Doom 3

Doom 3 is widely considered the black sheep of the series, which means I must obviously mount its defense. It is not the high-octane hitscan first-person shooter that its predecessors were, nor is the over-the-top gorefest that the recent installments have become. It’s something else altogether, and that’s why it is worthy of a reappraisal. A moodier first-person survival horror game, Doom 3 is just different. That is it’s only real crime. You fight a number of the same demons, but in different lighting and at a different speed, which was revelatory, as well as controversial, at the time it was released (2005). It is suffused with tension much like ripping through a gauntlet in Doom Eternal on very little HP, but imagine always being on your backfoot. People are so used to the Doom games operating in one way, but Doom 3 dared to dream a little bigger.

I understand that it’s not for everyone, but just because it isn’t doesn’t mean it can’t be for you. I didn’t know I would like Doom at all until I eventually picked up the 2016 reboot. You won’t know that Doom 3 isn’t for you until you give it a shot for yourself. For just $4, you can pick up the most distinct installment in the Doom franchise, and trust me, Doom 3 is worth it.