Introduction: Doom 3 has been a long time in the making. The game was confirmed as an xbox release in 2002. The game then quietly made it's way onto the PC at the end of last summer and Id software were pretty quiet about where the Xbox version of the game went. Well now Doom 3 is finally here and except for the co-op mode it's pretty much the exact same game you played last year on the PC. All the pretty visuals are intact and the game has consolized surprisingly well (more on this later). That being said the game does have a few minor shortcomings but for the most part the ambiance created by the graphics and audio make up for that but even that can't cover up all of Doom 3's problems. Graphics: 10/10 Doom 3's graphics are once again the best around and include the best lighting effects ever seen in a game. The graphics are extremely atmospheric and Doom 3's sense of style help give it that horror feel that they are obviously going for here. You might come across an ugly texture or two when the monsters get up close and the blood doesn't look that great either. The only other thing I will bring against the graphics is that when you kill an enemy they disentegrate into ash. This was probably to make the game have better stability because this was a problem on the PC as well. So with those problems how to I justify a 10/10 in graphics. The cutscenes are done in the game engine although this is not a big deal since the graphics in the gameplay could be the cutscene in any other game. Also the game has no problems with the frame rate whatsoever even when playing the game online which is even more impressive. I can't emphasize enough that the lighting effects are ultra realistic. They do a great job of putting you in the various environments you will be running around throughout the course of the game. Other games like this tend not to consolize well at all since they just take a straight port of the PC version. The number 1 mistake these games make is that the text is not enlarged so it can be hard to read on a television screen. Doom 3 dodges this blow narrowly by enlarging the text so it's easy to read from 10 feet back. There are also a few too many loading screens for comfort. Despite it's minor shortcomings this is still the best looking Xbox game to date. Sound: 9/10 Okay my only real problem with the audio is that all the weapons all sound pretty underpowered. Other then that the voice acting is solid and the ambient noises all work well with the graphics to make this game have a truly memorable ambiance to it. The enemies don't sound paticularly scary and the weapon effects aren't all that convincing but for the most part the game sounds pretty great. Gameplay: 8/10 Doom 3 is kind of behind the times from a gameplay standpoint. It plays it pretty safe because much like it's predecessors it is just one giant coridor crawl with lots of enemies. Actually the game is quite predictable since most of the enemies are lurking behind dark corners and stuff like that. Also it's all scripted so if you kill an imp standing in front of the doorway leading on you had better check behind you lest you get killed by the inevitable imp behind you. The enemies aren't all that smart either, they pretty much just rush straight at you and rely on their numbers, as well as the rarity of ammo to hurt you as opposed to them being paticularly smart. Doom 3 also has an impressive set up. The first time you see some of the monsters like the giant dog like enemies you become really scared. Then all will go quiet and you will think it is safe to go out. Then out of nowhere he is right behind you and you will be flipping out and scared out of your wits. Then you'll hit him once or twice with a shotgun and think to yourself that's it. This all combines to make the game too easy on the default difficulty setting since you don't take damage that fast and the designers are a lot more generous about health and armor then they are about ammo. Doom 3's own delays actually hurt the gameplay score since from a design standpoint it's not that much different then shooters that came out in 2001/2002 when the game was first announced. I mean whats the point in a jump button if you can't jump over anything with it and the fact that you cant hold a flashlight and a gun at the same time. Most of the weapons are pretty basic point and shoot weapons which aren't really up to snuff anymore and the ones that aren't are explosive weapons which are pointless because the game takes place in narrow corridors with enemies who like to get up close and personal as well as the chainsaw which is next to useless but a lot of fun none the less. In turn Doom 3 offers a cooperative mode which is playable over system link or on xbox live. It's actually pretty enjoyable especially at the nightmare difficulty setting where the enemies are really tough and you really need your partner there to see you through in one piece. Like just about every other cooperative mode out there though it's more fun to play with friends then with strangers. Doom 3 also has competitive multiplayer modes and to describe them in a word that word would be standard. It's just basic 4 player deathmatch or team deathmatch on these really small dark maps. It's fun for a few hours but it doesn't quite have the staying power of Halo 2. Value: 8/10 Doom 3's single player campaign clocks in at about 15 hours althrough for the first 10 or so you might wonder what all the fuss is about. It's not until much later in the game where it really becomes interesting because the UAC headquarters is really quite a bland environment. It likely won't be until you get to hell and beyond that you really begin to justifty the 8's and 9's this game has been getting from reviewers. There isn't reallty a whole lot of reason to go back into the single player campaign once you beat it although you will probably want to play through with a friend on nightmare as well as check out the deathmatch modes. The campaign doesn't really have any memorable moments in it. When you finish it you feel like that's that and you go on with your life. If you want to see where the genre started though and you're willing to plop down the extra 10 dollars you can get the collectors edition of Doom 3 which comes with Doom 2 and Ultimate Doom on the disc. Neither of these games has really been altered and likely won't amuse you long enough to finish them but it is kind of nice that they put them on there since most collectors editions just have a cool case or a DVD noone will watch. Conclusion: I know people who think graphics are the most important thing in games but I also know people who think it's gameplay that counts. Doom 3 will really make you see where the other side of the camp is speaking from and will also make a good case for your side as well. It is something you really can't review properly because you just account your own takes on a dated game with superb graphics. Doom 3 is a game that needs to be experienced first hand and wether or not the game is right for you will depend on your individual experiences. Overall: 8.7/10 Great
Gameplay Gameplay in Doom 3 is pretty simple but fun. You walk around, shoot monsters. That's pretty much it. You really never really run out of ammo so, unless you have a really bad aim, you really don't have to str... Read Full Review
DooM 3 for x-box proves itself to be better than the PC in several ways,but it also shares it's amount of areas that needed polishing. DooM 3's graphics are better in the PC version in several ways, First off,the blo... Read Full Review
