Doom 3

"A most excellent FPS game; quite horrific"

The Xbox has always been the system about the graphics- the games they make are geared towards it. The central focus of Xbox is three genres- Sports, Racing, and First-Person Shooters. Doom 3 is of the third variety.

It's had a lot of hype - it was highly anticipated before its release, and was met with huge appreciation (well, * most * of it was positive- SomethingAwful hated it , but what can you expect, am I right?) However, it was an Xbox-Only title, and as result, it wasn't as well-played as many titles are. Yea, it's on the PC, but about 10% of gamers actually use the PC for their gaming... On that note, 64.5% of all statistics are made up, but I digress.

I came across the game through a friend. Being a PS2 gamer myself, I had never played Doom 3. However, I work in a gaming store, and hear great reviews about it whenever the title comes up. As one man accurately put it, "It scared the **** out of me- literally!" Another guy said that he was almost afraid to turn his lights off. Whatever the person, everyone agreed- This game was scary.

So, I had to try it, and I borrowed an Xbox to do so. Having played it, I must say that as far as first-person shooters go, this game was excellent. I've played some others, and they're notably bad (I do not like Halo, and I never have; Go ahead, shoot me, with no pun intended.) Doom 3 isn't necessarily unique, but it really doesn't have to be- with excellent graphics, and interesting story, and the right atmosphere, it's an experience everyone should try.

Gameplay
It's a first-person shooter, and that says a lot. You play the game through the eyes of the marine, and your goal is to get from point A to point B, while shooting everything in the process.

Don't get me wrong, though- getting to point B requires you to go through mazes with several doors, and the idea of "Door locked: get a keycard!" is commonplace- you'll walk back and forth trying to gain access to every area En Route to the next location.

The controls are quick to learn and easy to use. You have a portable computer and a flashlight at your disposal through use of the two sub buttons (the black and white ones), while three of the four primary buttons are used for weapon changing/reloading. Shoulder button to shoot, and you're set! Nice and easy.

Story
The story is not very complicated: You are a Marine newly sent to Mars to work for the UAC. The operations at Mars have been running smoothly on Mars until recently, as unexplained behaviors and persons disappearing are the norm. While running routine work, something unexplainable happens, and you're set upon by hordes of zombies and demons. Armed with a pistol and your fists, you get to blow your way back to base only to find that it's been overrun by the aforementioned zombies and demons.

Beyond that, it's a matter of following orders Via intercom, and trying to discover just what the hell happened, and resolving to do something about this little problem.

Weapons
Now, one of the peaks of a FPS is the weapon disposal, and while it's nothing out of the ordinary, it's not going to disappoint you. You get the shotgun, the machine gun, the grenades, and rocket launchers. You'll also get a few special weapons, including a plasma cannon. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, and so of course you'll have to learn when to use each weapon.

Graphics and Sound
This is why the Xbox is famous, and this game's no exception. I mentioned "atmosphere" earlier. Here's what I mean by that: this game is designed to be scary, and to maximize this (and we know you want to maximize the scare), you have to-

A) Turn out the lights (and play at night, of course)
B) Use a BIG TV
C) Have the volume REALLY LOUD

... Man, it's a great thrill ride. The graphics are exceptional, and the sounds are nice and loud, perfect for letting you jump right out of your seat. It's always cool to be walking down a hallway, only to have the lights go out and to hear the breathing of something approaching, and hearing the footsteps, but you can't see it. You're left to shoot blindly in the dark until it either attacks you from behind (and they often do) or you score a hit and then can pump it full of lead.
If you're a fan of scary movies, you'll love what this game can do to your psyche.

I'm not an Xbox fan. Generally, I want nothing to do with the Xbox. However, Doom 3 is a game that is definitely a gem in the system. You can probably rent it and beat it without trouble, but you might as well buy it- it gives a great experience, and even if you're not about scaring the pants off of yourself and your friends, you can at least enjoy the well-done graphics and the beautiful simplicty of a First-Person Shooter.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/05