Being credited as one of the pioneers in the first-person shooter genre, Doom was one of the first to introduce many features we’re used to seeing in modern titles. Stuff like 3D graphics, multiplayer gameplay, and mod support. This all being done in 1993 was unheard of at the time.
Doom has evolved across almost 30 years now, and brought along a lot of changes since the original.
With that, I would recommend Doom 3 as a great game to jump in the series with. It was great as a bridge between older fans & ushering in a new era of Doom.
With it came huge leaps forward in terms of graphics, gameplay, and of course, mod capability – which brings us to this incredible list.
Soundtracks became a huge part of what fans loved about Doom games. And that was easily because of Trent Reznor’s involvement in scoring and sound design for the earlier games.
When it came time to work on Doom 3, Reznor was forced to abandon the project for unclear reasons, leaving his contributions left out of the final product.
The quality of what did appear on the final version of the game is of course subjective. But I’m confident enough to say that anything from Trent Reznor is most likely better.
In case you agree, grab this pack. It replaces some of the monster and weapon sounds with the original files Reznor created for it.
Many consider Duct Tape to be an essential quality of life mod for Doom 3, though it completely goes against what the developers intended for the game.
With all the changes included in Doom 3, the flashlight became one of the most notorious.
Basically, the game lets you bring out a flashlight to gain vision of darker areas in the game – except it comes at the expense of your ability to use a weapon.
This was done on purpose, of course, to increase tension and make the game scarier overall. But it just didn’t sit well with most fans.
This mod offers a simple solution to that issue: duct tape.
Duct tape allows you to tape the flashlight onto your weapon, so you never have to disarm yourself for a little bit of light.
Doom 3 was already a gorgeous-looking game for its time.
And while it does still hold up pretty well against modern titles, we can’t really expect more from a 16-year-old game.
That was until the Absolute HD mod came along.
This compiles some of the best graphics mods for the game, which includes packs for enhanced weapons, environments, and monster models, along with a couple of advanced processing effects packs.
The combination of all of these simply makes the game look as good as it possibly can – and you might be surprised what that really looks like.
Take a peek at some 4K gameplay with Absolute HD on. Doom 3 looks like it could have been released just a few years ago.
If you’re looking for a more refined experience of Doom 3, Perfected Doom 3 is the perfect mod for you.
“Refined” in this particular context would mean taking into consideration feedback from fans, which is great! As modder VGames basically molded this into what the fans wanted it to be.
Some of the biggest changes here are gameplay-oriented, geared towards giving players a much smoother experience.
Powerups and health are no longer used once you pass over them on the ground, which allows you to hold onto them for when you really need them.
The flashlight issue was addressed as well, mounting the flashlight on your suit so you wouldn’t ever have to put your weapon away.
There are a lot more to discover here, and some say that this is the best way to experience the game.
While most mods try to take the game forward in terms of content, Classic Doom 3 takes a different approach.
This one is specifically targeted towards older fans of the series, with its aim to recreate the original Doom title within the upgraded engine of Doom 3.
Sounds fun, right?
Fans of the original Doom are sure to love this mod, as you’ll be able to play through the first nine levels of the game recreated with the updated visuals and lighting effects of the new engine.
Up next we have a mod that’s specifically made for those who prefer to enjoy Doom along with some friends.
Last Man Standing Co-op allows you to play through a survival coop mode, where you and your friends will have to keep each other alive against swarms upon swarms of hell’s demons.
Not only that, but with LMSCoop installed, you can play through the otherwise single-player campaign levels in co-op as well.
Plus as an added bonus, the modders included support for Classic Doom 3. So you’ll be able to play that in co-op mode as well.
While shooting your way through demon hordes in teams can make for some good fun, some of the best Doom 3 mods are geared towards enhancing the single-player experience – and at times even changing it completely.
Rivensin is a nice example of how drastically modding can change this game.
It turns your Doom 3 campaign into a third-person fantasy.
Here you assume the role of a herald of Death, fighting your way through hordes of what we only know as “the damned.” Give it a try and see what you think.
If you thought that last mod was crazy, we’re actually just getting started.
Into Cerberon takes a particularly unique approach, aiming to incorporate 6 degrees of freedom (6DoF) controls into your Doom 3 experience.
For those who aren’t familiar, the 6DoF allows you to roll, tilt, yaw, and slide in all directions, giving you complete control of your character’s movement across all axes.
This isn’t a common concept in video games. But you’ll be able to try it out with this mod installed.
Grimm: Quest for the Gatherer’s Key is another fun option if you’re looking for a completely different game to play within your copy of Doom 3.
The mod takes advantage of the Doom 3 engine to create a dark medieval fantasy world, where you’re thrown into a bloody hack and slash adventure.
It features completely custom levels along with its own soundtrack, so it really does feel like a new title.
It also looks like the mod places more focus on melee weapons, and it appears as though you’ll even have access to Death’s scythe somewhere along your playthrough.
So far, we’ve covered mods in the first and third-person, quick time events, and even 6DoF.
We’re far from done as this next one transforms your Doom 3 experience into a fast-paced side-scroller.
The Hard Corps modders have cited popular side-scrollers like Contra, Metal Slug, and Castlevania as sources of inspiration, which resulted in their very own version in Doom 3.
As they themselves explain, they set aside long winded plots and puzzle solving to make way for a more action-packed experienced that’ll see you running and gunning for the entirety of the game.
Taking a break from the bigger overhaul mods, there are also some ways to enhance your Doom 3 experience without changing too much of what you’re used to in vanilla.
Realistic Weapons is a great example. This mod updates weapon mechanics to make them feel much more convincing.
The mod changes everything from weapon sounds, scripts, and definitions, all to make for an interesting experience.
One of the biggest changes here is that the shotgun can no longer be fired while reloading – which might make it a bit more difficult to blast through enemies, but is definitely much more realistic.
Doom 3: Evolution is another great option, choosing to add depth to the existing mechanics of the base game instead of changing everything completely.
The mod does this by allowing more customization in-game. Plus upgrade paths for your character as you progress, making it possible to explore different builds for different play styles.
Could you have ever guessed you’d be thinking up Doom 3 builds?
There are lots of other balance changes in the mod as well, so you’re sure to get a lot out of this one.
Overthinked Doom 3 is another realism mod, this time focusing on the survival aspects of the game.
Modder punk0x29a explains that his inspiration for creating the mod was that he wanted to completely embrace how Doom 3 differentiated itself from other Doom games – specifically the survival horror aspects.
Instead of the typical fast-paced demon slaying we’re used to, Overthinked requires a slower paced more tactical approach to ensure your survival.
Not for everyone, but definitely worth trying at the very least.
Now here have another film-inspired mod, this time covering the 1990 science-fiction movie Total Recall starring none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This started as a comedy mod until the developer realized that there are actually many parallels between Doom 3 and Total Recall’s storylines.
He eventually ended up taking the mod much more seriously, and the end result features a complete single-player campaign based on the film.
DunegonDoom is another overhaul mod that’s well worth checking out.
It pretty much transforms Doom 3 into an RPG, complete with character development, storyline progression through quests, optional side quests, and even experience levelling.
The mod features five playable classes, each with the ability to wield different weapons and unlock unique abilities. RPG’ed enough for ya?
It might seem far from what Doom was intended to be. But if you think about it, it’s basically like you’re getting a new Doom-like game for free.
Doom 3: Phobos is one of the more popular overhaul mods for the game. And for good reason.
It features one of the most complete and polished storylines to date.
The mod’s story still stays within the Doom universe, but features fresh new maps, weapons, enemies, and even voice acting to drive the story forward.
It has definitely become a fan-favorite over time, so better late than never. Go ahead and pick this one up if you’re looking to expand on your next Doom 3 session.
The Dark Mod is a huge overhaul mod that completely changes what Doom 3 is all about. In a good way.
The mod takes inspiration from Thief, which by now you can probably tell, turns Doom 3 into a stealth-focused game.
I would never have thought it would be possible. But Team Dark Mod somehow made it possible – and they did an amazing job with it as well.
The mod introduces lots of new gameplay features, unique AI, and completely custom assets to build the dark and moody atmosphere of Thief into Doom 3.
You’ll find yourself sneaking through completely custom gothic steampunk environments in a way you probably never imagined. Welcome to your Doom-y future.
