DOOM 3 vs Doom: The Dark Ages
DOOM 3 is an FPS horror game (2004) while Doom: The Dark Ages is an FPS game (2025).
Quick answer: DOOM 3 has the higher Metacritic, 87 to 85.
DOOM 3
What each one is
DOOM 3 is filed under FPS and Horror. In contrast, Doom: The Dark Ages under FPS.
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.
DOOM: The Dark Ages is the prequel to the critically acclaimed DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal that tells an epic cinematic story worthy of the DOOM Slayer’s legend. Players will step into the blood-stained boots of the DOOM Slayer, in this never-before-seen dark and sinister medieval war against Hell.
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
Main campaign At some point following his arrival on the planet Argent D'Nur and his subsequent empowerment, the Doom Slayer is weaponized by the alien Maykrs to assist Argent D'Nur's people, the Night Sentinels, in their war against the forces of Hell, who seek an object known as the Heart of Argent; the Slayer does not fight completely of his own free will, however, as his master, Kreed Maykr, suppresses him with a device called a Tether. Meanwhile, the… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Doom: The Dark Ages received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . OpenCritic determined that 95% of critics recommended it. Reviewers praised the innovative combat mechanics and atmospheric setting. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| DOOM 3 | Doom: The Dark Ages | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 7.3/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Very Positive (88%, 45,465) |
| Critic aggregate | 87/100 | 85/100 |
| Price | Unknown | $69.99 |
| Install size | — | 100 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | verified |
| Released | 2004 | 2025 |
| Developer | — | — |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
DOOM 3 vs Doom: The Dark Ages, 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: The Dark AgesFPS 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: The Dark AgesAction, FPS, DemonsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
DOOM 3 ✓Metacritic 87Doom: The Dark AgesMetacritic 85Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
DOOM 3—Doom: The Dark Ages45,465 reviews · 2 add-ons · 100 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
DOOM 3UnknownDoom: The Dark Ages$69.99Read 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
ActionFPSDemonsDark FantasySingleplayerSci-fi
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: The Dark Ages is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| DOOM 3 | Doom: The Dark Ages | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | NVIDIA |
| Minimum CPU | — | AMD Zen 2 |
| Minimum RAM | — | 16 GB |
| Install size | — | 100 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: DOOM 3 · Doom: The Dark Ages.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for DOOM 3 and 6 for Doom: The Dark Ages. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are DOOM 3 and Doom: The Dark Ages in scope?
DOOM 3 lists little scope data. Doom: The Dark Ages has drawn 45,465 Steam reviews, ships 2 add-ons and installs in 100 GB.
Is DOOM 3 or Doom: The Dark Ages 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: The Dark Ages?
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: The Dark Ages?
DOOM 3 has the higher Metacritic, 87 to 85. 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.