Doom 3 has a whole lot going for it, and a whole lot going against it. For one, it is one of the most anticipated and hyped games in history. Secondly, it is an id game... the creators of the first-person shooter. And, thirdly, it is Doom! Being Doom, and an id game, practically guarantees high initial sales. Being hyped so much practically guarantees player disappointment and lower long-term sales. This is one of those games, which you will either love, or hate. There seems to be little middle ground. Why that reaction? Let us touch on its high points, and some of its lows...and all will become clear. Doom 3 will be remembered as the game that once again set the bar for graphics. It is also likely to be responsible for a rush of video card and processor sales. Despite id's rather modest minimum system requirements, the game is only properly experienced if you have the hardware to run it well. If your system is right on the borderline... upgrade first, then buy it. I played through 3/4 of the game with an AMD 1.8Ghz and a GeForce 4MMX... then bought a GeForce FX5900 and upgraded the CPU and Ram. I started the game over... and it was a difference of night and day. When it runs well, the game plays like one huge cinematic movie. In fact, many games have pre-rendered cinematics that do not look nearly as good as Doom 3 does... every moment of play. Full dynamic lighting, shadows, bump mapping, all the Direct-X 9 effects you can think of... all play a vital role in the experience. If you are in love with killer graphics, this is your game. Screen shots will attest to its power, and seeing it all in motion is truly unbelievable. If nothing else, this game engine will make id a lot of money, as other companies license it for their new projects. The sound quality of the game is easily one of the best ever. If you are blessed with surround sound, you will find yourself drawn into the game like never before. Every hiss of machinery, screams in the distance, spooky whispers in the dark, and countless other noises will have you constantly on the edge of your seat. In this game, the sound is what lets you survive...often providing the only clue as to where the next terror is hiding, and which one it is. If you do not have surround sound, get a good pair of headphones... this game is meant to draw you in. OK, so it looks amazing and sounds amazing... how does it play? Here is where we find the love it or hate it divisions coming into play. It is important to remember that Doom 3 is basically Doom 1 all over again. The story line is pretty much the same, and most of your favourite monsters from Doom 1 (and several from Doom 2) make an appearance. In Doom 1, you spent a lot of time searching the levels for the key card that would open the locked door... just so you could hunt for the next key card. In Doom 3, that basic mechanic has not changed much. Now you hunt for PDA's belonging to the recently deceased at the Mars base, and get access codes and security clearance from that. There is some interesting back-story in each of these people's emails and voice logs, but you will refer to it for the codes to open doors and weapon cabinets... and not much else. Doom 3 has no drivable vehicles. It does not have co-operative AI that fights along side you. It does not have a very memorable main character (in all the game interactions and cut-scenes, your character never utters a single word). It uses the staple weapons from Doom 1 (pistol, shotgun, machine gun, plasma rifle, rocket launcher). None of that exactly revolutionary for a cutting-edge game... but again... remember that id is taking us back to Doom... not forward into some totally new territory. Sound rather boring? If fact it is not... simply because of the atmosphere id poured into it. Every step is taken through corridors, vent shafts, the Martian surface, and Hell itself... with a real and tangible fear. At any moment, any number of creatures can leap at you from the darkness with a terrible scream (often your own). The intimacy of the combat, due to the often-dark setting and rapid attacks from the demons is something you have to experience to appreciate. This isn't Quake 3, it's Doom 3. As such, think more along the lines of survival horror, and you will be closer to understanding what this game is all about. The monsters themselves are truly inspired and something out of nightmares. They are guaranteed to make you leap out of your seat on more than one occasion. Id did their work here very well. It is in fact a shame that there were so many screen shots of the monsters released before the game. Seeing a terrifying new monster for the first time is a real treat, and most of the main ones are introduced via an excellent cut-scene. The imp in particular is amazing, as it climbs on walls, ceilings, and out of grates. You will have to keep your gaze everywhere and on everything to stay alive. The levels and structure itself is a little less inspired, but fits the theme well. The first half of the game sees you wandering the halls of the UAC facility... and as such, much of it looks the same. The detail in the machinery and environments will impress you, but after 6-7 levels of corridors, you will be itching for something else. If you press on, the game does not disappoint. The trip through Hell is incredibly unsettling, and the subsequent levels provide much more variety and even more impressive graphical effects. The final levels of the game are the best yet, and are alone worth the journey. There are a few notable omissions from the game however, and it is almost unforgivable that id did not see fit to include them. First of all, there is no co-op play on the PC Version. The XBox version is supposed to have that, but since the PC has more power... why was it excluded? Secondly, the physics engine, while great, is seldom put to good use. Most of the items in the game are not interactive. You can knock over barrels, the odd chair, and a few notebook computers, but little else. There is no stacking of crates to reach hidden areas, positioning of toxic barrels to create an ambush point, or anything else along those lines. The engine can do it... so why id did not include more of that is a complete mystery. Thirdly, the enemies all turn to dust seconds after you kill them. The greatness of Doom 1 and Doom 2 lay in your ability to run back through a level and survey the vast array of corpses your carnage created. It was likely a decision made to preserve system resources, but a poor one. In the fourth place, most of the weapons feel and sound a bit underpowered. There is not that satisfying kickback from the shotgun like you remembered. Thankfully, all of these shortcomings have already been resolved via various mods. After playing through the entire game as-is, I loaded up a mod called Ultimate Doom that increased weapon kickback and sounds, left corpses in their wonderful ragdoll positions, and blasted back monsters a good 15 feet from a close and personal shotgun blast. The second time through the game was far more rewarding... and though I would strongly urge the player to download these mods, id should have included their abilities in the box, with an option to turn them off for slower machines. By now, the astute reader will realize that I have not mentioned the flashlight. This item is the source of more debate than anything else I have seen relating to games in recent memory. Id made the design decision that you are able to carry a flashlight that allows you to see your way through the dark areas... or carry your gun... but not both at the same time. That means frantic switching between your light and a weapon when your beam reveals something lurking in the corners. The forums are alive with discussions over whether or not there should be lights on the guns, and the improbability that the entire Martian base has not even one roll of duct tape. And, of course, there are mods that attach lights to all your weapons. However, this game play decision by id was done for good reason... and it makes the game the tense experience it is. As id themselves stated, without the flashlight system, it is some other game... it is not Doom 3. I would strongly suggest that the player leave that one alone... the game is better for it. In closing, let me say that you are best served by ignoring both the hype and the complaints, and simply sitting down and playing the game. At the end of the 25-30 hours required to complete it, you will likely find yourself very much a fan. Since almost everything is pre-scripted, there is no randomness to compel you to play it through a second time, looking for a greatly changed experience. However, the game is impressive enough, that on completing it I immediately added some additional punch with a mod, upped the difficulty level, and started again. Is Doom 3 the greatest game ever made? Likely not. However, it looks better than any other game to date (including Far Cry), has that wonderfully grim id charm, and has a rewarding conclusion that makes it a must-play and a must-have. If you are an id fan, you must get this game. If you love amazing graphics, you must get this game. If you think you've seen it all before.... I would urge you to still give this game a chance. Once it hooks you, it will quickly draw you in. Oh... and... beware of mirrors.
I think this game is indeed the best game I've ever played. I like it because it scares me, though I've played it before. The gameplay is really rapid, you should always load your weapons, otherwise you would be torn apa... Read Full Review
This game is not for the faint of heart, the paranoid or the weak stomached. Playing this game alone in the dark with headphones at full blast is one of the most enjoyable if un-nerving experiances you can have with a ga... Read Full Review
