Doom 3 unleashed on Xbox; PCs see Resurrection of Evil

Seven months after it first reared its demonic head on PCs, Doom 3 has finally descended onto the Xbox. After nearly three years in development, the console port of id Software's sci-fi shooter has shipped across North America. Published by Activision, the gore-caked game is rated M for Mature and retails for $49.99. The game is also available in a $59.99 Limited Collector's Edition, which features full versions of the first two Doom games.

For those unfamiliar with the PC version, Doom 3 casts players as a mute space marine who arrives on Mars to help patrol a research facility. But shortly after he begins his first assignment, the sprawling complex is overrun by a wave of demons, imps, sprites, and various other satanic creatures summoned forth by a top-secret experiment.

Without resorting to all-hell-breaking-loose puns, the gameplay of Doom 3 for the Xbox is much like the original Doom's. Developed by the now internal Activision studio Vicarious Visions under id Software's supervision, the game features the same first-person action, which consists of primarily blasting an assortment of devilish opponents. To do so, players will employ a variety of weapons, including old favorites like the shotgun and the BFG 9000.

The Xbox Doom 3 does sport one feature not found in the PC edition--cooperative play. The co-op mode lets two players battle the martian minions of Beelzebub together via split-screen, system link, or Xbox Live. The game also comes with several online-enabled deathmatch multiplayer modes, all of which are outlined in GameSpot's full review.

Just as Xbox owners are getting their first taste of Doom 3, PC gamers are getting their second helping. Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, the first expansion pack to the PC shooter, shipped to North American retailers today. Priced at $34.99, the expansion is also rated M for Mature. It requires the original Doom 3, now priced at $39.99 (down from $54.99), to play.

Developed by Nerve Software under id's supervision, Resurrection of Evil starts up where Doom 3 left off--sort of. Once again players play as a space marine dispatched to Mars, and once again they must face off against a hellish menagerie of opponents. However, this time players find themselves in the ruins of an ancient civilization, which contain another portal to the underworld.

Resurrection of Evil adds some new items to the game, including weapons like the double-barreled shotgun and gravity gun. Also new are the soul-stealing relic and a suit of armor with a built-in flashlight, which lets players illuminate an area without having to toggle between weapons and flashlight. It will also introduce new multiplayer modes that let up to eight players join in, and it will add a capture-the-flag mode codesigned by Threewave, which created the same mode for the original Quake.

For more on Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, check back soon for our full review of the game.