Parents' Guide to

Doom

By Paul Semel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Violent, bloody, yet fun shooter for mature gamers only.

Game Nintendo Switch , PlayStation 4 , Windows , Xbox One 2017
Doom Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 43 parent reviews

SnowmanDan
SnowmanDan Adult
January 9, 2022
age 15+

One the best FPS I've played

If your kids have a strong sense of fiction vs. reality then there's not much reason to say no here. If it were purely violence vs the demonic enemies I'd even agree with the people labeling it as 13+ or Teen. I can't think of any actual profanity, although there might be 1 or 2 instances in the entire playthrough where you'd encounter it. There's some pretty disturbing moments if you have any sense of connection with the story though. There's some dead bodies strewn about, and human blood spattered about the backgrounds of some environments, which isn't in your face enough to be considered particularly horror-like. No dead faces shown though. There's a dismembered hand you have to make use of in order to pass a bio-metric lock in the game. I think it's definitely one of the most disturbing moments psychologically, but it is also played out in an almost cartoony over the top portrayal as much of the violence is, so it doesn't really strike me as requiring 17+ or Adult level of maturity to experience. If your 15 year old can't handle what in the game, then they're probably being sheltered to an unhealthy extent in my opinion. I'd say, hard no to anyone under 10 and definitely not recommended for under 13, even if they're mature. 10 and under I'd say it's best they don't play or watch others play even. As for the gameplay, it's extremely well done, fast paced action. There's some extra light puzzling/platforming going on to keep things interesting. The weapon upgrades keep things exciting and the story... gets the job done. The story is uninstrusive in a good way here. Gameplay is number one, and the game doesn't try to explain away why game elements are part of the game or pretend to be portraying any level of realism. It's a clear cut morality for the in-game protagonist too, there's evil that wants to take advantage of humanity for the sake of evil and humans trying to take advantage of evil for humanity. You'll accept neither and head to wipe out what's clearly evil, and end humanity's attempt to try to use evil for good. If you were super into it there's lots to read and get into, it's not incredibly compelling or mind-blowing but it's good.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
2 people found this helpful.
TheRealFlame
TheRealFlame Adult
December 19, 2018
age 17+

It's very Gorey

I wouldn't let any young children play this game even if they are used to playing games such as Call Of Duty, This game probably has the most gore in a game.

This title has:

Too much violence
1 person found this helpful.
See all 43 parent reviews

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What’s It About?

When DOOM begins, you find yourself strapped to an operating table, with some demonic creatures coming at you. Breaking free, you kill them and then go into the next room to grab your power armor before heading out. You're on Mars, in a facility that's overrun with creatures, and it's your job not only to clean them out but also to figure out what's causing this infestation in the first place -- oh, and survive. The Switch version of Doom includes the three DLC packs while also adding a new Slayer rating, a new practice mode for beginning players, a rune system that replaces the hack system in multiplayer, and new challenges during battle. It also gives you access to an arcade mode with every stage, so players can focus on their best times and scores on levels they may not have even completed in the story mode.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (43 ):
Kids say (167 ):

By augmenting many of its old-school tenets with new mechanics, the latest installment in this sci-fi first-person shooter series is engaging but could be divisive for its changes to the genre format. And not only because it goes over the top with the gore, violence, and disturbing imagery (you're fighting demons from hell, after all). Eschewing many of the genre's current mechanics, Doom has you picking up health packs and armor pieces, as opposed to waiting for your health and shields to recharge. On the flip side, you can now augment your armor and add special abilities to your weapons. You can also now smack stunned or injured enemies as well, which causes them to drop health packs and ammo.

It also sets the story-driven campaign's firefights in large, multilevel areas, which gives your enemies a chance to attack from all angles at the same time. Even the game's multiplayer modes feel like something we would've played years ago, but with such new touches as the option to pick which guns you'll use ahead of time. Impressively, the Switch port of Doom plays extraordinarily well, even though the system is underpowered compared to the PS4 and Xbox One. Text and some visuals may be a bit harder to see on the small Switch screen if it's not docked with a television, and the Joy-Con controllers aren't as responsive as you would need them to be for a fast-paced shooter. It's definitely recommended that you play this game with the Pro Controller for effective control of your soldier. But, let's face it, the fact that Doom runs this solidly on Switch and can be taken on the go is an overwhelming plus over these minor issues. Now, because the game mixes the old and the new, Doom purists may decry the more modern additions, while new players may lament the old-school aspects. But if you don't mind that they've augmented this series' old-school tenets with new mechanics, you'll find the new Doom to be a fast and frantic shooter.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in games. Does this game make you feel any different about violence since you're killing demons and monsters as opposed to humans? How do you feel when you're killing undead people in the game?

  • Talk about solving problems with violence. Should this be a solution that's left as a last resort? Is it OK to kill monsters to save your own life?

  • Talk about history. Doom has many elements taken from the original 1993 game, but how do you feel about these old-school mechanics? How have games evolved over the years? Are there any other old games you'd like to see new versions of?

Game Details

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