Doom 3

Doom 3 is a retelling of the original Doom, but using a completely new engine with true 3D and advanced physics. Doom 3 is not as “run and gun” as its predecessors, but focuses on atmosphere and graphics. It was criticized mainly for using clichéd horror effects, and the underuse of its physics engine. It is available for the Xbox, PC and Mac.

The Xbox version was sold in both a standard case, as well as a special edition sold in a metal case. The metal case edition had several extras—interviews, G4’s Icons Doom episode, early artwork, and the full versions of Ultimate Doom and Doom II.

Plot
The protagonist is once again a nameless space marine. As it just so happens, he gets shipped to the UAC Mars research facility with Councilor Swann and his bodyguard Jack Campbell on the same day all Hell breaks loose. Within minutes of the invasion, the main military units are destroyed or zombified. It is once again upon the player to stop the forces of Hell from reaching Earth.

The first cutscene displays Swann saying how fed up he is to Campbell about being sent to Mars to check security. Swann says to Campbell he is “…tired of doing damage control every time [he] screws up.” Swann is later seen arguing with the head research scientist in Delta Labs, Dr. Betruger, saying there are to many incidents happening throughout the base, along with frightened employees and rumors of what is happening in Delta Labs.

The player's first mission, assigned to him by Master Sergeant Kelly, aka “Sarge”, is to find a missing scientist that was said to be seen at the old communications facility. When you find him, he is babbling about sending out a warning. “The Devil is real. I know. I built his cage.” With those words, Hell erupts from the gateways, sending a shockwave through the complex, along with glowing pentagrams and scores of evil ghost skulls that zombify nearly every human they come into contact with.

Gameplay
Doom 3’s gameplay was not as fast paced as the games before it. Most of the game is extremely dark, and there is no Light amplification visor. Instead the player must rely on a flashlight that can only be used in place of a weapon. There are few tactics involved other than grabbing the biggest weapons.

Much of the game takes place in dark close-quarters with demons ambushing from every direction. By contrast the Hell section of the game is considered by many to be the best, as it features more open areas and makes use of unique effects.

Weapons

 * Fists: A short range melee weapon. Fists have a slow repeat-rate and are weak and as such is unwise to use unless you have the Berserker power-up. In Deathmatch, fists can be used to steal a weapon out of an opponent’s hands.


 * Flashlight: Used mostly to light up areas to see your way around, it can also be used as a blunt instrument. It has slightly shorter range than the fists when used in this way, but is about twice as powerful. Useage on anything stronger than an Imp is not recommended. In deathmatch, using the flashlight alerts other people to your whereabouts. Not included in Xbox Deathmatch.


 * Pistol: A semi-automatic weapon that is comparatively weak but also very accurate. Headshots are more effective than body shots. It is considerably more powerful than the classic pistol, but often seems weaker, due to the fact that several of the weaker monsters have been “beefed up” compared to their classic counter parts. Best used to conserve ammo or as a backup weapon for when stronger weapons get close to emptying their clips.
 * Clip size: 12 bullets
 * Reloading: Fast
 * Ammo: Bullets


 * Shotgun: Devastating up close but due to its wide spread, it is almost useless at long range, making it only useful for close encounters. Slow rate of fire. You can reload two shells at a time. Twice as powerful as the original shotgun (in effect doubling its function as a replacement for the classic double barreled shotgun).
 * Clip size: 8 shells
 * Reloading: Slow
 * Ammo: Shells


 * Machine gun: The MG-88 Enforcer has a big clip size, high rate of fire, and great accuracy. Useful against most demons up to the Cacodemon and especially useful against the Lost Soul.
 * Clip size: 60 bullets
 * Reloading: Normal
 * Ammo: Clips


 * Chain gun: Very powerful; good belt size; medium accuracy with spread; heavy recoil; slight wind-up time. This should be used for Cacodemons, imps, (pinky) demons, Mancubi, and Hell Knights.
 * Clip Size: 60 bullets
 * Reloading: Fast
 * Ammo: Ammo Belt


 * Plasma Gun: The Plasma Gun can sustain a high rate of fire, can hold plenty of rounds in a cell but the projectiles move slower than the classic equivalent, however it is now extremely effective for taking out explosive projectiles launched at the player due to its high rate of fire and projectile size. It still deals good damage and is good for taking out mid-air rockets. Not in Xbox Deathmatch.
 * Clip size: 50 cells
 * Reloading: Fast
 * Ammo: Cells


 * Rocket launcher: Carries high explosive rockets, semi-automatic fire, and fast reloading. In multiplayer can be used for rocket jumping.
 * Clip size: 5 rockets
 * Reloading: Fast
 * Ammo: Rockets


 * BFG 9000: The ultimate gun. Based on Quake II’s BFG10000 version, the BFG shoots a slow moving ball of plasma that contains a small computer chip. This chip shoots rays at opponents before the initial explosion that will kill most demons near the blast. This version of the BFG can be charged up (consuming up to all four charges in the gun) to deliver an even more powerful blast essentially capable of destroying any non-boss monster it makes contact with.
 * Clip Size: 4 BFG cells
 * Reloading: Slow
 * Ammo: BFG Cells


 * Chainsaw: Another melee weapon that deals out damage fast and stalls the enemy. You can have some fun cutting up everything if you have enough health and armor. Even more fun when you have the berserker power-up. Is considerably more powerful than its classic counterpart. Not available in PC Deathmatch. In Xbox DM it replaces the plasma gun. Not recommended against (Pinky) Demons, Mancubi or Hell Knights.

References to Classic Doom
Main article: References to Classic Doom in Doom 3.

Final Storyline
In a later cutscene, Swann is seen in a video phone conference with Betruger who is rather calm about the situation. Betruger claims the situation is under control. After deciding on whether to alert the orbital fleet, Betruger addresses you over a computer screen and says that once the fleet arrives, his legion will take the ships back to Earth, thus revealing that he commands the monsters that have overrun the base.

Later in the game, the player runs into a colleague of Betruger, who says that he became obsessed with the teleporters when he figured out Hell existed on the other side. He says he took an artifact called the Soul Cube from the archaeological digs from the ancient Martian civilization into Hell, and demons followed him out.

The player never meets up with the remaining Marines, save for one they meet in a cutscene who dies in the same cutscene, and only reach Swann and Campbell on their deathbeds. Swann was badly injured, and Campbell went on to hunt Sarge. Swann says that Kelly has turned evil and is now on Betruger’s side. After killing Sarge, the player find an archaeologist, who explains that the Soul Cube must be used to stop the demon invasion.

After entering the Primary Dig Site, the player discovers a section of Hell that has creeped into the Martian underground and deep within the bowels of this Hellscape, they encounter the invulnerable Cyberdemon guarding a “Hell hole” — a portal to Hell. Defeating the Cyberdemon, which is only possible with the charged Soul Cube, the Cube seals the Hell hole and the game ends, leaving many questions unanswered.

Trivia

 * The Doom community long predicted a sequel to Doom II, usually referring to it as Doom 2000. Some speculation is recorded in this Doomworld mailbag from 1998-08-18.
 * TimeSplitters: Future Perfect parodied the Doom 3 audio logs in the level What Lies Below. In this level, Cortez can access a scientists’ personal audio log, which contains his locker code.

Mods

 * The Classic Doom for Doom 3 mod replays Knee-Deep in the Dead but with the new Doom 3 engine.