Could any game possibly hold up to the expectations of Doom 3? Well, yes and no.
If your still looking for a reason why you just spent four hundred or more dollars on a new video card than look no further. Doom 3 has finally arrived after years of hype and promise. Could any game possibly hold up to the expectations of Doom 3? Well, yes and no. But before we get into to the review you will need to go through this survival check list before playing. Item number one, you really should play this game with headphones. Surround sound is great and all, but if you want to really feel the panic of survival, headphones are the way to go. Secondly, you will need to be in the dark to play this game. It’s a dark and gloomy game anyway you might as well be in the dark yourself. And of course, last but not least you will need a turkey sandwich on potato bread with lettuce, tomato, mayo, mustard, and a cold caffeinated beverage. Now that everything is in order it’s time to go to hell.
From the first time the intro plays out, you will undoubtedly be flooded with Doom memories of old. PC’s Doom and Doom 2, Sony Playstation’s Doom, and even Nintendo’s attempt with Doom 64. But this time around something is different. This time we have an actual storyline with interesting details littered with interactivity panels along with of course the panic of demonic possession. And I do mean panic, I haven’t ever feared for the cleanliness of my shorts like I do playing Doom 3. This game is overdosed with cheap scares, incredibly dark corners, and an ungodly scary soundtrack filled with EVP’s and just all around creepy bad things. “Twenty five cent Wednesdays” at the corner laundry mat takes on a whole new meaning. Oh, and did I mention the graphics?
This here ladies and gentleman is the hands down best looking game I have ever blessed my video card with. Incredible displays of light and shadows, stunning detailed textures and realistic character animation. When you look at this game through the eyes of a code writer, or a 3d modeler you will be dazed at it’s perfection. But like most times in life, beauty isn’t always accompanied by brains. And here ends the oooo’s and ahhh’s section of this review. After a few short hours of playing, I started to become less aware of it’s beauty and more aware of it’s flaws. First off, this game is way too dark. I’m mean come on, I’m trying to gaze at all this polygonal bliss and all you give me is one small ray of sunshine from a half ass flashlight I can’t even hold while I shoot? I understand we’re trying to create a realistic atmosphere. But if I wanted to be creeped out and blind, I’ll go explore my crawl space at midnight with a book of matches. One thing I feel ruins allot of games, is the pointless errand running needed to open that dammed locked door eight levels back. Doom 3 has allot of that. It felt like I was always running back to the beginning, just to grab some DVD that was over due at Blockbuster. It really made the feeling of progress drag on. I was also disappointed in the lack of guns. This is super Doom 3 right? Then where is the variety in weapons? And don’t show me how cool the robot spiders are without granting me the ability to control one. Bottom line is this, Doom 3 is the best looking and scariest game I have played to date. But the game play feels old and out dated. It does give nice a glance, at what the next generation of games will look like. And like with all new advances in graphic technology, it takes a while for great graphics to become great games. But on that note, if you really want a great experience in a first person shooter, play Half Life 2.