A new total conversion Doom mod turns id Software’s definitive FPS into a gory horror game, directly inspired by System Shock, and the Lovecraftian, From Software RPG Bloodborne.
Divine Frequency is one of the most promising Doom conversions we’ve seen in years, with genuinely unsettling horror, a compelling narrative, great sound and visual design, and a slew of new mechanics. The System Shock comparison comes from the fact that you have — as well as an arsenal of guns — magic abilities similar to System Shock 2’s psi powers. In terms of Bloodborne, the premise of Divine Frequency hinges on a small town, slowly being infected by a hellish, Lovecraftian, parallel reality, transforming everyday people and things into grotesque mutations.
Overlaid with a lo-fi, VHS-inflected visual filter, and using a detailed UI, there are also elements of Silent Hill and the original Deus Ex here, including various choice-based actions and sequences. It’s difficult. It’s frightening. It’s like a combination of a dozen great games from the past 25 years, but still somehow original and surprising. Divine Frequency is definitely one to watch.
Developed by modder GenghisKhan1109, in collaboration with Hellforge Studios, Divine Frequency is currently available via an extensive, one-hour-plus demo, which you can download for free from Mod DB. There is no release date for the full version yet, but given how smooth and accomplished the demo is, it’s unlikely to be far away.
In the meantime, if you want some other big scares, check out something from our list of the best horror games. You can also find some fantastic shooters in our guide to the best FPS games on PC, or, if reading about Bloodborne has got you pining for a big fantasy world, perhaps you could try one of the best RPGs, which naturally includes Bloodborne’s superlative cousin Elden Ring.