important games of all time deserves to be installed on every device I own, and that’s what I kept doing. I replay it often, but I think Doom + Doom II (2024) might be my favorite version of the games.
When Bethesda and Nightdive surprise announced and released Doom + Doom II as a single package last week at QuakeCon 2024, I kept refreshing the store pages to download it as soon as I could. When I finally managed getting it installed, I was very impressed, and slowly started trying the games on all consoles and Steam Deck. I was also refreshing the App Store in the hope of getting an update, but I don’t think that will be happening for reasons I will explain later on in this article.
This isn’t the first re-release for Doom or Doom II, and it likely won’t be the last one, but this is in such a good state on most platforms, that I find myself not hesitating to say this is the best Doom has ever been on the console side, and the PC version on Steam Deck might be my favorite way to play this classic. With Doom and Doom II now available on multiple platforms, and having played it on all of them to try out the mods, new features, cross platform multiplayer, and more, I decided to write about this new release and also compare it to what is available on iOS and Android today.
For this article, I’ve played Doom + Doom II 2024 (henceforth Doom + Doom II) on Nintendo Switch docked, Nintendo Switch Lite, PS5, Xbox Series X, Steam Deck OLED, Steam Deck LCD, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 14 Plus, and iPad Pro (2020). If you enjoy listening to music while reading, I recommend loading this up from Andrew Hulshult’s new DOOM II IDKFA soundtrack that is included with the original remix in Doom + Doom II.
If you own the 2019 releases on consoles, you get a free upgrade to Doom + Doom II. Doom + Doom II is a completely new version that combines both games, mods, multiplayer, a vault of art, a full new episode Legacy of Rust (Nightdive, MachineGames, and id Software), a new Deathmatch map pack, Andrew Hulshult’s legendary IDKFA soundtrack (with new DOOM II music), and more. It also brings native PS5 + Xbox Series X versions which are free upgrades for existing owners. This is notable because the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions now support 4K 120fps and the PS5 version also has DualSense features and PS5 Activity Cards support. On Xbox Series X, it also has Quick Resume support.
When Doom and Doom II launched in 2019, they were good, but had some teething issues. Since then, they’ve been updated to fix most of those issues, but this new version of Doom + Doom II is superb, but not every platform has the same feature set, especially when it comes to mods.
Doom + Doom II on PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, and PC all have the ability to browse mods and download mods. You need a Bethesda.net account for this as well. These mods are user created and featured mods. The PC version also lets you upload mods which isn’t possible on any console. The Nintendo Switch version doesn’t have a mod browser and only lets you access a few featured mods due to “platform policies". This is disappointing because having your Bethesda.net account logged in for mods means all your subscribed mods show up across platforms giving you easy access to them while Switch gets just a few featured mods.
The mobile versions are still the same Unity releases from 2019 with a few updates, but they do not have the mod browser. They have a similar featured mods curated set right now.
One thing to note is multiplayer on Nintendo Switch currently censors some words in usernames. When testing the cross platform multiplayer with randoms and a friend of mine, I noticed words partially censored similar to Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox. The advantage to Switch is that it has local wireless multiplayer support, something that isn’t present on other platforms. Those have the LAN option, but local wireless is only on Switch making it great if you want to play with friends who have their own consoles. On Steam Deck, you’d need to connect through a local network to do this.
When I first booted up Doom + Doom II on my Steam Deck OLED, it felt sublime. Don’t let the “Steam Deck Unsupported" rating fool you. This is perfect on Steam Deck across its online, campaign, and more. On Steam Deck OLED, I played at 1440p 144hz on my monitor, 800p 90hz in portable mode, and also at 60fps on my LCD Steam Deck. The Switch version targets native resolution and 60fps in both modes, but it isn’t a locked 60fps, especially in mods.
The PS5 and Xbox Series X versions target 4K 120fps, and I didn’t have any issues playing on my 1440p monitor, but the frame rate does drop in some user-uploaded mods. The campaigns and multiplayer I tested were all great on every platform. Some of the mods struggle on Switch with other user uploaded ones tanking performance even on Series X and P5.
For some reason, the main game selection menu on Xbox Series X is very laggy compared to PS5 and Steam where it is buttery smooth. The Switch version isn’t as laggy as the Xbox version either, making me wonder when that bug will be fixed.
Visually, Doom + Doom II looks incredible across the board. Load times on PS5, Xbox Series X, and Steam Deck are also super fast. Switch is the worst with load times, but nothing is too bad right now.
Seriously? A whole section about the music? I mean, this includes music from Andrew Hulshult, one of my favorite composers in gaming right now. If you’ve not heard his work so far, he does amazing soundtracks. Doom + Doom II includes the original music, but also an option to use his IDKFA soundtrack which basically is incredible. The original music is timeless, but I don’t think I’m replaying Doom or Doom II without Andrew’s IDKFA now. The Doom II IDKFA soundtrack is also brand-new, and it is like a punch in the teeth (compliment).
The other big bonus is the id Vault. This has so much art I hadn’t seen before like pre-release versions of DOOMGUY that look hilarious, art pages, and more. The only downer for the vault section is no sound test or music player. I hope this glaring omission is fixed soon.
The Legacy of Rust campaign is a brand-new collaboration between MachineGames, Nightdive Studios and id Software as the newest Doom episode. This also features new demons and weapons. Legacy of Rust is quite a bit harder than prior episodes as well, but it is super fun. I would’ve probably paid $20 for Doom + Doom II just for this new campaign, let alone all the extras and enhancements.
Right now, this is the only thing missing as far as I can tell from the 2019 release. That release of both games let you use cheats on all platforms. I haven’t been able to find a way to use cheats on consoles right now. What you can use are difficulty modifiers like spawning no monsters (this might make some levels impossible to complete), using multiplayer items, and more.
Not yet, but there is a physical edition that has a code for it sold on the Bethesda store. Titled, the DOOM Anthology, it includes a code for DOOM (1993), DOOM II, (through Doom + Doom II I assume), DOOM 64, DOOM 3, DOOM (2016), and DOOM Eternal Deluxe Edition for whatever platform you select. It also has a SteelBook game case and a 5-inch replica of the BFG with LED lights and a stand. Check it out below:
I can’t say for sure, but Nightdive’s Kex Engine remasters have yet to see a mobile release as far as I know. Assuming there is no technical hurdle with the engine, Doom + Doom II probably could come if Bethesda wanted it, but as of now there’s no news. I wouldn’t hold my breath for them considering we’ve not seen the new Quake enhanced releases or Turok hit mobile yet. The iOS and Android versions of Doom and Doom II available today are still based on the 2019 Unity releases with access to some mods, but they don’t have the other new features added here.
If you are on iOS or Android, you can still access Doom or Doom II as you could before. On consoles, the Doom and Doom II individual games are still available. On PC, things are a bit different. On Steam, you can access the original through the beta on Steam by selecting “previous-re-release" to access the 2019 release. The older one is available via launch options and selecting the 2019 labeled “previous-re-release".
The GOG versions are still in the “Owned Games" section of the launcher. On the Microsoft Store, the release is treated like the Xbox console version so you can access it from your library.
The answer here is all of them. I’m not being facetious. If you like Doom, you will want this on every single platform. It is that good. You likely already got it for free through owning the prior release, but if you don’t, $9.99 for this package is probably the best gaming purchase of 2024 you can make for under ten bucks.
If you made it this far and somehow have not played Doom or Doom II yet, I hope you grab this new release on your platform of choice. There’s a reason people keep porting Doom to everything. IDSPISPOPD.
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