Doom³ (2004) - MobyGames (original) (raw)
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Moby Score
7.8
#3,623 of 26.6K
Critics
85%(108)
Players
(320)
Review Ranking
Collected By
780 players
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Doom³ (2019 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch...)
Description official descriptions
The third game of the DOOM series (now in full 3D) takes gamers through the depths of Hell, where technology and demons meet. But this time round, the game is more focused on horror elements than previous games in series.
Doom 3 is set in the year 2145, on Mars. You start as an unnamed marine soldier sent to the Red Planet, where a corporation named The Union Aerospace Corporation makes secret experiments based on ancient aliens' technology. People around the base are on the edge, & something is not right. You receive your first simple mission and when you depart, the game really kicks off.
This third major release of the Doom series is especially based on single player experience. As in most First Person Shooter games, you aim, you shoot, & you run... Enemies are zombified humans from the base or daemons straight from Hell. Doom 3 is much darker visually than previous games - you can use a flashlight in dark corridors, but you must choose between various weapons and the flashlight (the marine can't use them both in same time.)
The game has multiplayer with four game modes for four players.
Spellings
- Doom 3 - Alternative spelling
- 毁灭战士3 - Simplified Chinese spelling
- 둠 3 - Korean spelling
Groups +
- 3D Engine: id Tech 4
- Console Generation Exclusives: Xbox
- Doom series
- Game feature: In-game screenshot capture
- Games made into books
- Games made into movies
- Games referenced in movies
- Games that include map/level editor
- Games with officially released source code
- Green Pepper releases
- Middleware: Bink Video
- Middleware: PunkBuster
- Middleware: SDL
- Setting: Hell
- Setting: Mars
- Software Pyramide releases
- Technology: amBX
- Video games turned into board / card games
- Weapon: Chainsaw
- Xbox Platinum Hits releases
Screenshots
Promos
Videos
Credits (Windows version)
141 People (135 developers, 6 thanks) · View all
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 85% (based on 108 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.7 out of 5(based on 320 ratings with 28 reviews)
The Good
Doom 3 is a beautiful game, still after 10 years it looks better than some games released today. The game gives a good challenge for all types of gamer's with the 4 different skills to choose from. side characters are an interesting add and reading and hearing their personal files is very interesting. There are plenty of weapons to choose from and specially the plasma gun and bfg is fun to use. Also the knew weapon soul cube is an interesting add and is good to use against hard enemies at the last levels of the game. Cut scenes are a nice add on and gives the story more taste. The feeling of horror at the beginning gives adrenaline rushes.
The Bad
Doom tries too scary you all the time, this gets a bit boring and actually make you less scared as the game goes on, another problem is the level design, I think the engine could have done more, know there are so many levels that reminds of each other, that it feels at some point that you have been at the same level all the time. The shotgun is only good when enemies are near and useless in long distance. Imps are used way too much in this game, I'm thinking why did they use them so much compared to other enemies? Final boss is a disappointment, being way too easy. Why did they not make him harder.
The Bottom Line
Doom 3 may not remind of classic doom titles, but is still a fun shooter and scary at start. It may not live up to the hype trough whole game, but definitely worth playing trough.
Windows · by Johan Smedjebacka (5) · 2015
The Good
Ahh, where to start. I must say, when I saw the first screenshots of Doom 3 a few years ago, I was totally blown away! The quality of the graphics rivaled some of the Pixar films (at that time) and they looked just sensational. Whats more, thanks to Carmack's coding genius, the graphics ran smoothly on my mid-range system. Also, I really enjoyed using the weapons a lot. The gameplay is somewhat different to any other First Person Shooter out there, being somewhat slower paced, which was a welcome change. Also, it was nice to see a proper story in a shooting game. The 5.1 surround sound is the best Ive ever heard in a game.
The Bad
Despite all the positive attributes above, the game has a few downfalls. Sometimes, the game feels like just a big technology/graphics demo. Now dont get me wrong, its an awesome tech demo! But it just felt like a tech demo at parts. Also I would have liked to go outside of the base a bit, like actually see a huge expanse of Mars terrain to explore.
The Bottom Line
Doom 3 is a like it or hate it game. If you like the latest graphics/sound design, Doom 3 has the best graphics/sound to date. If you dont like trudging around dark corridors, I would wait till Return to Castle Wolfenstein 2 comes out (which is reportedly being made using the Doom 3 engine.) Although in its infancy, the Doom 3 engine has loads of potential!
Windows · by James1 (239) · 2004
Another Id Engine seller, but nice.
The Good
Well, It's basically Doom. Lot's of enemies, ammo and fights. This is a game that revives the old classic in a modern way.
The Bad
A good lightning, but with an excess of dark. It's really boring to walk around all the time with the flashlight... Some really nice enemies make just a few appearances (pink demons) while others appear all time (imps).
The bosses are too easy, and there isn't much more to do once you finish it.
Another bad thing is the usual lack of variety in the levels. When I reached Hell I was amazed, but after that, the game went back to the dark base theme. Pity!
The Bottom Line
Id, more than anything, likes to make engines. Their great blockbusters are always, like some say, tech demos. This game is no exception. It does have a feeling that Id tried to do something better, but it relies too much on their old concepts to be a something different.
Despite that, it's still a good old school shooter and you should be pleased playing it.
Windows · by Geraldo Falci (12) · 2004
[ View all 28 player reviews ]
Trivia
1001 Video Games
Doom³ appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Board Game
This game was loosely adapted into 2004's Doom: The Boardgame.
Budget
The budget for this game was US$ 15 million.
Cut Content
Original concepts for the game included:
- Longer outdoor excursions that got scrapped mostly due to engine considerations. Their removal being quoted as the final nail in the coffin for the inclusion of a railgun (the weapon from Quake was originally going to be in the game as the long-range/sniper weapon).
- More female personnel in Phobos, including a never confirmed female receptionist and an apparently complete topless dead female modeled by Kenneth Scott that was to be found on an autopsy table later in the game.
- A flamethrower was at one point considered, and the PDA was going to include a map feature like in the original DOOM games.
- Finally, (and most infamously) the game's initial concept called for a use key like in the original, but this feature was removed by head honcho John Carmack who called the feature "just a gimmick".
German release
In Germany, the game was released unlocalized and uncut, both which are very unusual.
Language
The name of the doctor responsible for the disaster is Dr. Malcolm Betruger. "Betrug" is the German word for fraud or deceit, which is exactly what the doctor does.
Narrative
The Doomguy speaks only one word in the entire game. That word is "God..." as he sees the Cyberdemon. Incidentally, this is the first time the main character in a Doom game talks.
Novels
As of 2009, two novels based on the game have been released, Doom³: Worlds on Fire, and Doom³: Maelstrom. Both were written by author Matthew J. Costello, who helped writing the story and dialog on Doom³ and its expansion pack, Doom³: Resurrection of Evil.
References: General
- In a certain section of the Delta Complex, the player comes across a whole area of employee offices. The names on the door are names of actual id Software employees.
- On Site 3 and the Excavation Dig Site, there are four stone tables which the archaeologists had found. One of these is showing the ancient hero in a battle against the forces of hell. This ancient hero is actually the Marine from the original Doom, and the stone tablet looks almost exactly like the front cover of the original US DOS Doom box. Other examples of hidden images in the pentagram are the UAC (Union Aerospace Corporation) logo and a Moon symbol (probably referring to the moons of Mars, Phobos and Deimos, but it is not sure whether this really is a reference)
- At one point in the game, the player comes across a nearly-dead soldier named E. Webb. This is most likely a reference to id Software monkey Eric Webb.
- At certain points within the game, magazines with various covers can be discovered. One of them, called Booty actually sports a picture of Hunter's (a female character from Quake III: Arena) lovely backside.
- The game's intro (text and voice-over) and story bare an uncanny resemblance to Resident Evil: The Movie.
- Among the many names the game uses for owners of the PDF pads are Seamus Blake and Ben Wolfe. Besides being laborers who have turned into the undead, these people are also renowned contemporary jazz musicians.
- The logo of the Super Turbo Turkey Puncher 3 mini-game is a parody on the Street Fighter Alpha 3 logo.
References: Internet
- id Software registered www.ua-corp.com, making it look like the homepage of the Union Aerospace Corporation.
- The player will receive e-mails on their PDA that advertise for Martianbuddy (the greatest company ever conceived!). It is a jab at the annoying Bonzibuddy. When visiting martianbuddy.com, the player will receive the cabinet code 0508, which can be used prior to the end of Alpha Labs to unlock the chaingun and at the end of Delta Labs 2 to unlock the BFG9000.
- The player will get a message on their PDA that refers to the famous 419 Nigerian scams. The sender, John Okonkwo, is not a random name, just read this.
Secrets
- Near the end of the game, there is a clickable brick on the wall bearing the id Software logo. Click it and a wall opens. Inside, a secret PDA can be found, with messages from the id employees thanking everyone for playing the game.
- The character who supplies the protagonist with the PDA turns back to typing after doing so. If the player takes a look on the man's screen, they can see him typing an e-mail about the main character being rude for watching over his shoulder.
- In the very first levels you can see UAC employees that can not be reached normally. When using the noclip cheat code and going through the walls to reach the unreachable areas, it can be seen that all of these employees share the name Joe.
- Try one of the old cheat codes from the other Doom games; in addition to the obvious "unknown command" reply, the message "your memory serves you well" will also be shown.
Super Turbo Turkey Puncher 3
After arriving in Mars City, go to the kitchen. There the arcade game Super Turbo Turkey Puncher 3 can be played. The game looks like a previous Doom game, except for the turkey of course. And so it plays (playing the Marine while he is in Berserk mode). After having punched enough turkeys and reaching a score of 25,000, the player receives an e-mail via their PDA saying: "Your parents can rest easier knowing they have raised another shining example of humanity. Due to the incredible amount of time you wasted punching poor defenseless turkeys, your vacation time has been docked two days."
Technology
- The game refuses to run not only if CD/DVD emulation software is installed on your computer (CloneCD, Alcohol), but certain burning software as well (Nero).
- According to the promotional video G4 History of Doom when Doom³ was first demonstrated at the E3 Expo in 2002 the E3 Judges had to offer people to play a part of the game or to play the game themselves in order to show that the game being demonstrated on the screen was in fact real. People were that impressed by the graphics.
User Created Content
- While most new FPS games have outrageous minimum system requirements, especially for video cards (at least 128 MB, Texture & Lightning required), the Doom III engine is, despite the hefty overall requirements, quite scalable. Some users have developed a small patch that makes the game compatible with the Voodoo 2 card, among others in the Voodoo line. These are some of the very first 3D cards and they often do not carry more than 12 MB. The game does not look better than Quake II with such setup, but it still is a fine piece of programming.
- Within approximately 1 day of release, there was already a game modification which added a light to the pistol. In the game itself, players must swap between the flashlight and a gun.
Awards
- Computer Gaming World
- March 2005 (Issue #249) – Best Sound of the Year
- GameSpy
- 2004 – Special Achievement in Graphics Award (together with Far Cry)
- 2005 – #5 Xbox Game of the Year
- 2012 – #7 Top PC Gaming Intro
- Interfaith Center of Corporate Responsibility
- 2004 - one of the Top 10 Worst Violent Video Games of 2004
- Golden Joystick Awards
- 2004 - PC Game of the Year
- 2004 - Ultimate Game of the Year
- PC Powerplay (Germany)
- Issue 03/2005 - #4 Biggest Disappointment
Information also contributed by AHO,bobthewookiee,Hamish Wilson,Karthik KANE,lasttoblame,lvnvgmb,M4R14N0 Maw,piltdown man,Pseudo_Intellectual,Sciere,Silverblade,Steve .,Tiago Jacques,Xoleras,Zack Green andZovni.
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Related Sites +
- A Guide for Beginners
IMG's introduction to playing Doom 3. - Doom 3
Official website - Doom 3
Official game page on id Software's website - Doom 3 HQ
A well-rounded Doom 3 fansite, with custom levels, game info and a forum. - Doom 3 Portal
Comprehensive fansite for all things Doom 3 from fan art and fiction to a mod index. - Doom 3 on Win98
A quick and easy to follow tutorial on running Doom 3 on Windows 98 - Doom Wiki
A Wiki site for the Doom series. - Doomworld
Website with classic Doom and Doom 3 news and forums. - Hints for Doom 3
Question and answer type solution guide gives you nudges in the right direction before revealing the final solutions. - Lord FlatHead's Homepage
Hasn't been updated since Doom 3's release, but contains a lot of interesting articles about the technology behind Doom 3 and some speculation. - Once More into the Inferno
An Apple Games article about the Mac version of DOOM³ (February, 2005). - PlanetDoom
GameSpy's Doom Website
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Lexicon Dominus.
Macintosh added by Corn Popper. Xbox added by Sciere. Linux added by Iggi.
Additional contributors: James1, Unicorn Lynx, Lord FlatHead, Jeanne, Michael Dionne, Guy Chapman, Sciere, Jack Lightbeard, Silverblade, Maw, xy xy, Zeppin, Cantillon, lee jun ho, Patrick Bregger, Titan10, Plok, FatherJack.
Game added August 9, 2004. Last modified May 31, 2025.