DOOM 3 -a review

Having played a lot of retro DOOM over the past year, including the original DOOM, DOOM 2, and DOOM 64, I've found that DOOM 3 stands out as completely different from any of the previous retro entries and the subsequent rebooted entries starting with DOOM 2016.

DOOM 3 leans heavily into survival horror, creating a very uneasy atmosphere with slow and methodical pacing. Enemies spawn unexpectedly at various points, keeping you on edge as nowhere feels safe. The game features close-quarters combat with tight, narrow hallways and very few open spaces.

Several classic DOOM enemies are reimagined here, especially with the inclusion of the DLC. The gunplay remains as fun as ever, although it is noticeably slower and more methodical compared to other DOOM games. The game is extremely dark, necessitating frequent use of your flashlight to navigate some rooms.

Graphically, the game is impressive, with excellent art and texture work and it runs at 60fps. The sound design is also notable, featuring a great ambient score and solid sound effects.

However, there are some quality-of-life improvements missing. The absence of a quick weapon selection mechanism, like a weapon wheel, is sorely felt. The port's biggest flaw is the lack of gyro aiming - a feature that has become standard on Switch. While not a dealbreaker, it is a glaring omission.

The port includes both DLCs – Resurrection of Evil and The Lost Levels. Overall, DOOM 3 is a blast to play. It represents a very different style of DOOM, and I found it to be a worthwhile experiment.

Stats:
-time: 11:54:09
-difficulty: Marine

DLC (Resurrection of Evil)
-time: 5:24:54 (last save)
-difficulty: Marine

DLC (The Lost Mission)
Will play this DLC in the future!