Two of Id Software’s biggest game titles, Doom and Rage, are now available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers.

“It’s time to save the future with two incredible sci-fi shooters making their way to Xbox Game Pass today,” Microsoft’s Will Tuttle writes of Doom and Rage. “Today’s news is also a very special time for id Software as well, as the original Rage was always considered a passion project for the team … They’re incredibly excited that a new generation of gamers will have a chance to experience one of their favorite creations, available now on Xbox Game Pass for members to enjoy.”

To be clear, “Doom” refers to the 2016-era version of the game, which I found to be decidedly lacking. (Opinions vary, of course. I mean, some people actually like beets. Yuck.) But the thing that bothers me most about this version of the game, maybe, is that the hero you play has been renamed from “space marine” to “Doom slayer.” Doom slayer. Sigh.

Rage, meanwhile, is notable only because it was the last game for which John Carmack created a graphics engine. The game was first released in 2010 on the Xbox 360 (and other platforms), but it’s not clear if the version here on Xbox Game Pass is enhanced in any way for Xbox One/Xbox One X.

Perhaps not coincidentally, both of these games are going to be served by sequels over the next year. The Doom (2016) sequel, called Doom Eternal, is expected on December 28. And Rage 2, which was promised years ago but never materialized, will finally ship in 2019.

Looking at these trailers, it’s obvious that today’s Id Software bears little resemblance to the original Carmack-led incarnation. Whether that’s good or bad is another matter for debate.

Tagged with DOOM, Id Software, Rage, Xbox Game Pass