Review: Doom 3

Oh, Doom, how brutal and fast-paced you are! Though, the latter doesn't really apply to the third installment in the series, as it has its focus on horror rather than the fast-paced gameplay that made it into what it is. The thing is that there's no real downside to this - it only results in variation to the franchise, to have one game that is more frightening than the others. Is the Xbox One/X port of Doom 3 on an Xbox Series X well made, however? I've killed a lot of demons, replenished my health so, so many times, and died a fair share of times as well. Let's look into it.

Platform: Xbox Series X.

Visuals & performance

When Doom 3 launched, it was like nothing I had ever seen before, thanks to its really nice graphics for the time. Many people think it was ahead of its time, and I can only agree. Even today, the game can be somewhat slightly taxing on hardware cause of the lighting found in it, for example.

This is nothing for the Xbox Series X, however, seeing as this machine runs it in a sharp native 4K resolution that is in company of an 100% solid framerate set to 60fps, with the highest settings possible, it seems - meaning that despite being rather old now, the game still looks pretty darn good no matter what part of it; very defined shadows, high-resolution textures, heavily likeable lighting that even competes with games from this generation (sort of), effects that definitely look more than okay, especially for being this old, and aging yet detailed character models.

I remember actually playing this game as a kid, and when I wasn't exiting the room the game was being played in due to being all too scared, I truly did appreciate its visuals a lot - they even seemed too good at times, AND the audio was stellar as well, which only made me exit the room more frequently. The extremely fast load times found in Doom 3 on the Xbox Series X is a very nice feature, so there will be little time for Twitter scrolling while playing this. In short, Doom 3 looks and runs really good on Xbox Series X.

Gameplay

Doom 3 plays just like any other first-person shooter and while it is part of the Doom franchise, one that is known for its fast-paced gameplay, the third installment really doesn't follow in its predecessor's footsteps. It's more focused on combat that takes a bit more time to go through, scary encounters, and exploration. Sure, it's different, and many people don't seem to like it as much as the other games, which I understand, but that never stopped me from giving Doom 3 a chance. The game is made up of many different levels that are linear but that also offer some type of exploration in order to find supplies and ammo to more easily survive all the dangers found in them. There's also a ton of different weapons, such as a SMG, shotgun, pistol and even a chainsaw. They all have their own purpose and unique traits, making them all very enjoyable to use during demon-killing sessions. The combat is in general very fun but also intense as well as unforgiving, having me at my seat at all times.

The rock-solid 60fps framerate felt amazing during these moments and the 4K resolution made it very clear when an enemy was popping up. Exploration is rewarding but also nearly made me lose track of where I was supposed to go at times, but that is to be expected. This might seem like a remaster of some sort, though when you really think about it, it's just a straight port for Xbox One systems (cause this is the Xbox One X version being played on an Xbox Series X, as there doesn't exist a full Xbox Series X port) and I'm pretty sure that's what Bethesda was aiming for when they decided for it to be a thing in the first place.

You see, it's very nice to be able to play this classic Doom title in 4K, at a framerate that is more solid than ever before, and on a modern console, but at the end of the day, that's really all it is - a 4K up-to-date Doom 3 port. The gameplay and story is the exact same, which is great, but just like I have, don't expect anything else (also made clear by the price). All DLCs are included, however, and that is just terrific!

All in all

The Doom 3 port on Xbox One/Xbox Series X|S is exactly what I expected it to be once I saw the price: a straight port of a classic Doom title, though this time in native 4K, higher graphics settings, and at a framerate that is extremely solid. The main game itself is the exact same as always - a different & creepy yet highly enjoyable first-person survival horror game that offers a ton of hours lost in killing demons & bosses, exploration, and following a more than decent story. It's exactly what I could ask for, especielly considering the very low price, and I've enjoyed it now even more than I did as a kid. It's just as great as ever and I fully recommend this port, but don't expect it to be anything else than that.

Doom 3 is available digitally on the Microsoft Store for Xbox One systems, but is also fully playable via backwards compatability on the Xbox Series X|S. It's enhanced for the Xbox One X, in 4K UHD resolution. It's priced at low price of $5. Are you interested in buying it? That can be done here (not an affiliate link):

This review is written by Jesper Ingemansson and is based on his honest opinion about the game.

A review code was provided by Bethesda for review purposes.