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Doom 3 was, as the name suggests, the 3rd game in the Doom series. It was a very often delayed sequel I might add coming nearly a decade after the previous Doom game (Doom 2). The name is somewhat of a misnomer though. Doom 3 was not really a sequel, it was a remake. Why they felt the need to reboot the story, I have no idea. It’s not like the plot of action games like this are particularly intricate anyway. But given that the story isn’t all THAT important, it doesn’t really matter too much.
Doom 3 was somewhat of a departure from the first two games in the series. The original Doom was a 1st person run and gun shooter in which you had to shoot everything in your path. It’s best feature, in my opinion, was the multiplayer deathmatch feature. Typically this was a one on one deathmatch which included you and another player, with or without monster. However, it could be played with up to four players on a network and even via a multi-line BBS. Doom 2 was basically the original Doom with some slight enhancements and new levels. While Doom 3 kept much of the same formula, it added more story elements including NPCs that would help you and more specific objectives. Whether or not this was a net positive or not is a matter of personal taste.
However, Doom 3 was well received and after initially being released for Windows in 2004, it was released for Linux a month later and then Mac OS and Xbox the following year. An expansion, Resurrection of Evil, was released 8 months after the original release of Doom 3. The expansion didn’t have quite the same popularity as the original release but it was still a nice expansion for fans of the game. For fans of the original Doom games, Doom 3 is well worth playing, especially if you are a fan of the single-player story line. Doom 3 was also re-released in 2012 in a BFG edition that enhanced the graphics, added support for 3D, a new save system and some other relatively minor enhancements. The BFG edition also added a new single-player expansion as well as the original Doom games and expansions.
Oddly, the older games were unnecessarily censored to some degree, mainly by removing a swastika and other nazi symbols that were there as a reference to Wolfenstein and replacing the red cross on health packs with a red and white pill. Though it is a minor thing and no reason not to play the game, unnecessary censorship (a redundant term if there ever was one) is a pet peeve of mine. I mean imagery of hell and endless slaughter is fine but a few nazi symbols (not meant to glorify nazis in any way) and a red cross are offensive? What if I find pill imagery offensive? Clearly that’s encouraging drug use… If i were a reviewer I would knock a star off for that stupidity. In fact, I officially give this game 3/5 stars. It would have been 4 but…
As a relatively modern game, this one is easy to find if you want to play it. The BFG edition is available on Steem and GoG.com. I highly recommend the GoG version as the steem client and a steem account are not necessary to play it. As with all GoG games, it is DRM free. This is also a great way to get the older Doom games as well. Also, the series did not end with Doom 3. There is also a Doom 4 (just called Doom as it was another reboot) which plays even more like the originals. None of the Doom games are bad games and if you were a fan of the originals then these (relatively) newer iterations should entertain you as well.
