TheDoomfranchise has been in the spotlight quite a bit following the success of id Software’sDoom(2016) and its sequelDoom Eternal, which speedrunnersare already making impressive headway with. One fan decided to go all the way back to the original first-person shooterDoomto see what the first rendition of its iconic protagonist Doomguy would look like if his model was transposed into a modern, hyper-realistic render.
A Reddit user named Panishev posted images of a pixelated Doomguy’s face from the UI ofDoomon MS-DOS transitioning into what many could argue looks to be a real-life actor’s headshot on the r/gaming subreddit today. Panishev said they used AI to enhance the original image, and in just four hours since it was uploaded the post has over 12,000 upvotes and nearly 550 comments as of this writing.
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Some of the top comment threads joke about AI Doomguy’s uncanny resemblance to the generic army sergeant archetype that has been seen in hundreds of movies, but a particularly fun set of comments started by Reddit user rothotindisguise seeks to figure out what real-world actor the render resembles. Some options include Kelsey Grammer ofFraiserfame, Bill Paxton fromIndependence Day, and Neil McDonough — who looked similar in his appearance as Major Bennington fromParamount Picture’sSonic the Hedgehogmovie.
WithDoom Eternalhaving been out for more than a month, fans of the series have had ample time to really rip and tear through all the denizens of hell using the most recent iteration of Doomguy. The game has inspired other creative endeavors, like one fanrecreatingDoom Eternal’s DoomBlade.
The AI render put together by Panishev is unique in that it pulls from so far into the series' past, much like howDoom Eternalitself includes multiple hidden sequences similar to the originalDoom. While somewhat archaic by today’s standards,Doom ‘93still holds uprather well as one of the games that truly pioneered the first-person shooter genre as the world knows it now.
While id Software’s modern iteration ofDoomtakes the lead character in a very different direction than Panishev’s render, Doomguy is no doubt in a great place being able to aggressively mow through demons against a heavy metal soundtrack. However, composerMick Gordon is unlikely to returnfor future sequels based on a conversation he had with a fan last week.
DoomEternalis available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
