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Doom 3

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List Price: $39.99
Price: $22.99
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Publisher: Activision

ESRB Rating: Mature

Release Date: August 3, 2004

Platforms: Windows 2000, Windows XP

Media: CD-ROM

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Features

First-person shooter
Fight back against a demonic invasion of a Mars research facility
Built with id Software's newest 3D graphics engine
Cinema-quality visuals and 5.1 surround sound
Single-player and online

 

Product Description

The wait is over. After five years of development, Lead Programmer John Carmack and the id Software team have put together a revolutionary visual experience. Although Doom 3 is not perfect, the 3D graphics engine upon which it is built sets a new, jaw-dropping standard that makes this game a must-have. In addition to adding multi-player action via xBox live, or via networked consoles, the Xbox version of Doom 3 also adds a great two-player cooperative mode.

Hell on Mars
Your character is a low ranking Marine on a routine rotation to the United Aerospace Corporation's (UAC) Mars Research Facility. That's pretty much all the back-story you need. Doom 3 is a bit skimpy in the story-line department, but rich plotting and character development have never been the focus of the Doom franchise. Action is the name of the game here, and we found plenty. After a few minutes of wandering through the facility, listening to rumors about impending catastrophe from the staff (remember Half-Life?) it was time to start shooting. We fought our way through dark, lavishly detailed environments until finally doing battle with pure evil in the depths of hell. Although the game offers no opportunities to explore the Martian setting apart from the linear corridors of the research facility, good level design and well crafted sound effects were successful at scaring the living heck out of us all the way through.



Fearsome monsters. Dimly-lit environments. The perfect recipe for horror.
Creature Discomforts
Groaning zombies and the sudden leaping attack of an eleven-eyed Imp are just the beginning of the horror and anxiety in Doom 3. Floating Cacodemons attack from above with a mouthful of teeth, ethereal Revenant fire flesh-seeking missiles with deadly accuracy, a swarm of spider-like Trites skitter down the corridor, hungry for blood. Although the enemy AI in Doom 3 is less crafty than we would have liked, the incredible variety of enemies--each with a unique style of attack--outweighs this shortcoming somewhat.

Guns, Guns, Guns
While there are many powerful weapons in the game, they are designed to force players to anticipate and plan for firefights. For instance, we liked wielding the chaingun to shred enemies at longer ranges, but the weapon devours ammo and using it on close-range targets was a waste of bullets. We quickly learned to switch to the shotgun or the chainsaw to dispatch foes at close range.

One piece of hardware, the flashlight, was a point of both salvation and frustration for us. Doom 3 is a dark game and many enemies know how to take advantage of it. You'll find yourself switching back and forth between your weapons and your flashlight often just to see what's lurking ahead. This problem might be easily solved by duct taping the flashlight to your equipped weapon, but, alas, we found no duct tape on Mars.

Multiplayer
While Doom 3 is no Halo 2 when it comes to multi-player action, there are some respectable multi-player arenas and modes including death match, team death match, last man standing and tournament. Five maps serve to keep things interesting, and you'll want to look for special tricks in some arenas to give you a leg up on enemies. Cooperative multi-player proved to be a hoot as we teamed up with friends to try to make our way through the levels. The intensity of gameplay ramps up significantly in the cooperative mode, as the levels are designed to be harder. They're also designed to force players to work together, so you'll want to communicate with your partner as much as possible.

Looking Good
Doom 3 is incredible looking. Every room is exquisitely detailed, from the shimmer of the air near a heat source to the texture of a hamburger sitting on the counter of the company mess hall. Id obviously went all out designing every creature in the game and their realism makes them all the more horrifying. Get ready to jump out of your couch cushions!--Joshua Gunn

Pros

  • Stunning display of graphics technology
  • Strong level design with lots of spookiness
  • Great cooperative mode
  • Plenty of hours of single-player gameplay
Cons
  • Thin storyline
  • No headlamps or gun-mounted lighting in the 22nd century
  • Fairly basic multi-player options
 
Average Rating: 4.0

Product Reviews

Rating: 4 StarsJohn Carmack the mack daddy

DOOM. It is a thoroughly American, made in the USA (even has the "Made in USA" on the actual CD case) game series that changed an entire industry. With DOOM, the world of "3d" gaming, from the minds at Id, took a quantum leap forward. It is now 2008 and I am playing DOOM³ for the first time (got distracted by a time consuming online RPG).

DOOM³, even playing it in later 2008, is MIND BLOWING in its graphic detail. Id really, really knows how to create atmosphere and doomed environments. It is massively epic, from the dark shadows to the steam vents to the throbbing, menacing sounds reminiscent of a David Lynch (think Twin Peaks Fire Walk with Me) movie. There is certainly a David Lynch influence this time... with things like the spooky, doomed flashlight circle in the dark and the Angelo Badalamenti style sound effects. Still, expect classic "Aliens" style attacks and gun gear.

Despite the jaw dropping environments, there are some things that DOOM³ seems to require to be perfect. One, please have the classic shotgun in the centered firing position. Two, there is not enough action going on. Three, it needs to be longer - I've only played DOOM³ a short while and am already in the Delta Labs (original DOOM went on and on with continual levels set in Hell).

There needs to be more open areas and/or levels. There is way too much time spent inside the spooky Mars base. In some ways this is an attempt to increase the fear; however the overall game play needs variety. When you consider that the original DOOM had these massive open areas (oftentimes full of demons and tricky puzzles) then, in contrast, DOOM³ starts to feel kind of cramped. In those dark, cramped levels it sure would be useful to duct tape a flashlight to your shotgun...

So, it is way too short, there is not enough action, you should have the option to duct tape a flashlight to a shotgun and it is a cramped game play experience. However, really, DOOM³ delivers so much quality that in many ways, you don't care about the problems. If only it were longer, if only the levels had more variety, if only the classic shotgun were there (with the option to put a flashlight on it) - then, it could be considered perfect. It is not perfect, however it is most certainly impressive, innovative and the graphics are jaw dropping. DOOM³ is an example of how Americans (like John Carmack) can still create devastating, revolutionary products that are capable of changing entire industries for the better.

Rating: 5 StarsGreat Game!

The game is extremely fun to play. I love the graphics and effects. Great price and great delivery time. Overall I give game a 9 out of 10.

Rating: 4 StarsFun once you figure it out

I have to admit that at first I was very disappointed because I couldn't figure out how to get to places I was supposed to go. The manual is no help and you're pretty much left on your own to figure things out. I found a few websites that had maps and tips/tricks (and even cheat codes) that helped a lot! Once you get past the initial confusion this game is as much fun as the original Doom but with better foes and improved graphics.

Rating: 3 StarsPretty Cool!!!

This Game Is Awesome If You Play It In The Dark, Alone.Don't Play It With Your Friends In The Room Cuz They Will Distract You From All of The Jumpy Moments.

Rating: 5 StarsSCARY AND SUSPENSFUL!!!

This game will keep you in suspense and have you jump in your seat a few times. It is fantastic considering the price is a lot less than other comparable games such as Crysis.

Your heart will beat faster as you penetrate deep into the levels that are swarming with zombies and other gruesome creatures all out to destroy you. Multiple save features are useful in that you begin where you were eliminated.

WELL WORTH the money, exciting and fun to play it will keep you mesmorized for hours on end!!!!
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