Doom rebuilt in the Age of Empires engine? Sure, why not

I never thought I’d see the day when I would reach my forties (laugh it up) and Doom would still be relevant in the gaming sphere. With The Dark Ages coming sometime in 2025, id Software’s influential shooter franchise is still as strong as ever.

To say nothing of the modding community, which has been tweaking and tinkering with the classics since time immemorial. Most fan-made content may change much about the originals, but will typically keep it feeling like a traditional Doom game. However, one person decided to switch things up a bit.

ModDB user HELLKNIGHT61 thought it was high-time to remove the “FP” from “first-person shooter” and deliver a version of Doom that’s more isometric. More specifically, they’ve taken the 1993 game and rebuilt it in the Age of Empires 2 engine, turning it into some sort of classic PC gaming amalgamation.

Rip ‘n’ tear ‘n’ wololo

Now, before I go any further, I am aware that “Age of DOOM” came out a year ago. According to the download page, it was released on November 9, 2023. However, it seems to have wormed its way onto the first couple of pages of ModDB and, honestly, I’m genuinely surprised I haven’t come across this one already.

HELLKNIGHT61 describes the mod as both a “tactical shooter and isometric shooter game,” with some point ‘n’ click elements to boot. Simply put: it takes the sprites and visuals from Doom (as well as the ultra violent Brutal Doom mod) and incorporates them into Age of Empire 2‘s otherwise green and pleasant lands.

It’s also standalone, which means you don’t need either of the official games in order to play “Age of DOOM.” It features a tutorial scenario, a practice scenario, as well as a remake of the “Knee Deep in the Dead” chapter, which has nine maps. It’s also recommended to start with the tutorial, because a fast-paced shooter in an isometric world with tactical elements may not have the most intuitive gameplay.