Doom 3
Posted September 15, 2004
Here lies a game that was both years in the making, as well as done over 10 years ago. Doom 3 is not a new sequel to help round out the trilogy of games which takes gamers to hell and back, but a re-imagining of the game that helped create this whole fixation with a little of the old “ultra-violence” in games that some deem unnecessary. Similar to the original 1993 game Doom, you’ll be taking the role of a Marine who ends up traveling between Hell and Mars, but unlike the originator this isn’t going to be a balls-to-the-walls shooter, you’re going to have to actually use some skill to slag your way through the 27 levels of Doom 3.
One thing worth noting however, is that Doom 3 requires the latest and greatest CPU and Graphics card to play, even with my 2.6GHZ, 512 RAM, 128 MB GeForce4 card, I still was stuck to playing the game at high detail, with no anti-aliasing turned on. I could have dropped down to Medium or Low detail with AA, but decided against it. There is an option for Ultra resolution, but the warning that pops up says that an EXTRA 500 Megs of RAM are required…so if you’ve got the gig kicking around try out the Ultra detail…I found it wasn’t even necessary as the game is damn pretty, even dropped to medium.
Gameplay:
Putting it bluntly, Doom 3 is tense. For the first third of the game, you’ll be staggering through the darkened outpost on Mars where lights flicker on and off with only a trusty flashlight to light your way. Trekking through the rooms and speaking to characters who are complaining about all the “odd things” happening around the outpost sets the mood, prepping your trigger finger for when it’s finally used; and boy, it is ever used.
Once the demons are unleashed, they come at you in droves. Nary a room will go by that isn’t infested with at least two zombie/demon/hellspawn who’s only goal in the afterlife is to beat the living snot out of you, be it with a gun, claws, chainsaw or the fires of hell itself. Unlike the newer batch of FPSs, D3 doesn’t rely on its compelling story or the fancy trick shots you can do, its main reason for being is to scare you. In effort to accomplish this, enemies can come from anywhere in the game, even from areas you’ve just cleared, so suspend some thinking and come in here with guns blazing.
As mentioned earlier however, simply holding down the fire mouse button won’t get you very far in the game. The enemies have “some” level of intelligence to them and will take cover when being shot at, but some of the mindless zombies are just that…mindless. As the game progresses, you’ll learn which weapons make quicker work of different zombies, so maybe the shotgun works nicely for the Pinky, but might not work as well on the Lost Soul which requires a more accurate shot, or the BFG 9000.
Helping build the tension in the game is the use of the flashlight, which is mapped to the ‘F’ key, so find that key and commit it to memory, as you’ll be using it a lot. When you have the flashlight our illuminating your surroundings, you are unable to have a gun primed and ready to blast some bastard back to hell, unless of course you’ve downloaded one of the mods out there which attaches the flashlight to your weapon using some duct tape. The flashlight can be used as a melee weapon if needed, but that should be a last resort, because you’re going to want to keep as much room as possible between you and all demons, for both your health and your sanity.
A feature not yet in full use when Doom came out that has been integrated into the gameplay is the use of a PDA. While not the first game by any means to incorporate this wonder of modern technology, it’s one of the few to make it a little more seamless and integrated into the game. You have your primary PDA where you can read email and store video discs you find, but you can also find other PDAs hanging around when you kill zombies which used to be workers or marines, and from those you can gain access codes to supply rooms, audio recordings from other characters which can advance the story, or updated security clearance which helps propel the story forward by moving you into new territory.
One of the coolest things in my opinion in Doom 3 is the way that panels and computers are operated in the game. Generally speaking, when you access a computer within a game the screen will change to reflect that you’re taking control of the terminal, but in D3 id has made the transition to using the panels seamless; all you need to do is move your reticule over the panel or button and the cursor will turn into a finger and you can fully interact with the PC, or button. This is most impressive when you navigate through menus and sub menus on a panel all while still seeing your surroundings and keeping yourself on zombie patrol. This small thing within the game really made me appreciate the level of detail in the game.
The multiplayer aspect of Doom 3 is not really a step in the right direction, yet. The basics are all here with Deathmatch being the predominant method of play. But seeing as Doom 3 caters to the modification world I am sure that the modders out there can rig something up to breathe a little more life into the multiplayer. One thing I can say for sure is that it sure looks pretty.
Graphics:
As mentioned early in the review, this game requires a fairly hefty PC to show ALL of its glory, but even with the middle of the road PCs out there being able to run it at a slightly slower framerate, and lesser graphics (which still look damn good) the game should be accessible by a fair portion of PC gamers.
Graphically speaking this game is one of the best looking games I have seen in quite a while. The developers over at id make such great use of the darkness in the game that I can’t help but see some influence of Splinter Cell in at least some minor way. The game is dark, very dark…and when you have your flashlight shining it actually looks like a flashlight would in a dark area (unless you install the Hello Kitty flashlight mod). Not only does the pattern the flashlight makes look realistic, but the illumination that occurs is very well done with reflections and lighting looking as one could expect in real life.
One thing that is definitely worth noting about the graphics is that unlike a lot of games which make use of rendered static backgrounds, or even backgrounds which are a type of video, the backgrounds and empty hallways in Doom 3 are all done in 3D. This is most evident early on when you walk near a walkway which retracts in a nice flurry of activity. One could think that this background uses the same technique that the Resident Evil games on the Gamecube used, but shortly thereafter, you need to reactivate this walkway then use it, showing you the effects weren’t a mere distraction.
We’ve all seen the screen captures that have been on the net since the first leak of D3, and let me tell you; they were accurate. The game really is that sharp and even in motion looks spectacular.
Audio:
What would a game that is supposed to be scary be without killer audio? Not scary, that’s what. Thankfully Doom 3 doesn’t fall into the category of poorly executed audio, as all aspects of the audio presentation shine. Whether it is the moody music which helps dramatically increase the sense of tension, or the cracking feed of the marines under attack early in the game, it is well done.
Voice acting within the game is surprisingly done extremely well, and that is an important fact due to the audio clips that are found and the amount of chatter heard on the radio. If it was poorly recorded or the acting was sub-par, the effect would have been lost and would detract from the overall game.
Conclusion:
What it boils down to is, is this game worth your 54.99? My answer to that is, it depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for the story of Halo (2), then no…I doubt this comes close, but if you are looking for an above average FPS which sets out to creep the hell out of you, then this hits the target. The replay value that Doom 3 offers is minimal, even with the multiplayer aspects until the mod community creates some great additions so if you are looking for something with the multiplayer longevity of the Battlefield games, I’d suggest staying with Battlefield. But if you are looking for a thrilling, stirring, frightening trip back to a place you haven’t been for near 10 years, then Doom 3 will really give you your money’s worth, after all $55 can’t really buy you 20+ hours of entertainment many other places can it?
One thing worth noting however, is that Doom 3 requires the latest and greatest CPU and Graphics card to play, even with my 2.6GHZ, 512 RAM, 128 MB GeForce4 card, I still was stuck to playing the game at high detail, with no anti-aliasing turned on. I could have dropped down to Medium or Low detail with AA, but decided against it. There is an option for Ultra resolution, but the warning that pops up says that an EXTRA 500 Megs of RAM are required…so if you’ve got the gig kicking around try out the Ultra detail…I found it wasn’t even necessary as the game is damn pretty, even dropped to medium.
Gameplay:
Putting it bluntly, Doom 3 is tense. For the first third of the game, you’ll be staggering through the darkened outpost on Mars where lights flicker on and off with only a trusty flashlight to light your way. Trekking through the rooms and speaking to characters who are complaining about all the “odd things” happening around the outpost sets the mood, prepping your trigger finger for when it’s finally used; and boy, it is ever used.
Once the demons are unleashed, they come at you in droves. Nary a room will go by that isn’t infested with at least two zombie/demon/hellspawn who’s only goal in the afterlife is to beat the living snot out of you, be it with a gun, claws, chainsaw or the fires of hell itself. Unlike the newer batch of FPSs, D3 doesn’t rely on its compelling story or the fancy trick shots you can do, its main reason for being is to scare you. In effort to accomplish this, enemies can come from anywhere in the game, even from areas you’ve just cleared, so suspend some thinking and come in here with guns blazing.
As mentioned earlier however, simply holding down the fire mouse button won’t get you very far in the game. The enemies have “some” level of intelligence to them and will take cover when being shot at, but some of the mindless zombies are just that…mindless. As the game progresses, you’ll learn which weapons make quicker work of different zombies, so maybe the shotgun works nicely for the Pinky, but might not work as well on the Lost Soul which requires a more accurate shot, or the BFG 9000.
Helping build the tension in the game is the use of the flashlight, which is mapped to the ‘F’ key, so find that key and commit it to memory, as you’ll be using it a lot. When you have the flashlight our illuminating your surroundings, you are unable to have a gun primed and ready to blast some bastard back to hell, unless of course you’ve downloaded one of the mods out there which attaches the flashlight to your weapon using some duct tape. The flashlight can be used as a melee weapon if needed, but that should be a last resort, because you’re going to want to keep as much room as possible between you and all demons, for both your health and your sanity.
A feature not yet in full use when Doom came out that has been integrated into the gameplay is the use of a PDA. While not the first game by any means to incorporate this wonder of modern technology, it’s one of the few to make it a little more seamless and integrated into the game. You have your primary PDA where you can read email and store video discs you find, but you can also find other PDAs hanging around when you kill zombies which used to be workers or marines, and from those you can gain access codes to supply rooms, audio recordings from other characters which can advance the story, or updated security clearance which helps propel the story forward by moving you into new territory.
One of the coolest things in my opinion in Doom 3 is the way that panels and computers are operated in the game. Generally speaking, when you access a computer within a game the screen will change to reflect that you’re taking control of the terminal, but in D3 id has made the transition to using the panels seamless; all you need to do is move your reticule over the panel or button and the cursor will turn into a finger and you can fully interact with the PC, or button. This is most impressive when you navigate through menus and sub menus on a panel all while still seeing your surroundings and keeping yourself on zombie patrol. This small thing within the game really made me appreciate the level of detail in the game.
The multiplayer aspect of Doom 3 is not really a step in the right direction, yet. The basics are all here with Deathmatch being the predominant method of play. But seeing as Doom 3 caters to the modification world I am sure that the modders out there can rig something up to breathe a little more life into the multiplayer. One thing I can say for sure is that it sure looks pretty.
Graphics:
As mentioned early in the review, this game requires a fairly hefty PC to show ALL of its glory, but even with the middle of the road PCs out there being able to run it at a slightly slower framerate, and lesser graphics (which still look damn good) the game should be accessible by a fair portion of PC gamers.
Graphically speaking this game is one of the best looking games I have seen in quite a while. The developers over at id make such great use of the darkness in the game that I can’t help but see some influence of Splinter Cell in at least some minor way. The game is dark, very dark…and when you have your flashlight shining it actually looks like a flashlight would in a dark area (unless you install the Hello Kitty flashlight mod). Not only does the pattern the flashlight makes look realistic, but the illumination that occurs is very well done with reflections and lighting looking as one could expect in real life.
One thing that is definitely worth noting about the graphics is that unlike a lot of games which make use of rendered static backgrounds, or even backgrounds which are a type of video, the backgrounds and empty hallways in Doom 3 are all done in 3D. This is most evident early on when you walk near a walkway which retracts in a nice flurry of activity. One could think that this background uses the same technique that the Resident Evil games on the Gamecube used, but shortly thereafter, you need to reactivate this walkway then use it, showing you the effects weren’t a mere distraction.
We’ve all seen the screen captures that have been on the net since the first leak of D3, and let me tell you; they were accurate. The game really is that sharp and even in motion looks spectacular.
Audio:
What would a game that is supposed to be scary be without killer audio? Not scary, that’s what. Thankfully Doom 3 doesn’t fall into the category of poorly executed audio, as all aspects of the audio presentation shine. Whether it is the moody music which helps dramatically increase the sense of tension, or the cracking feed of the marines under attack early in the game, it is well done.
Voice acting within the game is surprisingly done extremely well, and that is an important fact due to the audio clips that are found and the amount of chatter heard on the radio. If it was poorly recorded or the acting was sub-par, the effect would have been lost and would detract from the overall game.
Conclusion:
What it boils down to is, is this game worth your 54.99? My answer to that is, it depends on what you are looking for. If you are looking for the story of Halo (2), then no…I doubt this comes close, but if you are looking for an above average FPS which sets out to creep the hell out of you, then this hits the target. The replay value that Doom 3 offers is minimal, even with the multiplayer aspects until the mod community creates some great additions so if you are looking for something with the multiplayer longevity of the Battlefield games, I’d suggest staying with Battlefield. But if you are looking for a thrilling, stirring, frightening trip back to a place you haven’t been for near 10 years, then Doom 3 will really give you your money’s worth, after all $55 can’t really buy you 20+ hours of entertainment many other places can it?