- Publisher: Activision
- Release Date: Aug 3, 2004
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The graphics are amazing (mind you, even on a mediocre system), the sound is amazing (if you don’t have a 5.1 system yet, consider it), and the game is downright scary.
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DOOM 3 smashes through all the hype and delivers a grand slam of action, story, atmosphere, and pure terror.
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So perfectly constructed, so deliciously immersive and downright elegant, that demands for more seem crass. It might not be the very best shooter out there, but it's the more visually stunning and successfully atmospheric than any game we've had the pleasure to play.
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A fest for the eyes and ears, Doom 3 is a crowning achievement in allowing a player live through a sci-fi horror experience. You’ll be in awe and frightened by what you see and hear.
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Certain classic enemies have also been upgraded, such as the imps, which now stare players down with glaring eyes before pouncing on them.
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Initially disappointing, but once you get how it's using the darkness it's very hard not to love Doom 3. Great-looking, scary and a delight to play - id have delivered again.
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Doom 3 is excellent. It isn’t revolutionary, but it does bring a simple and exciting gaming experience with near-flawless precision.
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It is fast-paced, claustrophobic and genuinely scary.
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Possibly the least original shooter released this year. The enemy AI is standard but effective, the guns are big and beefy and it's basically a case of running around and pulling the trigger.
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It’s the atmosphere created by the outstanding people at id that makes Doom 3 standout from the crowd. The lights flicker on and off, enemies hide in the dark and wait for you, and you truly feel alone most of the time you’re playing the game, which is surprising considering there are other characters that you work with.
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The game has such an immersive, dark style that it stands out as one of the scariest games ever made. The action is intense and gripping.
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netjakThe level design makes it impossible to create any interesting variety in gameplay... The AI in Doom 3 creates a whole new level of stupid.
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DOOM 3 joins the tiny handful of games we've seen this year that really are all they're cracked up to be. It's got fun, excitement, good looks—everything people look for both in a potential mate and in a video game.
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Doom3 really takes the original game and expands upon it exponentially. Even though visually the game is obviously much improved, it still feels like Doom.
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This is the ultimate in claustrophobic corridor blasters, and no matter what cynical hacks might say about the flashlight system, take no notice because it’s one of the most unique and cunning ideas we’ve seen in years – plus, it bloody well works!
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Even if you get bored with the somewhat repetitive single-player after a few hours, that time will be one of the most intense, visceral gaming experiences you'll probably ever have. [Oct 2004, p.142]
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The thrill of Doom III is simply that id has not only created something genuinely stand-out impressive on a technical level, but has gone on to create a beautifully unpretentious game that feels at home with itself in that it's not trying to be something it isn't. [Single-Player review only]
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Cheat Code CentralDoom 3 is basically a "Best of Doom" with incredible, state-of-the-art graphics... Regardless of whether you like this game or are disappointed that it's too much like the original, I think we can all agree that this is the best, and most definitive version of Doom.
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AceGamezHere is a game that doesn't try to be anything groundbreaking and it was never hyped as such; it's just a beautiful looking shooter that provides the same addictive, gung-ho game that made the original so much fun to play.
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There are some great firefights where the odds are so heavily stacked against you that victory, when it comes, is an emotional event.
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Hardcore DOOM fans will enjoy the fact that DOOM 3 is just like their baby, only with a facelift and some fancy new gameplay features, but everyone else might want to tread with caution as DOOM 3’s initial scares and wows over the graphics give way to predictable, uninspired gameplay all too quickly.
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Without a doubt, Doom 3 is the most visually appealing and best sounding PC game to date, but it doesn't bring anything new to the "3-D shooter" genre in terms of the game play, which is basically 1993's Doom all over again.
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There is a bare minimum of interactable items, namely, computer screens and boxes you can push for absolutely no reason. While the computer screens are neat in the way they're used, it's just not enough.
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Doom 3 has its flaws, but remains a graphical, audio and visual tour de force.
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Play MagazineThe most enthralling and disturbing atmosphere seen or heard on the PC so far this year. [Oct 2004, p.84]
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Computer Games MagazineAnd if it's only disappointing because it's exactly as expected, with no surprises, there's little question that it's expertly produced. [Nov 2004, p.78]
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games(TM)A confused game, veering from System Shock-style psychological horror to classic Doom mass slaughter via Resident Evil-esque jumpy frights... It’s not until your arsenal is about half full that this begins to feel like the new Doom game you wanted it to be. [Oct 2004, p.100]
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It’s a masterpiece of in-your-face action, a good plot, trend-setting graphics and audio that’ll have you screaming for hours. [5 1/2 "drips"]
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An essential title. The best graphics ever seen, incredible sound and some superb horror FPS gaming all add up to one hell of an experience.
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I can only strongly recommend this to a particular group of people. Fans of horror, fans of relentless shooters, and those who have a fantastic PC. The rest of the crowd will leave underwhelmed.
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Occasionally though a title comes around that contains a graphic engine and audio design so revolutionary it shakes you from the ground up and refuses to let go until every last drop of the story is told. Play Doom.
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The kind of replayablity any developer only dreams of.
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It might surprise you to learn that, like most first person shooters from the last century, Doom 3 is essentially a linear corridor crawl.
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I’ve never seen a game like this before, where the graphics, sounds, and surroundings actually make the game creepy.
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Quite possibly the best-looking game ever, thanks to the brand-new 3D graphics engine used to generate its convincingly lifelike, densely atmospheric, and surprisingly expansive environments. At the same time, when you look past the spectacular appearance, you'll find a conventional, derivative shooter.
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Doom III is 4 hours of intensity that tests the structural integrity of your mouse against your grip. That's followed by another four hours of wondering if that's all there is to the game. The last 8 hours are irritation that, unfortunately, that is all there is to the game.
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In simple terms, there just isn’t enough in the game that manages to firmly grab you and take you on a gameplay experience that warrant a higher score.
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I can't recall another video game that made me this physically uncomfortable and this psychologically troubled.
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Fans that wanted nothing more than a remake of the old titles, with updated graphics and the same horror atmosphere will not be disappointed. But by comparison, Doom 3 doesn’t bring anything new to the table, and in some respects it feels obsolete compared the FPS that were released in these last years.
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But if you manage to look beneath the skin of this frightener you'll find sub par artificial intelligence, a laughable plot, and the same play mechanics found in the now very dated original.
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PC GamerDoom 3 is a masterpiece of the art form - staying true to the frantic legacy of the Doom series, while ambitiously reaching new heights and bashing down the doors of the next generation of PC shooter. The bar is raised. Let's see someone else climb over it. [Sept 2004, p.34]
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Edge MagazineIt's impossible for your heart not to race as you sweat out the fright of its peerless audio design, chattering voices and muffled sobs endlessly scraping at your senses. [Oct 2004, p.98]
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The uncomplicated nature of the gaming experience is an advantage in this scary and furiously paced environment. This is an absolutely essential purchase and, despite our minor issues with the story and the intelligence of your enemies, you have to play it to believe it.
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One fantastic thing about Doom 3 is that the game gets better the more you play it, and the further you get, the better the weapons, the bigger the monsters, the more diverse the environments, and the greater the thrills.
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Doom 3 is more of an experience than a game. I was reminded of those haunted mansions or “dark rides” they have at theme parks.
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It feels much more like a mystery than a run’n’gun kind of game that people have become accustomed to after years of playing id games, and that is not a bad thing. This game has a real story and it’s a really great one to boot.
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It's simultaneously innovative and derivative, and it's a game, I suspect, that gamers will either love or hate, with little space in between.
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For the seasoned FPS gamers, Doom3 is a little empty beyond the eye candy, because on top of the predictable storyline, the gameplay basically consists of running around shooting baddies, completing generic objectives in the process, and rarely strays far from this, but is that really a bad thing? This is, after all, Doom.
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BoomtownRight out of the box (no patch needed) the game ran smooth, looked awesome and kept me both terrified and unable to walk away. The pacing is perfect and the production value unmatched.
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Rejecting pressure from pseudo-sophisticated snobs who want to graft on artificial complexities that have been so trendy in recent computer action titles, Doom 3 is a far cry from the pattern of the latest shooters, and to me, that’s a real blessing.
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The weapons are pretty unimaginative (all the imagination was in "Doom 1" – this is just a continuation) and are often useless (ever try using a rocket launcher in a small room? Well, there are about a billion small rooms in Doom 3). The BFG is fun as always, of course.
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As a single player game played in short burts and with an eye towards old school run and gun style dynamics, we there's precious little that can touch Doom 3.
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Scary as hell in parts with a lot of intense action with robust narrative with a perfect mix of storyline to action.
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It's the execution that makes this game so damn good. The stellar visuals, amazing audio, and incredible attention to detail draw you into another world.
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Awe-inspiring graphics, cutting edge 3D sound, fantastic artwork and level design, stunning character models and animations, sexy sfx, admirable AI, intuitive interface and top notch story and voice acting. A good fleshy single-player FPS experience – the best in years, if not ever.
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A headlamp! A headlamp! My kingdom for a headlamp! Other than being way too dark, Doom 3 is a fun old school romp set in an immersive environment with cutting edge graphics.
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Multiplayer deathmatch modes work just as you’d imagine them, although I can’t be but a bit disappointed. Unlike a game like "UT 2004", Doom 3 only comes with the option for four-player deathmatches, and there is no Co-Op mode like there will be in the upcoming Xbox version.
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GMR MagazineEnemies and weapons are well balanced, progression through the Mars base is even and steady, and the locations are varied enough to keep things interesting. [Oct 2004, p.100]
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The environments in Doom 3 are exceptional. The lighting and lack thereof is so well composed that, given the appropriate system, you will bleed into that reality. It does not look like a game.
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The cliché of key collecting to open doors has been replaced by the completely and utterly new convention of PDA collecting to open doors.
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I didn't ever think that I'd let gameplay take such a backseat role to presentation when forming an opinion about a game though... DOOM 3 is an entertaining experience as long as you don't go in with any ideas that this is going to revolutionize first-person shooters. It's a pretty basic game when it comes down to it.
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Doom 3 ignores all of the "rare" and "true find" tags and fills any void you might have had for having the piss scared out of you.
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It's a visceral experience that too often falls back on tired shooter clichés. But occasionally, it does rise above the mediocrity to deliver a truly compelling experience. That, coupled with the best graphics available.
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The game is definitely not perfect, but with production values this high and a scare / immersion factor that goes through the roof, even after the 50,000th imp leaps out of a closet to claw at your face, Doom 3 is a game that any player would be stupid not to own in his collection.
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It’s hard to describe exactly what makes the game feel so intuitive, but when you combine the smooth control with the great scripting and chilling atmosphere, you get a fun, unique, visceral experience.
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If you're expecting jittery "Unreal Tournament"–style multiplayer action here, you'll be sorely disappointed...The real fun is in a story that leads you so deep into hell, with rich graphics and engulfing sound, you can practically smell the sulfur.
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Gorgeous and horrifying , but also dumb and repetitive.
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The ability to make me jump when enemies fly out at me, or even better to make me jump when a light breaks or a beam falls forcing me to start firing at nothing, this is a huge achievement. This game will easily join the ranks of "System Shock 2" and "Undying" as one of the scariest FPS titles ever made.
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While the visual depiction of the demons is easily Doom 3's strong point, the A.I. driving them is perhaps its weakest -- and the one thing that keeps the game from becoming a true masterpiece. In short, these guys are dumb.
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Great on looks, but low on gameplay. Players generally have little motivation to go through the single player campaign more than once, but the first experience is certainly a great one. However, the multiplayer is very disappointing.
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A gorgeous sci-fi shoot-em-up featuring the most stunning production values yet seen in any game, its pacing and ambience are enough to overlook its linearity and lack of variety and originality in its gameplay.
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While the gameplay is very simple, with most controls being basic movement and firing, this game was designed to give the player plenty of action and scares … not be a tactical shooter.
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The game play itself lacked more versatility and bona fide innovation to deserve the moniker of "Groundbreaking". Either way, my dear reader, if you're a shooter fan, you'd be a fool not to buy this one.
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Enemies are by far not the smartest to grace a game and will often run towards you while you shower them in a hail of bullets.
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So tense that it doesn't fit the typical definition of fun: it's actually a very stressful experience. But the gameplay is so compelling you will be forced to keep scaring yourself senseless until you make it to the final scene.
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Most of the levels will give you the heebie-jeebies. Even if you didn't have to worry about ambushes by Imps and commando zombies, the dark environments should be enough to creep you out. The game is pure science fiction, but the structures and equipment seem plausible.
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Honestly, the plot isn't bad, it just feels irrelevant, and because of that, shallow. There's only so much sophistication that can be added to a tale in which the forces of Hell emerge beneath a Martian base.
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A great looking game with some of the best gameplay elements I’ve ever seen. However, over the scope of the game it gets a little thin and repetitive.
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Much of the immersion in Doom 3 is due to the incredible engine, and the amazing artwork... An excellent game, but it’s a bit of a shame that you can finish it in two days, after waiting for four years.
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Even up against recent heavyweights like "Painkiller" and "Far Cry", Doom 3’s visuals are a notch above. Using pretty much every graphical technique available like normal mapping, self-shadowing, per-pixel lighting and others that my frail brain cannot understand, the Doom 3 engine is sight to behold.
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And even though its skeletal story and often repetitive game play keep it from being a truly great game, Doom 3's haunted-house formula can still terrorize and exhilarate the player.
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While the visuals are second to none, the game ultimately doesn't bring anything new or notable to the first-person shooter formula.
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As an FPS game, somewhat inferior, but as an interactive experience, simply unmatched.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 868 out of 1360
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Mixed: 361 out of 1360
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Negative: 131 out of 1360
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D.Q.Aug 7, 2004
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Jan 23, 2021
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Aug 5, 2013