User Score
7.3 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 542 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 83 out of 542

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  1. D.Q.
    Aug 7, 2004
    10
    I amped up my machine for this game and it's worth it. I was blown away by the graphics, it's like actually being in there and that's 10x scarier than anything. When a game with this kind of evil pulls you right into it, it's definitely unsettling to say the least. I've been really limiting myself on when and how I play it. I only do a level per night and I go as slow as humanly possible to let my nerves get the full load of adrenaline and terror that each corner, closed door and hidden place where evil lurks provides. I was surprised with the story, it's like being dropped right in there, I wasn't ready to be so immersed in this kind of world. Expand
  2. 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.
  3. Aug 30, 2011
    4
    This game was just plain not fun. The first hour of gameplay can get pretty tense, and was flat-out awesome. After the demo levels are over though, you start to realize "Wait a second, have I just seen everything this game has to offer?" It's only once that sinking feeling sets in your stomach that you realize you wasted your money. This game has gorgeous graphics (especially for the time), horrendously underwhelming guns (they sound like toys, seriously), insanely frustrating enemies (whoever designed the screen to shake like a paint-mixer every time you're hit needs to be fired. Like communism, it's an interesting idea that just plain doesn't pan out), and let's not forget the ol' Monster-In-The-Closet trick. If there's ammo or armor on the floor, there's seriously a 95% chance a monster will jump out of the wall to attack. It's so ridiculously predictable that you start to plan out which wall you think they will come out of when you pick up the stuff. This game had a lot of potential to be scary, but playing it annoyed me so much that I was beyond scaring. I did complete it though, against my better judgement. Expand
  4. BobB.
    Aug 8, 2004
    5
    Too linear... a half life clone nice graphics and atmosphere though boring until the last quarter of the game.
  5. D.Railer
    Aug 6, 2004
    8
    Awesome graphics, an interesting story so far... realistic lighting... most of it is wonderful. Major kudos on the computer screen interfaces, my jaw has been on the floor for many levels. But a couple odd "game" rules interfere with the sense of... say... fairness. id has always been the king of cheap attacks, since Quake 2... closets/cubby holes for bad guys... ridiculous! The same thing happens here... I wouldn't even mind it if the bad guys came THROUGH the walls because they are "ghosts" or when they teleport in; grates lift up in floor? Perfect! But the idea that a creature from hell invaded the base and found a secret closet to hide in? Ridiculous. Also, why can't I duct tape my flashlight to my gun; hell, why isn't there a flashlight built into my gun? This is the future right? "It's for the sense of desparation we want you to feel." Yace, yace. Expand
  6. MonkeyDude
    Aug 16, 2004
    4
    Great looking linear FPS that plays like it was designed 10 years ago & gets really boring after 3-4 days. If you like running around in dark metallic hallways & blasting the same monsters over & over & over again, while looking for a button or keycard to progress to the next level, you will love D3. Looking forward to HL2.
  7. Gangleri
    Aug 18, 2004
    3
    I give the game 3 just because of the good engine. Actually I was not impressed. UT2004 looks better. The game is boring and lame. Nothing to do with the old Doom 2 a classic. What spoils the game : 1.Monsters AI -totally lame - they just run to you or shoot from a position . 2. Scripted situations . That make the game unplayable more than 1 time 3. Your character is mute and as it seems dumb as a rock. 4.The number of monsters does not increase 3-4 max at a time. boring 5. it is not scary at all. It is just dark . 6. no flashlight on the weapons. i think the idea was to shoot at the things in the dark but it is more annoying than scary. 7. Boring movies 8. Boring storyline. I actually tried to play the game for more than 3 days. I really try to like it . The conclusion is : !!!! THE ENGINE DOES NOT MAKE A GAME GREAT !!!! Expand
  8. IanF.
    Oct 24, 2004
    0
    This game is trash. Its fun for about 15 minutes until you realize that it is just a pretty version of the old game. I hate to break it to you id but games with no point, purpose, and with boring AI aren't what people are looking for anymore. What a dissapointment. Lets just hope that Half-Life 2 is better. Or maybe we should all just play Far Cry instead, because that game rocks.
  9. MegatronDecepticon
    Dec 28, 2004
    0
    No plot,xbox makes better graphic visuals on riddick,no self -shadowing,no bullet stay,crapy wall textures reminding older doom versions,pretty boring after 2 hours,I "ve seen scarrier games.Far Cry and Riddick beat the s**t out of this poor and hyped game in terms of both gameplay and graphics!!Is anyone that blind to support the hype and not the game itself???This is a casual gamers game,not for the truly hardcore!Support the hole expierience of the game ,not the hype!! Expand
  10. AngusM.
    Sep 7, 2006
    3
    Seriously disappointing. Yes, the graphics are lovely. The game, however, is tedious. One long procession of entering dimly lit rooms then waiting for the monsters to spawn or jump out of cubbyholes. Sure, the first couple times that zombies or imps jump out at you from the dark are exciting, but after the 30th time in an hour, it's just annoying. Unfortunately, that's also the entire game. Expand
  11. Razot1
    Mar 26, 2008
    2
    i have to say that it is a great environment but it is far to boring. I'm waking through the game , to dark to see shit listening to crap noises made my the zombies. it is very annoying trying to shoot something you cant see. the game would probably be 10 times better if it were brighter.
  12. RodrigoG.
    Sep 7, 2008
    2
    When it comes to show off the power of the id Tech 4 engine, Doom 3 is a triumph. However, it is supposed to be a game, not a tech demo. And as a game, it is terrible. Enemies often spawn in manners that leave the player without a chance of reaction, unless he knows beforehand where they will appear; getting hit is too disorienting, although the enemies do not seem to get disoriented by the player's fire at all; the weapons take too long to reload, and the enemies take too much fire to die; the whole game is too bleak, repetitive, and frustrating to be enjoyable. One can even wonder if it was developed in the same mindset as the infamous "Takeshi's Challenge" - a game intended, not to amuse, but to frustrate and infuriate. That would make sense, the plot is about a journey into hell after all. Artistic, in a sense, I suppose. Fun? No. Expand
  13. [Anonymous]
    Aug 3, 2004
    0
    This is actually an engine without a game. Probably the most uninspired and overrated game ever. What a waste of time and money.
  14. Fabre
    Aug 3, 2004
    8
    Higly overrated in my opinion, No real innovation, sadly it is only like the title suggest Doom II with better graphics. Had more Fun playing Far Cry. I give it a 8 for the beauty and for keeping me busy while I wait for Half-Life 2.
  15. JamesC.
    Aug 2, 2007
    4
    This is just simply a high graphics shooter with mediocre everything else. Mediocre gameplay, less than mediocre plot, and more than anything else mediocre level design. Unless you like your games shallow, this game will feel like a chore to play after you get 25% through the game.
  16. Nov 30, 2011
    3
    Doom 3 fails is every aspect except graphics. But eye candy does not make a game great. The weapons are underpowered, demons spawning behind you gets old, very old, no ability to explore the surface of the planet, maps are confusing with lots of backtracking. In case id does not know, having to find a key to open a door is lame. That style of game might have been ok in the 1900s, but today its just a dumb idea. If you want to play a real doom game, go play the Ultimate Doom. Expand
  17. PatrickO.
    Aug 3, 2004
    9
    This game rocks! I've never been scared playing a video game before, but this game will make me afraid to go to bed tonight. Monsters jumping out from any and everywhere is one thing we are all familiar with, but hearing the constant screams of hapless victims over the comlink and oh so realistic graphics of this game makes this the scariest game of all time! Cool stuff!!!! The only downside I see is that the gameplay of running and gunning can get a bit tiring. But that's what Doom is about, right? Expand
  18. PoteD.
    Aug 4, 2004
    9
    1? 0? Honestly, I don't know who these people think they are kidding. It might sound intelligent to speak of a lack of gameplay and of the critics lauding the game on a superficial basis, but it sure doesn't when what you're claiming is absolute backward nonsense. Everything from the design to the pacing to the art direction is positively unbelievable, and you're just going to sound like the silly, blinded and bitter fool that you are to suggest otherwise. Only a 9 because it takes a game of the scope and spectacle of say...Half-Life ;) to earn a 10. Expand
  19. JohnM.
    Aug 5, 2004
    9
    Cant believe sooo many people dont get the game, its classic Doom but 100 times better. How anyone can say it gets boring is beyond me, this game is the best FPS to come out in years, probably since half-life. The action is none stop plus the story gets driven by the PDA system brilliantly, I cant get enough of this game so far and I'm sure that mods that come out for it will be just as good. Expand
  20. 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 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
  21. 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 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
  22. Lyle
    Aug 6, 2004
    9
    Wow. 9.5 is my real score. What a shooter! I am normally not a fan of straightforward action games. This one I am a big fan of. I'm a hardcore RPG'er normally but I have to say that this game doesn't really need anymore story because it does the things it does so well. I actually think the PDA thing is pretty cool. The atmosphere sucks you in. And bottom line.. IT'S VERY FUN TO PLAY!!! A great experience. Knocked off half a point for fishy AI. Beautiful game ID! Thanks! Expand
  23. 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 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
  24. 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 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
  25. 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 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
  26. 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 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
  27. LordYupa
    Aug 9, 2004
    8
    ID invented FPS and somehow got lost within its own skills. An excellent engine that is the most advanced tech-demo ever seen (until now) wraps the game that we all played more than 10 years ago. I have the deepest admiration for Carmack team achievements and they deserve respect. But simply they doesn't know anything about gameplay. Somebody should give them a GBA or gamecube as a present. I give a 8 because Doom3 will push other publishers with great ideas to use THIS very technology to present their new products. The Doom heritage. Expand
  28. DXO
    Aug 12, 2004
    2
    Gameplay is mediocre to the point of no redemption. There's nothing you can do except walk into a trigger point and wait to be attacked. I cant help but notice that the monsters can only run straight up to you to scratch you. I think id got too caught up with the engine and forgot about writing AI. Also, monsters still appear even after you've checked that there's nothing in the room. And the whole intro is ripped off STRAIGHT from half life. Worse still, you spend the whole time tryin 2 figure out whats happening in the dark. What kind of shooter does not allow you to see what you're shooting? Graphics are nice but...wait, i carn actually see them!! i run P2.6 512ram and Rad9600, with everything turned down at 1024res, and framerates are 20 max. What the hell is id thinking? Do they expect us to keep the game in our shelves until comp processin can run the game smoothly?? Gameplay receives a 0 due to zero replayability and cos' its entirely scripted. Its completely devoid of innovation. Also, the whole feel of the game is SO dark, claustrophobic and sick that its simply NOT FUN. Graphics could have gotten a 8 but since i cant see them, 2 would be sufficient. There you go, 2 pts for this f***ed up game. Expand
  29. H.Raggende
    Aug 13, 2004
    3
    Am I blind or should I clean my glasses! Where are those beautiful graphics everyone talks about? I can agree that creatures and people look more realistic than in most other games. But the environment does not look good. You are not expected to have a resolution above 1024 x 768 which means that strait lines do not look like strait lines. Most of us have to get down to 800 x 600 and then every line or edge looks like a saw-blade. I tried high quality at 1280 x 1024 just to look at the graphics. Anyone noticed that the contrast is too high, the shadows too black? Feels like wearing sunglasses at night. It is just stupid and does nothing to add to the experience. Very disappointing! Expand
  30. Col
    Aug 26, 2004
    3
    Big disappointment. Gorgeous bump mapped models (when you can see them) with ridiculously low rez silhouettes. The best way to describe playing this game is like waking up in the middle of the night and, in a half concious state, trying to stagger to the bathroom in the dark. It's just awful. And there is no gamma correction feature! How id could screw this franchise up so badly is beyond me. This ain't a DOOM game at all - the other 2 were good... Expand
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 83 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 77 out of 83
  2. Negative: 0 out of 83
  1. 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.
  2. DOOM 3 smashes through all the hype and delivers a grand slam of action, story, atmosphere, and pure terror.
  3. 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.