DOOM 3 vs DOOM II
DOOM 3 is an FPS horror game (2004) while DOOM II is an FPS horror game from id Software (2007).
Quick answer: DOOM 3 has the higher Metacritic, 87 to 83.
What each one is
DOOM 3 is filed under FPS and Horror. In contrast, DOOM II under FPS and Horror.
Doom 3 is a 2004 first-person shooter survival horror game developed by id Software and published by Activision. It was originally released for Windows on August 3, 2004, before being adapted for Linux later that year, and ported by Aspyr Media for Mac OS X in 2005. Vicarious Visions ported the game to the Xbox, releasing it worldwide on April 4, 2005.
Hell has invaded Earth, and to save it, you must battle mightier demons with even more powerful weapons. This beloved sequel to the groundbreaking DOOM (1993) introduced players to the brutal Super Shotgun, the infamous Icon of Sin boss, and more intense FPS action.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting Doom 3 is set on the planet Mars in the year 2145. According to the game's backstory, the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC) has grown to become the largest corporate entity in existence with near-unlimited funds and has set up a research facility on Mars. At this base, the UAC are able to conduct research into several scientific areas, including advanced weapons development, biological research, space exploration and teleportation, outside of… (Wikipedia)
Characters
There are five main characters in Doom 3 . The player assumes the role of an anonymous Space Marine corporal who has just arrived on the UAC's Mars base. The player's non-commissioned officer in-charge is Master Sergeant Thomas Kelly (voiced by Neil Ross ) who gives the player objectives and advice over the player's radio for the first half of the game. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical Reception Doom 3 received a favorable reception from critics, with the PC version of the game holding an 87 percent score and an 88 percent score at the review compilation sites Metacritic and GameRankings respectively. Much praise was given to the quality of Doom 3 s graphics and presentation; GameSpot described the game's environments as "convincingly lifelike, densely atmospheric, and surprisingly expansive", while PC Gamer UK described the… (Wikipedia)
Plot
Immediately following the events in Doom , the player once again assumes the role of Doomguy . After defeating the Spider Mastermind, the marine finds a portal to Earth opened by demons. After returning to Earth, the marine finds that it has also been invaded by the demons, who have killed billions of people. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Critical reception Reception The reception of Doom II was positive, with reviewers saying it refined everything that made the original Doom good. The game was reviewed in 1995 in Dragon #216 by David "Zeb" Cook in the "Eye of the Monitor" column, who stated that, "if mindless but intense carnage is what you want, you'll get your money's worth. It's just not a must-have, keep-on-the-hard-drive-forever game. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| DOOM 3 | DOOM II | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 7.9/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Overwhelmingly Positive (95%, 9,057) |
| Critic aggregate | 87/100 | 83/100 |
| Price | Unknown | Not listed |
| Install size | — | — |
| Steam Deck | Untested | verified |
| Released | 2004 | 2007 |
| Developer | — | id Software |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
DOOM 3 vs DOOM II, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
DOOM 3FPS horror gameDOOM IIFPS horror gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
DOOM 3No descriptive tagsDOOM IIClassic, FPS, ActionThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
DOOM 3 ✓Metacritic 87DOOM IIMetacritic 83Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
DOOM 3—DOOM II9,057 reviewsReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
DOOM 3UnknownDOOM IINot listedRead live from Steam and subject to change.
DOOM 3 takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: DOOM 3 (Metacritic 87)
Where they differ
ClassicFPSAction1990'sRetroShooter
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, DOOM 3 is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. DOOM II is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for DOOM 3 and 1 for DOOM II. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are DOOM 3 and DOOM II in scope?
DOOM 3 lists little scope data. DOOM II has drawn 9,057 Steam reviews.
Is DOOM 3 or DOOM II better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, DOOM 3 or DOOM II?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get DOOM 3 or DOOM II?
DOOM 3 has the higher Metacritic, 87 to 83. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.