John Romero reckons Doom's legacy is "up there" with Dungeons and Dragons

DOOM
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Doom creator John Romero reckons the iconic FPS has a similar legacy to Dungeons and Dragons.

In a new interview with our colleagues at Edge Magazine, Romero touches on Sigil, the nine-episode unofficial follow-up to Doom's fourth level, and then launches into a broader discussion around the series' storied legacy.

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"I'm surprised that Sigil can actually be something that can make money," Romero said. "It's a mod for a game that's from 1993. I'm blown away by the fact that Doom just keeps going - there's new Doom games, and they're great. People still want more. I love it."

Romero goes on to compare Doom's impact to that of Dungeons and Dragons, a franchise that started as a tabletop RPG and now spans a TV series, several movie adaptations, many video games, comics, novels, card games, and so much more. "I mean, I don't know if you could have a better legacy than that. Dungeons & Dragons has an incredible legacy. I think Doom is up there with that," Romero said.

Though Romero is undeniably biased, it isn't an outrageous comparison to make. Doom popularized both the FPS genre and competitive multiplayer, coining the phrase "deathmatch" which is usually the main multiplayer mode in modern shooters. To put it in context, literally ever entry in our list of the best FPS games has some of Doom in its DNA. Indeed, if there's an FPS that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Dungeons and Dragons, it's Doom.

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Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.