Doom mods never disappoint, transforming id Software’s iconic PC FPS series in myriad ways, right down to replacing the furious Doomguy with the adorable, and comparatively very relaxed, cat from Stray. And now it’s the turn of Doom 3, which thanks to a new mod has just been completely reworked with a stunning HD texture pack.
Doom 3 Essential HD Pack, or D3HDP for short, has just been updated to improve every single visual aspect of the 2004 shooter, from redesigning the Marine body armour and HUD, to adding minute details like shadows for falling, empty bullet shells, and a retouched particle effect on the plasma rifle’s energy beam. Various sound effects have also been changed, including the bog-standard handgun, which in the base game sounds dull and tiny but here is amped up using sounds from the original Doom 3 alpha.
The whole game looks cleaner, crisper, and more colourful than ever before, making D3HDP the perfect excuse to revisit perhaps the most maligned member of the whole Doom dynasty, and give it another shot, if you’ll excuse the pun. The monster closets are a little too numerous, and the level design never matches the superlative work of John Romero (who, by the way, is planning a comeback to the FPS genre), but Doom 3 is still a vital piece of FPS history, and well worth it even if you’re not a series completionist.
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The HD texture pack is available for free on Mod DB, created by a team of collaborators who have combined their respective upscale mods into this superb, final product. But if you’re done with Doom and want to try something else, check out our guide to the best PC FPS games.