For me personally, it has to be the second half of the 32/64 bit era and the entirety of the PS2 era. The rise of MGS, GTA, the absolute peak of Zelda and Mario, the evolution of the sport and racing genre and the non-console FPS (nothing better to this day than PC versions of MOH, Battlefield and Half Life 2 + Episodes). It was a gaming industry which was well funded and could afford to make AAA games multiple times a year. Now we're lucky to get 5 or 6 big games per console with the PS4 only just coming into it's own almost 2+ years after release.

From a technical standpoint, I will say this gen is obviously the best but from a creative, fun, gameplay perspective, definitely not.

Maybe I'm thinking more of Crysis 2 and there is noway Doom 3 is more fluid than that. Keep in mind, I'm talking of the fluidity of movement. You could slide across, shoot some guys, jump up, take a giant leap, shoot some more guys, land and slide again, all in one fluid, point A to B massacre. Especially the mp, which just had a bunch of guys sliding across the ground shooting lol

Come to think of it, that was definitely Crysis 2.

Doom got 8s and 9s across the board. It got all the praise it deserved back then. It's definitely still a fun game at times but far more repetitive now then it was back then. Just about holds up imo.

I will be posting a series of mini reviews on games from years gone by and seeing if they have stood the test of time. This is me putting my childhood on the line for your enjoyment, be aware of my sacrifice. So, we kick things off with:

Doom 3

What they originally said

At the time of release, Doom 3 was a technological marvel. Graphically, few games carried the intensity, atmosphere and lighting at a time when a lot of this was quite novel. The engine would inspire a tonne of copycats, the art direction would do the same. It received an overwhelmingly positive response, with an 87 average on metacritic. Almost all reviewers raved about the latest edition in the fabled series.

Outside of the graphics, the gameplay was so different to what gamers had become accustomed to with the Doom series. Gone was the arena shooter origins, this was a first person survival horror. It was entirely unique for the time. The way it looked certainly helped too. This was the must have FPS of the mid-00s, alongside Half Life 2 of course. They said it was great.

Does it hold up today?

In all honesty, the answer is a yes and a no. Graphically, maxed out, it looks damn good, even a decade or so later. We have obviously seen big graphical leaps in the FPS genre but there is still something dark and beautiful about the dimly lit, metallic corridors and trails of blood. Not to mention the misshapen monstrosities which jump out at you from the shadows. The art direction has clearly inspired Doom 4, or Doom as it labels itself.

The gameplay however, leaves a lot to be desired. With the fluidity of motion we've had from the Crysis series and the set pieces of a Call of Duty or Battlefield, this all feels so tame and at times, boring. Go here, shoot that, open this door, rinse and repeat. And lots of back tracking. In 2016, it just didn't hold my attention the same way it did back then.

Should I still play it?

If you can find a cheap deal, namely a Steam sale, then yeah, why not. It's a cool way to pass a couple hours and in short dosages, is still entertaining and gory. However, it isn't going to hold your attention for hours on end and if you're looking for that, you're better off looking for a new FPS.

I felt the same way, not as good as my personal fave of Tomb Raider 2 but not horrible.

Having said that, I agree with a lot of the list, especially with that London Cab, what in the hell were they thinking?

definitely get it on ps3, you wont be locked out of the online section due to stupid subs

I'm not the biggest Uncharted fan and I can't be distracted by games during exam season. Plus, on principle I refuse to pay for an online console service. Having said that, I'll probably pick this up after a price drop and after buying Fallout 4 and GT Sport later this year, not to mention Horizon.

I honestly don't know what to tell you, getting a game like MGSV on PS4 certainly looks better but you would get a free mp on PS3, so the PS3 experience is simply closer to a full gaming experience. Mad Max et al are all playable and damn good on the PS3 too. We will have to wait for the real PS4 games later in the year before you really finance the system.

you guys are so cool, boasting about winning online games, whoa!!

my electrical equipment is better than your electrical equipment, etc etc etc