DOOM 3

 PC
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1360 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 868 out of 1360
  2. Mixed: 361 out of 1360
  3. Negative: 131 out of 1360
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  1. Full-Life
    Aug 8, 2004
    7
    Nice game. I knew what to expect from Doom III; old skool gameplay in a new pair of Gucci shoes. So unlike people that expected revolutionary gameplay and got disappointed...... i got disappointed because the old skool gameplay was not executed very well. Surely you would have at least expected more variety, interesting puzzles and a slight tactical touch in these days of gaming. It got Nice game. I knew what to expect from Doom III; old skool gameplay in a new pair of Gucci shoes. So unlike people that expected revolutionary gameplay and got disappointed...... i got disappointed because the old skool gameplay was not executed very well. Surely you would have at least expected more variety, interesting puzzles and a slight tactical touch in these days of gaming. It got predictable towards the ending. Also the AI was not good... it did not offer a challenge. Doom III is also really short. I mean, what 4 years in development and we get 10 hours of gameplay? Some replay value would have been nice... i guess Western Developers are not that replay value sensitive as Japanese developers. I wanted to count multiplayer as replay value but it is soooo boring. Sorry ID Software, you have not evolved with time and are still in the past.… Expand
  2. BradJ.
    Aug 1, 2007
    7
    DooM I and DooM II are the greatest first person shooters of all time. In my opinion, Doom 3 does not live up to the legacy. The omnipresent shadow and haunting audio make a superb atmosphere, though the game lacks in many other regards. All too often you will open a door to find an imp crouched in wait, ready to pounce, or a demon will be hiding in a canceled closet, only leaving after DooM I and DooM II are the greatest first person shooters of all time. In my opinion, Doom 3 does not live up to the legacy. The omnipresent shadow and haunting audio make a superb atmosphere, though the game lacks in many other regards. All too often you will open a door to find an imp crouched in wait, ready to pounce, or a demon will be hiding in a canceled closet, only leaving after you have passed by unsuspectingly. All too often you must decide between seeing, and shooting. The scares get tiresome after the first few levels, and the constant spawning of monsters becomes frustrating. When compared to the original DooM, DooM 3 is far easier to navigate. No longer is it necessary for you to wander around searching for 3 keycards hidden in the expansive level. Now, the goals are linear. It is much more enjoyable. This is also a downside, as there is nothing to provide padding between the endless scuffles with the invading forces. The combat in DooM I and DooM II is more enjoyable. It was fast paced and exhilarating, while in Doom 3, your foes tend to come in small quantities and hide in the shadows. I can say this: what Doom 3 does, it does very well. The graphics are great, the story is an improved version of the original DooM I (Contrary to popular belief, Half Life stole the story of DooM I, you would never know it unless you read the manual for DooM I), the atmosphere is great, and the gameplay lacks when compared to other FPS. That is not a fair comparison, as Doom 3 is not like the other shooters. It must be observed in its own artistic way. Because I found the gameplay repetitive, and not completely enjoyable, I give this game a 7.… Expand
  3. WillB.
    Aug 11, 2004
    5
    This is a visually stunning game, without a doubt easily in the top 3 when it comes to looks, but when it comes to game play, it
  4. RichardT.
    Aug 13, 2004
    5
    As an original Doom fanatic just the thought of the new game brought back memories of late evenings spent with friends and two PC
  5. Domicron
    Aug 15, 2004
    5
    If you've got the hardware, it definitely looks pretty - so hats off to Id again for releasing a state of the art game engine. But as far as gameplay goes, total let down. Sure, the first 2 hours of this game are intense, scary, and keep you coming back for more... but give it another 2 hours and you realize that the entire scare factor relies on teleporting in bad guys behind If you've got the hardware, it definitely looks pretty - so hats off to Id again for releasing a state of the art game engine. But as far as gameplay goes, total let down. Sure, the first 2 hours of this game are intense, scary, and keep you coming back for more... but give it another 2 hours and you realize that the entire scare factor relies on teleporting in bad guys behind you...or having a secret door open behind you releasing monsters...and while this isn't bad by in itself, the true problem lies in this game never realizing what it should have been. Doom 2 was about battles - wading through monsters in utter carnage. What this game really needed was some of that interspersed with the dark/scary. Instead, this game proves to be nothing but a stale one trick pony.... hope half life 2 turns out better.… Expand
  6. J.S.
    Aug 10, 2004
    6
    I still remember the excitement I felt when I first played the original Doom. Actually I lie; I felt that when I played Wolfenstein 3D first. Here was a game that truly started the 3D revolution - it proved that an immersive, first-person experience was possible on the computer and in my eyes at the time, I saw a future of photorealistic environments obeying the laws of physics where a I still remember the excitement I felt when I first played the original Doom. Actually I lie; I felt that when I played Wolfenstein 3D first. Here was a game that truly started the 3D revolution - it proved that an immersive, first-person experience was possible on the computer and in my eyes at the time, I saw a future of photorealistic environments obeying the laws of physics where a story set in any world imaginable centred around you. As far as I was and are now, concerned this is where computer games will end up; the place where ordinary people can live extraordinary lives. Wolfy3D showed that the photorealism in computer games was going to be achievable, all it needed was a bit more beef under the hood of your PC. And so with relish (and not a little imagination) I ate up Wolfy. Then Doom. The sheer pleasure of exploring a basic, yet fundamentally believable environments - with guns - was every bit the revolution it deserved to be. Then came Doom 2, and I the magic was beginning to fade - I couldn't quite put my finger on it... the graphics were better, there were more demons... but I was enjoying it less... and not for the first time, I was reintroduced to the axiom; gameplay is king. Then came Quake, Quake 2 (fully 3D characters) and a multitude of followers. Every one improving on the previous one's graphics, making the world seem more real, but all forgetting the impetus that led them there. The search for the realistic world in your PC was continuing apace visually, but was neglecting the most importanct aspect; interactivity. Since then, the gaming community has periodically roused from it's creative slumber to give us the likes of Half-Life, Deus-Ex, Morrowind etc. Always we were waiting for what ID did next to point the industry back towards where it will eventually end up. And so we come to Doom 3. What are ID telling us now? Well for one thing, they are telling us that bump and specular mapping with polygon-heavy environs, dynamic lighting, physics, 5.1 sound, 2x antialiasing can run very fast on a moderate system (2.8G, 1G RAM, 9800PRO). To have created such a rich environment and have it run so well is truly impressive. And what they say about game 'polish' should be a lesson to all. Computer panel access, cut-scene integration, PDA, the use of positional sound and lighting - the whole game reeks of the time they took to make sure every last little experience is a cut above what has gone before - although I might have a small gripe about the quality of some bump and spec. maps (even on extreme) which are not always as detailed as some in Far Cry, or the heat effects which again are not always quite as realistic. But these are mere triffles when such a convincing world has been created as in Doom 3. But that is where the good ends. The only other thing to commend ID on is the name; this truly is the third Doom game. You walk into a room, you get attacked. Your press a button, you get attacked. You pick up armour; attacked. Don't look behind you? Attacked. New weapon lying on the ground? Attacked. Not been attacked for a while? Wall opens and you probably get the idea... Worse still, these aren't monsters that are waiting in corridors or ducts that you flush out or hear having an argument - you can't surprise these demons - they appear when you pass the pre-programmed point and not a moment before. Pass the point and you will no doubt hear the noise of a demon being conjured from an electric disturbance nearby (reminiscent of anything?) but even that is not needed. I once walked through a door backwards and saw two spiders literally appear out of nowhere. Okay you may say I am being picky, but that the designers could not have though of a better way to infest a world with shootables is very disappointing. You start to get the impression that ID spend the ENTIRE FIVE YEARS on the engine for this game but a week on the gameplay. Or maybe no time at all? All this really is is Doom 2004. If they took the time to copy the story of Half-Life (science installation goes wrong, opens portal from another dimension which infests installation with beasts), the beginning (walking round installation before disaster) and the method of beast appearance (ball of electricity) - you might as well just swap the word "Xen" with "Hell" - why did they leave out the friendly interaction and AI? Yes, there is NO AI in Doom 3 - demons see you as soon as they appear (i.e. you are close enough - even if hidden) and then go straight for you. The more I play thins game, the more it amazes me that they though so little about the games that have come before it (except Half-Life of course). There is no stealth, no headshots, no need for ammo conservation, no using friendlies, no branching routes, no branching story (you might think there is but there isn't), no respite from attack. No subtlety. Graphically, this game delivers as advertised; it is the benchmark. Concerning gameplay, it competes with the likes of Doom 1 and 2, Quake, Serious Sam etc. Quite how so many reviewers have ignored this is really quite amazing. But I guess there are many people out there who don't realise that gaming is about an immersive experience shaped by the player and the games where you run around shooting stuff that moves is a little... passe. This is a game has no brain and requires none from the player. For a game that took five years where we have lived as Freeman and Denton, I can only be disappointed in that.… Expand
  7. Pixelator
    Aug 17, 2004
    6
    Out of this world graphics - even at the lowest setting with all the jazzy options turned off so that it can give me playable frame-rates on my GeForce 4 MX (sorry, I don't think I want to spend four times the price of a game just to be able to play the game). The only other positive thing I can write about this game is that i love the weapon reloading sounds. Apart from that, Out of this world graphics - even at the lowest setting with all the jazzy options turned off so that it can give me playable frame-rates on my GeForce 4 MX (sorry, I don't think I want to spend four times the price of a game just to be able to play the game). The only other positive thing I can write about this game is that i love the weapon reloading sounds. Apart from that, it's pretty much a 10 year old game in a pretty wrapper. Maybe I was dissapointed because I'd just finished Far Cry before starting with Doom3. But then hey, with all the hoopla around it, Doom 3 was supposed to be a better game than Far Cry. It just isn't!!!… Expand
  8. AndrewP.
    Aug 5, 2004
    7
    This game deserves an 11 in graphics, sounds, effects, etc..., but as for the story goes, its your typical shoot'm up Doom story. Chase the bad guy, find keys, back track, beat the Devil! I thought the AI could have been better. Creatures hiding in places the same time, ie behind bookshelves and walls, got to be old. I thought Call of Duty had better AI than this. But the up side to This game deserves an 11 in graphics, sounds, effects, etc..., but as for the story goes, its your typical shoot'm up Doom story. Chase the bad guy, find keys, back track, beat the Devil! I thought the AI could have been better. Creatures hiding in places the same time, ie behind bookshelves and walls, got to be old. I thought Call of Duty had better AI than this. But the up side to this game is there is a great game engine to work off of for better games finally. I expect HL2 to out due Doom 3.… Expand
  9. BrianJ.
    Aug 7, 2004
    6
    I've just purchased the game and played through the first two levels. I'll admit, the creatures look scary as heck and they often do startle me when they jump out, growl, and attack. The visuals are stunning...really stunning. Using the flashlight and coming across a zombie or alien-thing is the creepiest. I don't get the sense that the AI is all that bright. So far its I've just purchased the game and played through the first two levels. I'll admit, the creatures look scary as heck and they often do startle me when they jump out, growl, and attack. The visuals are stunning...really stunning. Using the flashlight and coming across a zombie or alien-thing is the creepiest. I don't get the sense that the AI is all that bright. So far its mostly close quarters battling with the shotgun or the machine gun. You can pretty much march through the game and aim at the creatures faces with the shotgun. For me, this game is not as fun as the Jedi-Knight Academy game in which, even if the levels get repetiitive, you can find new ways to destroy everyone with force powers. With Doom, you still just run around looking for ammo, using your flashlight and shooting up stuff. Occasionally, you have to read other people's e-mail to get codes to open up their lock boxes to get, guess what, ammo, health, and body shields. It's an amusement park ride, pure and simple. It will probably entertain you if you know what you are getting into. If you want to be creeped out and startled, its a good buy. Is it worth 50 bucks? Well, not for the gameplay...perhaps for the visuals and audio.… Expand
  10. DaveH.
    Sep 18, 2004
    5
    Distinctly average. All looks and no substance. Another ID classic.
  11. SteveH.
    Jan 3, 2005
    5
    The game was bogged down by the constant need to listen to audio logs, watch video discs, and read e-mails. Additionally, the first 2/3rds of the levels were highly repetitive. I only persisted because I wanted to see the ending. But I don't want to be entirely negative. The last third was a lot of fun though. Graphics were nice too.
  12. JohelV.
    Aug 10, 2004
    7
    Just as expected: doom3 doesn't beat the originals! Great graphics, sometimes absolutely stunning, though the surroundings' darkness is too omnipresent. Any way, beyond the eye candy, the game lacks the same thing EVERY FPS I've played lacks - excluding such classics as Wolfenstein and the original dooms (and maybe quake): unscripted surprises. Why can't they just Just as expected: doom3 doesn't beat the originals! Great graphics, sometimes absolutely stunning, though the surroundings' darkness is too omnipresent. Any way, beyond the eye candy, the game lacks the same thing EVERY FPS I've played lacks - excluding such classics as Wolfenstein and the original dooms (and maybe quake): unscripted surprises. Why can't they just concentrate on the gameplay? In doom 1 or 2, the whole level could be alive at some places, and the voices around weren't just scripted or an omen of an enemy behind the next corner. It could a voice of an enemy that has been following you for the latest 10 minutes, and just about to get to you! This DOES NOT exist in Doom3 nor any other modern eye-candy game, where all the effort is in the visuals and "cool" pre-determined scenes. Besides, these "scripted sequences" lack imagination in doom3 and with the combination of the whole game being so dark, it gets so damn repetitive. And a couple of other things: hits to a particular body part, especially head, should be more rewarding. Also,.there is NO way in hell the Doom3 boomstick could even nearly compare to the original shotgun in Doom1 & Doom2... Make a REAL Doom with modern graphics and effects, and then I'll be satisfied! This is not Doom, this is a mere Alien versus predator with Doom's enemies. As things are now, for me the original dooms still remain the absolute kings in the history of FPS games! Living environment, that's what I want!! Doom 1 & 2 Forever!… Expand
  13. DaveyDJ
    Aug 16, 2004
    6
    Yep... it's pretty good fun... and scary in places... But, man... the hardware you must need to run it decently... I'm sure it looks lovely on 2 grands worth of kit, but for average Joe Public, it's graphics are going to be pretty average. It's also way too dark. I'd agree with 'Raggende' review in that respect. They really need to get the contrast Yep... it's pretty good fun... and scary in places... But, man... the hardware you must need to run it decently... I'm sure it looks lovely on 2 grands worth of kit, but for average Joe Public, it's graphics are going to be pretty average. It's also way too dark. I'd agree with 'Raggende' review in that respect. They really need to get the contrast sorted. Shame.… Expand
  14. JoeD.
    Jun 29, 2005
    7
    This game is more than the sum of its parts. For some reason I found it had just enough to keep me coming back to complete it on the first run-through. I even went back to replay the entire game. However, just like Half-Life 2, the game is far too linear. There really is hardly any reason to come back and play it again, aside from the gorgeous graphics. Doom 3 has to be commended for This game is more than the sum of its parts. For some reason I found it had just enough to keep me coming back to complete it on the first run-through. I even went back to replay the entire game. However, just like Half-Life 2, the game is far too linear. There really is hardly any reason to come back and play it again, aside from the gorgeous graphics. Doom 3 has to be commended for generating a really chilling atmosphere, which does add to the enjoyment first time through. The graphics (especially the intricate and detailed level design) and sound effects are superb. The story isn't too bad, just not very original with no twists. The enemy A.I. should have been improved before this was released. All the enemies attack mindlessly. I mean come on! It is about time developers offered us some decent A.I in games these days (I'm looking at you Doom3 and Half-Life 2). All in all Doom 3 looks and sounds great, but doesn't offer much in the way of interesting or vaired gameplay, which of course means it has a very short shelf-life.… Expand
  15. snowshreder
    Jul 5, 2011
    6
    I have to be honest here i didn't like the game i liked the classic better there was no story just killing demons. anyway it was a good attempt so i have to give them some credit hopefully doom 4 will be better.
  16. BobB.
    Aug 8, 2004
    5
    Too linear... a half life clone nice graphics and atmosphere though boring until the last quarter of the game.
  17. spartan-117
    Oct 9, 2010
    5
    Good graphics amazingly boring gameplay campaign storyline and i don't get scared by a mutant jumping on my face.
  18. Sirik_Matak
    Feb 14, 2016
    5
    Doom 3
    Average User Score: 7.5
    Mar 16, 2015 5 Doom 3 ImageAfter ten years break I can finally play this game again... Just to understand why it failed. First thing you see is that it aged really, really bad. Even more so than Far Cry, not to mention Half Life 2, which still stays fresh - no matter when you play HL, it plays like it came out yesterday. Levels in Doom 3 are abysmal,    Doom 3
    Average User Score: 7.5
    Mar 16, 2015
    5
    Doom 3 ImageAfter ten years break I can finally play this game again... Just to understand why it failed.

    First thing you see is that it aged really, really bad. Even more so than Far Cry, not to mention Half Life 2, which still stays fresh - no matter when you play HL, it plays like it came out yesterday.
    Levels in Doom 3 are abysmal, graphics are bad and the only reasons it impressed people at first was shadowing. Which aged really bad as well. The game tried to hide its awfulness in design department by taking away as much ligh as it could, taking away flashlight from an every weapon. Some people called it "a feature", but it was just an excuse, because having or not having flashlight doesn't affect gameplay at all (thanks to mods you can test it yourself). Game itself is really, really slow and claustrophobic. Enough said that all levels up to the first boss are really just an introduction, where rarely we will be attacked by more than 2 or 3 enemies. The pacing is really off. Compared to classic Doom games it feels pathetic, unfortunately. There are no secrets, no puzzles whatsoever. Don't tell me that listening to badly recorded audio books for boxes' codes or finding a bonus ammo behind a crate are puzzles. The atmosphere could be good (visuals are there), but the overall voice department is mindboggling bad. Every weapons sounds (and indeed is) underpowered. Which leads us to the worst part: gameplay. The shooting is not exciting, most enemies are slow, unthreatening and I wonder who designed some of them. He/she should be fired (and I hope he/she was).
    It has its moments, but overall Doom 3 is just disappointing.    … Expand
  19. Groundfisher
    Aug 10, 2004
    7
    Mediocre FPS. Great sound, great graphics. Doom 3's contribution to today's 'gaming' is its engine and that's all. No innovation here. In fact, game-play is repetitive. There aren't 20+ hours of gameplay here. There are 2-3 hours of gameplay repeated again and again. I give it a 7 for how it looks and sounds and because I'm sure its engine will be Mediocre FPS. Great sound, great graphics. Doom 3's contribution to today's 'gaming' is its engine and that's all. No innovation here. In fact, game-play is repetitive. There aren't 20+ hours of gameplay here. There are 2-3 hours of gameplay repeated again and again. I give it a 7 for how it looks and sounds and because I'm sure its engine will be licensed to other developers, who will make good games. If you haven't bought this game, wait until the price drops. Pick it up in 12 months or so.… Expand
  20. jpkkez
    Aug 24, 2007
    6
    Good graphics but everythings so clunky and the only fights is someting jumps out of a dark corner not very fun.
  21. Ryder
    Aug 30, 2004
    6
    Well first off Doom 3 looks amazing. Super detail, heaps of atmosphere, good lookin enemy movement animation's and good lookin enemies. But it also has stupid futuristic guns that are inferior to modern ones. They are balky, weak, (the flashlight does more damage pr hit then the pistol) and stupidly designed, i could have dun better(way better). O ya the physics are substandard and Well first off Doom 3 looks amazing. Super detail, heaps of atmosphere, good lookin enemy movement animation's and good lookin enemies. But it also has stupid futuristic guns that are inferior to modern ones. They are balky, weak, (the flashlight does more damage pr hit then the pistol) and stupidly designed, i could have dun better(way better). O ya the physics are substandard and you should spend more game in hell, hell was sweet. … Expand
  22. xZippy
    Mar 28, 2013
    7
    I made the mistake of waiting too long before playing Doom 3, but that didn't seem to drastically change my opinion of it. The graphics weren't mindblowing, but they were still extremely good. The weapons and gameplay are alright, and even by today's standards, I think still the game retains some original gameplay elements not yet seen in newer games (that I know of). I kept hearing theI made the mistake of waiting too long before playing Doom 3, but that didn't seem to drastically change my opinion of it. The graphics weren't mindblowing, but they were still extremely good. The weapons and gameplay are alright, and even by today's standards, I think still the game retains some original gameplay elements not yet seen in newer games (that I know of). I kept hearing the hype about how scary this game was, and come to find out, the hype was quite accurate. The game held up some great atmospheres and delivered the scares quite nicely. On the negative side, I found the controls a little awkward, the character development is a little weak and unoriginal and some things just drag on. That includes the audio diaries you can collect, and go on for like 2 minutes before you finally hear the access code you wanted so bad to some mechanical box or locker. It's really no secret that Doom 1 and 2 will live on while Doom 3 kinda fades into the gray void. Still, it's a good game from start to finish, but it doesn't fall into the "games that ALL types of gamers should try out!" category, but I still consider giving it a play if you happen to come across it.… Expand
  23. Linebro
    Oct 27, 2013
    6
    Doom 3 does a lot of things right. However the story is not one of them. Doom 3 is a game set on the surface of mars, you play an unnamed space marine coming to mars for security reasons. the game takes of well and the action is fun for a while but about 4 or 5 hours in you notice that the level development is not very varying and the AI is basic and boring after about 100 of the same 8Doom 3 does a lot of things right. However the story is not one of them. Doom 3 is a game set on the surface of mars, you play an unnamed space marine coming to mars for security reasons. the game takes of well and the action is fun for a while but about 4 or 5 hours in you notice that the level development is not very varying and the AI is basic and boring after about 100 of the same 8 enemies. Luckily you get to go to hell and the game takes off again. after that the game is more than fun.

    The graphics were stellar for the time of 2004 but does not hold up too well. The music consists of the title music but the sound effects are Eire and the games tone is nice and dark. The story is almost non existent taking a back seat to the action. The levels are largely the same and the multiplayer is lack luster. Doom 3 is a nice action horror game but the AI, Story and Variety need a little bit of tweaking.

    I give this game a 6/10

    Anybody exited for DOOM 4?    … Expand
  24. tandisbro
    Aug 5, 2012
    7
    I played for a total of 3 hours and stopped. Had no interest to play again. Great Graphics but not enough exploring feature to engauge the player. Seems ike a beef up graphics of the orginial story.
  25. grazr
    Jan 5, 2013
    7
    The only thing "Doom" about this game are the classical Imps and Hellknights and a glorified Hell level towards the end, homaging Doom II's art style. Cramped hallway style gameplay that tires after 4 of the 12 hours of gameplay, with the same old tricks of enemies jumping out from secret compartments or darkened corners whilst you tediously search for keycards in order to progress toThe only thing "Doom" about this game are the classical Imps and Hellknights and a glorified Hell level towards the end, homaging Doom II's art style. Cramped hallway style gameplay that tires after 4 of the 12 hours of gameplay, with the same old tricks of enemies jumping out from secret compartments or darkened corners whilst you tediously search for keycards in order to progress to something more interesting. Even on hard mode you trip over health and ammo which i guess is OK only in the context of the fact that this is DOOM and not a survival horror.

    The enemies aren't much of a threat when you realise they can barely hit you when you get inside their shooting arc, but not too close to melee; although i guess most players wont figure that out since they are scarey enough to try to avoid getting too close too. Although they do have this nasty habit of trapping you against a bulkhead and smacking your lower region to pieces just below your FoV which would be annoying if it wasn't for the fact this'll probably be the only time they take seasoned FPS players below 75% HP.

    The shotgun is the staple weapon of the game as you will always have ammo for it, unfortunately the infamous BFG feels a little lack luster when you can carry 328 shells but only 38 BFG rounds and it only takes 8 shotgun shells to take out a Hellknight compared to 4 BFG rounds. The BFG was famous for its room clearing capacity but in the extremely linear hallways of DOOM 3 you're more likely to have an enemy marine detonate the round in your face than use it effectively in anything but the rarest of circumstances.

    The game would have felt more classical DOOM like if there was more open space to strafe enemies and less time spent dropping into your PDA to read employee emails and audio logs. It's basically DOOM with all the corners cut off and the narrative shoved down your throat.

    In the context of its time it is a pretty game and the weapons are generally fun in that you can shoot to your hearts content without fear of needing that ammunition for something important later. There is also a traditional shooter feel in regards to how curiosity is often rewarded, such as the discovery of vents or spaces under stairs hiding some armour shards or ammo or other goodies like easter eggs.

    The final boss is a little disappointing however and ironically probably the easiest part of the game. I scored it a little higher than what i felt like because the game has obviously aged in the past 9 years and it deserves a score relative to its release date. The game was OK, but it does just make me want to play the originals.    … Expand
  26. Speed4Runs
    Jan 2, 2013
    7
    Amazing game. This is a freaking good game with competitive gameplay and a lot of weapons. It was, later, dumbed dom with "Doom 3 BFG Edition". Mind blowing graphics for its time, but which are still good now. Amazing plot. Good longevity. This is a real game. 7/10
  27. G.F.
    Aug 5, 2004
    5
    Okay, given a workhorse of a gaming rig, this game looks & plays incredible. Unfortunately my P4 1.6 Ghz PC with 512MB RAM, a 64MB Geforce 4 MX card is unable to run the game very well at all. I disabled ALL eye-candy, disabled shadows, reduced the size to 640x480, and did everything I could to improve frame rates. In this config, in small rooms with no activity, the frame rate is in the Okay, given a workhorse of a gaming rig, this game looks & plays incredible. Unfortunately my P4 1.6 Ghz PC with 512MB RAM, a 64MB Geforce 4 MX card is unable to run the game very well at all. I disabled ALL eye-candy, disabled shadows, reduced the size to 640x480, and did everything I could to improve frame rates. In this config, in small rooms with no activity, the frame rate is in the upper 50s. Great. Once a baddie jumps out at me (or two), and I attempt to defend myself, the frame rate drops under 10 fps. This kills the experience, and I'm not prepared to purchase faster hardware right now. Gameplay: In my opinion, the ambient sound is effective, the mood is set well. But the overall gameplay is repetitive. Wonder through the base, pick up PDAs to help you through the labbrynth, oh yeah and kill the monsters, repeat, rinse. Honestly I'm reminded of Unreal. This game looked incredible for it's time, was single-player focused. Fought plenty of monsters. People struggled to get the most frames per sec out of it. I guess to give ID credit, or what they set out to achieve, for the specific sub-genre (Sci-fi demon horror scary shoot-em-up) they have accomplished that goal. I think personally I have outgrown this genre.… Expand
  28. BuffaloBill
    Oct 22, 2004
    6
    I thought I
  29. karmasleeper
    Sep 4, 2011
    6
    My review and score is based entirely on the singleplayer portion of the game.

    Doom 3 both has a lot in common with previous Doom games and differs in other areas. In terms of similarities, like its predecessors, Doom 3 features a great arsenal of the familiar weapons used against a variety of pure evil enemies. Players will often find themselves searching for that key (or in Doom 3's    My review and score is based entirely on the singleplayer portion of the game.

    Doom 3 both has a lot in common with previous Doom games and differs in other areas. In terms of similarities, like its predecessors, Doom 3 features a great arsenal of the familiar weapons used against a variety of pure evil enemies. Players will often find themselves searching for that key (or in Doom 3's case, PDA) in order to unlock that nagging door and progress through the game. Unlike previous Doom games, players in Doom 3 will fight far fewer enemies at once, level design is incredibly cramped and far more linear, and the game attempts to deliver (somewhat successfully) more substance in terms of story.

    id really likes to show off their new engine in this game, too - especially the lighting effects. Every room you enter is either dimly lit or pitch black. Computer screens or impressive industrial technology in the background often provide the only illumination. You have a flashlight, but equipping it to see what's going on means you can't use any weapons. Switch back to your weapons and depending on how well lit the area is it's like fighting blind folded. Constantly switching between your flashlight and weapons got so annoying I downloaded a mod that adds a narrower beam flashlight to the shotgun and assault rifle. I felt this provided a nice balance between the tense atmosphere the developers were going for and actually being able to see what the hell was going on.

    Along the way, you can interact with various screens and keypads. PDAs along the way may contain codes for storage lockers for those careful enough to scour the emails and audio logs. These PDAs also advance the story as you gain slivers of information in piecing together the already painfully obvious plot. While it isn't necessary to read or listen to everything you come across, it helps you fill in some gaps when considering the big picture.

    Exploring every inch of the levels often triggers secret doors or walls revealing secret items and enemies alike. In fact, entering a new area almost always triggers some sort of trap behind your back where a possessed worker will attempt to sneak up on you or some demon will teleport in. Rather than appearing in hordes, enemies in Doom 3 often appear in waves. Dispatch two or three enemies, and a few more will usually appear. Eventually, you defeat them all and are able to advance. This does not describe every encounter, as sometimes encounters will only trigger if you explore certain areas and enemies can also be found in plain sight. But the lack of variety often becomes tedious. When you look behind you after hearing that demon teleport sound or door opening, the process becomes formulaic rather than tense or genuinely frightening as it does the first few times. The enemies are familiar to anyone who has played a Doom game before with a few exceptions. The pacing is good and the shooting is fun, but the level design and nature of the encounters gets repetitive to the point of being irritating. If you can see past the overdone darkness gimmick and super cramped rooms you'll have a good time blowing heads off bodies like I did. But once the ride's over, there's little redeeming value aside from a Nightmare run for masochistic.    … Expand
  30. AlienSpaceBats
    Jul 25, 2011
    7
    I remember this was amazing-looking when it first came out and actually the lighting and environments are still brilliant, the opening when all hell breaks loose (literally) still makes me jump at times. I recommend playing Doom 3 late at night with all the lights turned off, at full volume on headphones (try it), somehow the game gets ten times better. Doesn't hold up well to most modernI remember this was amazing-looking when it first came out and actually the lighting and environments are still brilliant, the opening when all hell breaks loose (literally) still makes me jump at times. I recommend playing Doom 3 late at night with all the lights turned off, at full volume on headphones (try it), somehow the game gets ten times better. Doesn't hold up well to most modern FPS titles but it's a great benchmark in the evolution of the genre, as is its predecessor.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PC Game of 2004
4
#4 Most Discussed PC Game of 2004
3
#3 Most Shared PC Game of 2004

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 83 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 83
  3. Negative: 0 out of 83
  1. Gaming Horizon
    94
    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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  2. AtomicGamer
    93
    DOOM 3 smashes through all the hype and delivers a grand slam of action, story, atmosphere, and pure terror.
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  3. Yahoo!
    90
    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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