In 1993 developer id Software changed the face of gaming forever with the release of DOOM. This polished, face-paced FPS put players in the blood-soaked boots of the Doomslayer and asked them to clear out waves of angry demons. The game was drenched in controversy thanks to its brutal violence and disturbing imagery. Yet, this title quickly amassed a dedicated fanbase that helped catapult DOOM as one of the most iconic franchises of all time.
But this isn’t about that game.
DOOM 3 launched on August 3, 2004, for PC and the original Xbox. Taking the series’ “run-and-gun” formula and melding it with horror proved to be an instant success. Both critics and fans praised DOOM 3 despite its radical departure into a genre that the franchise only previously flirted with. Gone was the thumping metal soundtrack and colorful sprites exploding into comical amounts of gore. Instead, id Software offered users a moody, unsettling experience and the series was better for it.
Like many survival horror games, DOOM 3 embraces a haunted house attraction style that’s filled with loud noises, jump scares, and monsters hiding in the dark. While this method can be viewed as a cheap way to induce fear, id Software masterfully balances these scares through clever level and sound design Only a few encounters are accompanied with dramatically loud music meant to jolt the player out of their seat. The rest is left to the player’s imagination, with various ambient sounds flooding the creaking, empty halls of the Mars space station.
Every tightly packed room is a claustrophobic nightmare that grabs hold of the player right as the game begins. Only when users are shuffled onto Mars’ surface do they get a second to catch their breath. A brief, serene moment as DOOM 3 exhales before taking in a big gulp of air and plunging back into the abyss. There are no huge arenas for players to run around in, which causes most encounters to be far more threatening. With such restricted space, fighting the demons becomes tricky as they, for once, have the advantage.
This is something that has been lost in later entries, with demons acting as nothing more than cannon fodder for the Doomslayer to tear through. They are no longer scary, but cartoonish and exceptionally over the top. Inversely, DOOM 3‘s demons are just otherworldly enough to be scary, while still embracing their classic appearances. All of these creatures are genuinely threatening and can easily take down a player if they aren’t careful. It elevates the stakes of every encounter, forcing users to make snap decisions about how to approach each encounter.
Even the lighting adds a terrific amount of tension. Despite being absent in later remasters of DOOM 3, players originally had to manually pull out their flashlight. Doing so would lower the weapon and make players temporarily vulnerable. This takes control out of the user’s hands, forcing them to quickly light up an area to check if it was safe. Understanding when to use your flashlight was vital and DOOM 3 was hardly forgiving if you picked the wrong time to shine some light in a location. It’s a small, but clever way to always keep people on the edge of their seats.
Power-ups, health, and ammo are also hidden away in secluded areas or closed storage lockers. DOOM 3 forces players to engage with its story via audio logs if they want to obtain the best gear. This isn’t an issue as the general plot and characters are shockingly superb. During your journey you’ll learn all about the Mars base and the people within, lending DOOM 3 a more intriguing story than any of the other franchise entries.
Story has always been secondary in the DOOM franchise. Yes, 2016’s DOOM has terrific visual storytelling, but the third installment took it a step further. There were so many secrets to uncover that added real emotional weight to the world. Stumbling upon a dead scientists PDA could help shed some light on not just the demons, but who these people were. DOOM 3 respects its world, allowing it to organically open up to those brave enough to explore. Id Software understood that this franchise can be more than stylishly killing monsters in some macabre spectacle.
Sure, cutting up demons is fun, but DOOM 3‘s decision to embrace the horror genre was a perfect evolution for the franchise. On paper, the setting for the upcoming DOOM Eternal should be terrifying. An Earth that has been ravaged by demonic beings sounds like a great horror premise, but Eternal appears to treat its world like something out of a twisted comic book. That’s not to say there isn’t a time or a place to cut loose and carve up some monsters, but DOOM is a series that’s perfect for the horror genre.
Going forward, I would love to see this franchise look to the third installment for inspiration. Make the monsters horrific again and not Saturday morning cartoon versions of Clive Barker demons. There’s so much potential for this franchise to grow and expand beyond its classic roots that it’s frustrating to see it slink back into the safety of the run-and-gun design. The Resident Evil franchise boasts a vast assortment of uniquely designed entries, each of which are capable of standing on their own. Id Software should follow this mentality and not be chained to the classic formula it originally crafted.
DOOM 3 is not just a great DOOM game, but a fantastic example of how to craft a survival horror experience.
