Summary
- Each Doom game offers unique experiences and lore, with varying completion times.
- Doom VFR lasts 3 hours, providing a shooter experience in a new format.
- Doom Eternal ends the storyline after 20 hours, with DLC expansions adding more content.
There have been many games in the Doom franchise, each a revolutionary first-person shooter for the era they’re released, going all the way back to 1993. Every Doom game features a lone protagonist charging through legions of demons to slay them with chainsaws, shotguns, and even their bare hands if needed.
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The time it takes to complete each Doom campaign varies. Some classic Doom games take longer than newer ones, offering unique experiences. These experiences range from new weapons for the hero to use on the journey across Mars, Hell, and Earth, to lore that further explains how an ordinary marine transforms into an interdimensional demon-killing warrior.
9 Doom VFR
Slaying Demons In VR Lasts 3 Hours
Doom VFR
- Released
- December 1, 2017
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4
Virtual reality was still in its infancy when Doom VFR was released, showing the potential of the format at the time, even with its limitations. Players could rip and tear through demons as a lone scientist on Mars during the events of Doom (2016), using a shotgun, pistol, plasma rifle, gauss cannon, and almost everything the Doom Slayer wielded on his own adventure.
Like many VR games of the time, Doom VFR is short but sweet, clocking in at three hours on most playthroughs. A completionist run can be extended to maybe four hours, but either way, it is a simple shooter experience that could lead to an even better sequel in the future now that the technology has advanced with titles like Batman: Arkham Shadow.
8 Doom (1993)
Can’t Go Wrong With 5 Hours Of Classic Shooter Action
Doom (1993)
- Released
- December 10, 1993
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
Even over three decades later, the original Doom remains an iconic piece of gaming history. While it may not have invented the first-person shooter genre, it does deserve credit for its impact on the genre as a whole. Despite its age, gamers are still discovering the fun five hours’ worth of ripping and tearing through undead and demons on Mars.
Many of the Doom franchise's staples that are still present in current games originated with the original 1993 title, such as the famous chainsaw and the BFG-9000. Finding all the secrets and alternate areas can extend the game by another hour or two, but those who know the game by heart have found ways of speedrunning Doom in less than two hours.
7 Doom 2: Hell On Earth
It Takes 7 Hours To Avenge The Earth
Doom 2
- Released
- October 10, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
After the major success of the original Doom, Id Software was able to take everything they did so well and amplify it with new demons and weapons alongside a much longer campaign in Doom 2: Hell on Earth. A normal playthrough can last about seven hours, but with the game being even longer than before, the secrets and alternate routes are also extended, which can lead to almost fourteen-hour playthroughs.
In many ways, Doom 2 can be seen as more of the same, but it never feels like a glorified expansion. It even includes one of the most iconic boss fights in the series: the Icon of Sin. Doom 2 also features the impactful visuals of Earth cities destroyed and warped into a new Hellish landscape.
6 Doom 64
Fighting The Mother Of All Demons For 7 Hours
Doom 64
- Released
- April 4, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- FPS
With the Mother of All Demons resurrecting Hell’s forces, the Doom Marine returns to Mars to fight his way through legions of demons and undead, resulting in the cult classic Doom 64. While the game was originally not loved due to its shift to a darker tone with a noticeable lack of a rock soundtrack, it has gained a cult following over the years.
Doom 64 was fortunate enough not only to get remastered in 2020, but to also get an official expansion called The Lost Levels, which not only extended the game’s length but also connected to games like Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal. A normal playthrough takes about seven hours to complete, but the added levels can extend it to nine or ten hours.
5 Doom 3
The Reboot Provides 10 Hours Of Survival Horror
DOOM 3
- Released
- August 3, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
The series began as an action game, but with Doom 3, Id Software continued the change in direction that started with Doom 64, creating more of a survival horror experience. It is also a reboot that went back to the start to showcase the first Hell invasion of Mars. When the demons first appear, it is sci-fi horror at its finest before gradually becoming an action-packed shooter.
The reboot can normally be beaten in ten hours, but the Resurrection of Evil expansion can add another four hours of gameplay. Some fans were not overly fond of the horror approach to Doom, but it did leave an impact on the franchise, with all future games depicting the Hell Knights as hulking, eyeless beasts.
4 Doom (2016)
12 Hours Of The Doom Slayer's Return To Mars
DOOM
- Released
- May 13, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Doom (2016) was the result of a long hiatus, with Id going back and forth on ideas for a Doom 4 for years. However, they went with a game that served as both a reboot and a sequel under Bethesda. Doom Marine was back on Mars with a whole new Hell invasion and a new name: The Doom Slayer, ready to rip and tear through every demon he could find.
Id Software updated The Doom Slayer for the modern day but never lost the fast-paced feel of the original by making it too much of a modern shooter like Call of Duty. It also features an expansive campaign that lasts twelve hours normally, but completionist runs can take up to twenty hours.
3 Final Doom
Fans Created 13 Hours Of Official Doom Content
Final Doom
- Released
- May 31, 1996
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Comprised of two episodes known as The Plutonia Experiment and TNT Evilution, Final Doom has become an official game, but it was developed by fans using the Doom 2 engine. It was designed to be the ultimate challenge, which is why just a simple playthrough averages out at thirteen hours, but a completionist run can last up to twenty hours.
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Final Doom is challenging, as the developers amplified the difficulty, much like fans do with other games like Super Mario Maker. It is also one of the rarer Doom games to own, as it did not get the same remaster treatment as other titles. As such, it remains a title stuck on the PlayStation 1 and older PC operating systems.
2 Doom: The Dark Ages
A New 15-Hour Saga Depicting The Slayer As A Night Sentinel
DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Released
- May 15, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Id Software and Bethesda have worked hard to create a fun but complex timeline for Doom games, and Doom: The Dark Ages helps flesh it out . It takes place between Doom 64 and Doom (2016), and showcases an adventure in which the Doom Slayer serves with the Night Sentinels in the dimension of Argent D’Nur, fighting the forces of Hell like Prince Ahzrak.
In his quest to slaughter all demons, The Doom Slayer is equipped with a new Captain America-esque shield, as well as a mace and his signature guns to span across a fifteen-to twenty-hour campaign. The levels are more expansive than ever, allowing gamers to complete optional activities and find secrets while blasting demons with guns or riding a dragon.
1 Doom Eternal
The Biggest Doom Game Ends The Story After 20 Hours
DOOM Eternal
- Released
- March 20, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
When The Doom Slayer returns to Earth, it has been ravaged by the forces of Hell once again. He arms up with new and familiar methods of combat for his biggest adventure yet as he fights demons and the angel-like race known as Maykrs. Doom Eternal is a fitting title, as a first playthrough often reaches over twenty hours before the player defeats the final boss.
That’s not even the end of the game because there are two DLC episodes, each one lasting three to five hours, extending the story and giving The Doom Slayer an epic finale. Full playthroughs collecting every secret and upgrade extend all of Doom Eternal even more, reaching up to thirty hours’ worth of content to enjoy.
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