While the world holds its breath for Doom: The Dark Ages, I figured—why not go back to where the real carnage lives? So I fired up Brutal Doom v21, loaded up Doom II, and ran it through Zandronum using OpenGL rendering on my trusty RTX 3070. The result? A glorious mess of blood, bullets, and better gameplay than Doom Eternal could ever dream of.

What's This About Zandronum and OpenGL?

For the uninitiated, Zandronum is a powerful multiplayer source port of the Doom engine that supports modern enhancements while keeping the classic feel intact. It's also the perfect companion for mods like Brutal Doom, offering solid performance, widescreen support, and better compatibility with OpenGL rendering. That last part—OpenGL—is what allows you to enjoy smoother graphics, dynamic lighting, and effects that bring old-school Doom into the modern age without turning it into a bloated cinematic experience.

Why Brutal Doom v21 Still Reigns Supreme

Brutal Doom v21 is hands down the best Doom mod ever created. Period. It's not just more violent—it's smarter. Enemies have improved AI, weapons feel punchier, and the whole thing is a sensory overload in the best way possible. Grenades, fatalities, gibbing galore—it's like someone cranked the Doom dial up to 11 and then broke it off. If you've never tried it, you're missing out on the ultimate "what if Doom was made in 2025" experience.

Let's Not Forget the Classic: Doom II

There's something about Doom II that just hits right. The level design, the pacing, the arsenal—it laid the foundation for everything that followed in the FPS genre. And when you layer Brutal Doom over it, you get a beautiful blend of nostalgia and insanity. It's the same maps you remember, but now they hurt a lot more—and not just you. Enemies explode like overripe watermelons if you so much as look at them sideways.

RTX 3070: Overkill? Maybe. Worth it? Absolutely.

Okay, let's be real—Doom II doesn't exactly push modern GPUs. But when you're running Brutal Doom in HD with dynamic lighting, particle effects, and high-res textures through OpenGL, it helps to have power to spare. My RTX 3070 isn't breaking a sweat, but it does help everything stay buttery smooth. Plus, if you're recording or streaming the chaos, having that extra GPU headroom is a huge plus.

One Life. That's It.

This run is a single life playthrough, meaning I play until I die. No saving, no do-overs. Just raw, unfiltered gameplay—the way Doom was meant to be played. It's not about perfection; it's about immersion. You feel every missed shot, every close call. And when you die, that's it. Game over. Try again.

Better Than Doom Eternal?

Hot take incoming: Brutal Doom has better playability than Doom Eternal. Yeah, I said it. Doom Eternal looks amazing, sure. But it's a little too choreographed for my taste. Too many color-coded enemies, platforming segments, and forced combat loops. Brutal Doom lets you play your way. No hand-holding, no cooldowns, just pure, chaotic freedom.

While We Wait for Doom: The Dark Ages… 

Until Doom: The Dark Ages finally lands, I'll be spending my time in the past—blasting through cyberdemons and revenants with a shotgun that feels like it could knock down a building. If you're feeling the itch to rip and tear but want something more raw and satisfying than modern Doom, give Brutal Doom v21 a spin. You won't regret it.