Can someone explain how the plot of Doom 3 fits in with the series?

[Blind]

What I mean is...

If you go Doom, Doom 2, Doom 64, DOOM and then Doom Eternal... it all makes sense.

But Doom 3 - I can't tell if it's a soft-reboot or a prequel or a sequel or what

[MaDShadoW]

Originally DOOM 3 was meant to be a reboot of the franchice.
Even though in the final level of the main campaign you come across the "Sarcofagus of the Hero" which based on the information UAC's excavation team have gethered is the DOOM guy. Now either it stayed there until 2016 happened or it went back in and found by some other universe, it is quite unkown

[_GoldSrc_]

It doesn't, Doom 3 is not a sequel or prequel, is not canon.
Doom 3 is a reimagination/reboot of the original game, it has no connection to the rest of the games other than the basic idea.

Doom 3 is its own thing.

[MASTAN]

Everything is relative (c). Doom 1/2 are not canon relative to Doom 3. Doom 3 is not canon relative to Doom 2016/Eternal.

[Defective Dopamine Pez Dispenser]

So, a lot of this depends on how literal and technical you want to be about it. But there's definitely space for a headcanon-ish explanation (one which Id seem to actively encourage at least somewhat via various easter eggs in Doom 2016 and Eternal) in which Doom 3 takes place in an alternate universe, with the marine we play as in D3 being a unique character totally distinct from the Doomslayer/Doomguy, but the Doomslayer/Doomguy still also either being known about by the ancient civilization referenced in Doom 3 due to interdimensional travel, or literally being the "Hero" referred to in the various engravings.

People can pick their poison with respect to whether that means the hero in the sarcophagus is the Doomslayer during his imprisonment, or is him before being transferred to a different universe, or is some completely different hero, whether it's somehow tied to Argent D'nur, or what have you.

And the soul cube and other references to this Hero being tied to it and to the ancient civilization referenced, appear in both Doom 2016 and to a more prominent extent in Doom Eternal, lending some arguable credence to at least the idea that the Doomslayer is in some way either the Hero referenced, or traveled to that hero's universe at some point during his travels across planes.

Which isn't a huge stretch given how much of the entire premise of Doom and Quake are already interdimensional anyway, and given how the new lore introduced in Eternal and the Fortress of Doom seem to basically imply he's cobbled together technology from across various dimensions.

And given the fact that Earth of Doom 2016 and Eternal doesn't seem to be the same Earth of the classic Dooms + 64, despite them making it essentially canon that that is the same Doomguy/Doomslayer - which again suggests a multiverse.

What we can say for sure though is that Doom 3 didn't start out that way. It was intended to be a full on reboot, or at least a completely different retelling, in a more survival horror-esque setting than the other games. But you can definitely force it to fit via headcanon, and there's some evidence they might intend that as well given the above, especially given the way Eternal explicitly tied the Doom Slayer to the classic Doom Guy, and the way those Doom 3 relics show up in his possession.

Or just treat all those references as Easter eggs, and the two timelines as entirely separate if you want. Take your pick. It works well enough either way imo.

[_GoldSrc_]

Originally posted by Aikido:

But there's definitely space for a headcanon-ish explanation (one which Id seem to actively encourage at least somewhat via various easter eggs in Doom 2016 and Eternal)

You cannot establish canon with easter eggs, otherwise GTA SA and Half-Life would be canon, but that just isn't the case.

Easter eggs are just that, small nods and references to other games.
There would have been a chance to connect both Doom 3 and 2016/Eternal, but it was a small event that started and ended in Doom 3 itself, so no chance of ever making it to 2016.

[Defective Dopamine Pez Dispenser]

Originally posted by _GoldSrc_:

Originally posted by Aikido:

But there's definitely space for a headcanon-ish explanation (one which Id seem to actively encourage at least somewhat via various easter eggs in Doom 2016 and Eternal)

You cannot establish canon with easter eggs, otherwise GTA SA and Half-Life would be canon, but that just isn't the case.

Easter eggs are just that, small nods and references to other games.
There would have been a chance to connect both Doom 3 and 2016/Eternal, but it was a small event that started and ended in Doom 3 itself, so no chance of ever making it to 2016.

That's why I said it depends on how technical and literal you want to be about whether there's any actual connection, and why it's headcanon if you want to go there. You can if you choose to. As I said, people can pick their poison from several different interpretations if they really want to force it to fit. That's part of the fun. Or don't, as I said.

Though, as I also said, nothing is a huge stretch if you just invoke a multiverse, given the interdimensional nature of the rest of the series (and all of the Idverse really.) If people want to headcanon their way to Doom Slayer/Doomguy at some point visiting the Doom 3 universe during his various travels, being the hero in the sarcophagus, or even just making an excursion into that reality and grabbing the soul cube, or whatever, if that enhances their enjoyment, I say go for it.

I did the same with Doom 64 after 2016, as did other people, even though whether or not 2016's Doom Slayer was Doomguy was still ambiguous then, with no explicit connection between them like there is with Eternal. (Which made Eternal a delightful payoff for me incidentally, with Doom 64's inclusion with it being the cherry on top... but it wasn't something I ever expected or demanded be spelled out, and my headcanon would still be my headcanon even if they hadn't gone in that direction.)

Headcanoning things is fun, and there's ample room to do so in a series that doesn't take itself too seriously a lot of the time, as in the case of Doom. And headcanon doesn't have to have stringent logical rules, either. That's why it's headcanon and not canon. Though there's definitely enough wiggle room and space for imagination here that if people want to force it to work, they can.

[Blind]

what if Doomguy went BACK IN TIME to his own timeline, causing Doom 3... that could work

[Aquila Rift]

Well now with 2016 and eternal out and eternal confirming connections to the old games. Which were always connected anyway I see doom 3 in a new light it's a stand alone story taking place 4 years before 2016 your not doom guy/slayer your just a marine.. a doomed marine who experienced a small outbreak on Mars and after the game was covered up by the uac. 2016 Olivia was already creating a cult under Samuels nose. And Samuel was already continuing expeditions into hell. This and the multiple connections that others already said can easily be applied. Doom 3 was a stand alone you play nobody important those 3 marines story ends there.

[Blind]

what if Doom 3 guy becomes Quake guy? I don't know anything about the Quake plot tho

[Blind]

actually ya!?

I never played a Quake game but I heard they're in the same universe... Doom 3 guy could be Quakeguy!

[MrLuckless]

By and large, Doom 3 is a separate entity from Doom 1/2 and 64. All of those were until recently separate from Doom 2016 which was itself another reboot of Doom 1. Eternal went and decided to combine all of the Dooms except for 3 into one continuity, which personally feels kind of silly to do. Doom is a lot of things, but generally not very heavy on things like plot or story. Doom 3 was again, until recently, the most story driven of the Dooms and most of its plot was played through audio logs and Emails.

Long story short, Doom 3 is its own thing and it's unlikely current Id is going to do much of anything with it.

[Ikagura]

I've always seen D3 as an alternative prequel to Doom 1-2-64 (with Final Doom being side stories).

[Fortescue]

Personally... From my perspective. Doom 3 to me seems canon. However... from what I've gathered the main character from Doom 3 is just a Marine and is born of Earth sort of like an ordinary guy like everyone else but has a lot of potential and ingenuity with stopping the demonic invasion of Earth at least before the awakening of the Doom Slayer. The chamber of the hero from what I believe is the Doom Slayer many years before his sarcophagus was brought way above the surface and long before he awakened. As in Doom 2016 you can see when you first start the Doom Slayer awakens from the sarcophagus which the UAC had been researching the contents of. During the insane timing before they could dissect him the invasion of Mars had begun due to Olivia Pierce making a pact with the demons. Samuel Hayden awakens the Doom Slayer and then things begin from there.

I feel as if the UAC have always been kind of the bad guys because they had always been exploiting energy as well as teleportation from both the demons most scientists claim as "dimensional beings" and the civilization on Mars which the Doom Slayer was a part of. Being as he was born native to Mars. Technically Doom 3 was a reboot of the series but with how well put together the story of Doom 2016 was. It makes perfect sense and fits perfectly with Doom 3. But Doom 3 being many years before the awakening of the Doom Slayer by Samuel Hayden.