This is the first time I've played Doom 3 on the PC and it looks a billion times better than it did on the Xbox. The level design also seems a fair bit different, though that's because the Xbox version was gimped to get it to work well on there. And I liked it a whole lot there, and I like it a whole lot here. I am happy with my purchase.

That said, if you already own Doom 1, 2, 3, and the Resurrection of Evil expansion, I don't know if $30 will sell you on it. It's got controller support for all three games, which is something that I don't feel mods could ever get done right. It's got the Lost Levels expansion and it's also got the previously XBLA exclusive Doom 2 episode, "No Rest For The Living". That's the new content as far as I can tell, and they said as much (though they curiously don't seem to have mentioned including that Doom 2 episode.) The graphics don't look tons better. The lighting is, indeed, a fair bit brighter, and ammo seems a bit more plentiful which always struck me as an odd decision - ammo was plentiful in the old Xbox version, too. The new shoulder-mounted flashlight works pretty well. Supposedly, id said that they were including the classic flashlight-gun switching mechanic, but I didn't find that option. I thought it was a cool mechanic in the Xbox version, and I still think it's a good idea, but if it really isn't there then this doesn't bother me too much. Note that when starting a new game I didn't look for the option - it may be in there.Motion blur has also been included, though you can turn it completely off.

EDIT: Also, a little feature, but it's probably worth mentioning that the gun sounds have been improved. The shotgun no longer sounds tinny, it's got a fair bit of a boom to it./EDIT

Anyway, some screens. My graphics card is only an HD 7770 so the resolution is 720p and I have anti-aliasing off, but the difference shouldn't be that huge.

If you have any other questions, just ask!

EDIT: I just uploaded a ton of screens and it doesn't seem to have included them.

A look at the lighting.

The flashlight.

Here are the faces. The guy on the right looks like he's about to sneeze.

The graphics options. I can see some grumbling coming from this one.

There's a checkpoint system but you can still save manually.

Doom 2, plus showing that you can change games without exiting.

Bought the PS3 version, hope it comes in the mail soon, I enjoyed Doom 3 when it came out so I'll be curious to see if I still like it

That's a bit disappointing, Doom 3 could have been made to look better surely, but then again it is running on crappy id Tech 4. That engine did not age well.

A little bit disappointed with the Xbox 360 version. Not only is the multiplayer down to just 4 players, but there's no CTF mode. Also, on the Lights Out level in MP, you can't close the shutters to make the rooms darker. That was my favorite thing about multiplayer! You also can't change your multiplayer color for some odd reason.

There's no more zoom in the console version and you can't change the controller configuration. There are only two presets, and they literally both only swap 2 buttons (They swap the jump and use buttons). This is a problem because holding down the left stick to run is a pain in the ass, it should have been left trigger to either zoom in or sprint. WHY IS FLASHLIGHT THE LEFT TRIGGER? You also can't configure the hot keys, so no matter what, right on the D-pad will always fists. The other three are I'm assuming for soul cube, rocket launcher, and plasma gun.

Also one nice thing the orignal Xbox version did was it zoomed the camera in when you got close to a computer you could use. Holding the sprint button (Left Trigger) also made you turn a lot faster. It was pretty helpful in spots. Seriously, the original Xbox version is superior in terms of controls, and the people that ported it weren't even id!

The checkpoint system is also annoying. The whole game pauses for several seconds, and it sometimes happens at the wrong time. At one point I was crouched under fire trying to go for a secret area, and a scripted scene I had triggered a few moments before caused the checkpoint to kick in. Well, as soon as it finished saving, my guy stopped crouching and was on fire.

Otherwise, besides these problems, I've been enjoying the 60 FPS and it hasn't had a single hitch yet. Making my way through Doom 3 first, then Resurrection or Evil, and then the new Lost Mission campaign.

@SomeDeliCook said:

A little bit disappointed with the Xbox 360 version. Not only is the multiplayer down to just 4 players, but there's no CTF mode. Also, on the Lights Out level in MP, you can't close the shutters to make the rooms darker. That was my favorite thing about multiplayer! You also can't change your multiplayer color for some odd reason.

There's no more zoom in the console version and you can't change the controller configuration. There are only two presets, and they literally both only swap 2 buttons (They swap the jump and use buttons). This is a problem because holding down the left stick to run is a pain in the ass, it should have been left trigger to either zoom in or sprint. WHY IS FLASHLIGHT THE LEFT TRIGGER? You also can't configure the hot keys, so no matter what, right on the D-pad will always fists. The other three are I'm assuming for soul cube, rocket launcher, and plasma gun.

Also one nice thing the orignal Xbox version did was it zoomed the camera in when you got close to a computer you could use. Holding the sprint button (Left Trigger) also made you turn a lot faster. It was pretty helpful in spots. Seriously, the original Xbox version is superior in terms of controls, and the people that ported it weren't even id!

Otherwise, besides these problems, I've been enjoying the 60 FPS and it hasn't had a single hitch yet. Making my way through Doom 3 first, then Resurrection or Evil, and then the new Lost Mission campaign.

Yeah, I was also disappointed with the controller options but I didn't even think about it much because, well, M+K. And there's probably an .ini file somewhere I could fiddle with.

Looks like Doom 3 alright.

Only one question: do you have to play the game with the flashlight out with the gun, or can you play it like the original?

@redbliss said:

Only one question: do you have to play the game with the flashlight out with the gun, or can you play it like the original?

id said that they were going to include the option of playing the flashlight switcheroo game like Doom 3 players did in 2004, but I didn't see that option. Note that it may have been something you have to choose before you start a new game and I didn't pay much attention. When I went to check, it told me that my current game would be gone if I did that (!?) so I didn't. As it stands, you have a shoulder mounted flashlight that you can activate anytime. It doesn't last long, but it takes like half a second to fully charge.

I said as much in the first post.

Wow, so here's a big problem I just ran into. If you have the game installed on Xbox 360, you can't launch Doom or Doom 2. It says "This content cannot be accessed when DOOM 3 BFG Edition is installed to the Xbox 360 HDD. To access this content, please uninstall the game from your HDD and play it from the game disc."

That's a pretty big slap in the face, especially after a 7 gig install. I don't even know what the problem could be, the Watchmen retail copy could be installed and they just launched the XBLA versions, so why can't this?

@believer258: sorry, didnt understand that in your first post

@SomeDeliCook said:

Wow, so here's a big problem I just ran into. If you have the game installed on Xbox 360, you can't launch Doom or Doom 2. It says "This content cannot be accessed when DOOM 3 BFG Edition is installed to the Xbox 360 HDD. To access this content, please uninstall the game from your HDD and play it from the game disc."

That's a pretty big slap in the face, especially after a 7 gig install. I don't even know what the problem could be, the Watchmen retail copy could be installed and they just launched the XBLA versions, so why can't this?

That is very weird. I figured the game would just install the XBLA versions of Doom 1 and 2 onto the HDD...

@SomeDeliCook said:

Wow, so here's a big problem I just ran into. If you have the game installed on Xbox 360, you can't launch Doom or Doom 2. It says "This content cannot be accessed when DOOM 3 BFG Edition is installed to the Xbox 360 HDD. To access this content, please uninstall the game from your HDD and play it from the game disc."

That's a pretty big slap in the face, especially after a 7 gig install. I don't even know what the problem could be, the Watchmen retail copy could be installed and they just launched the XBLA versions, so why can't this?

What the fuck? That's counter productive isn't it?

This would be worth it if I didn't already have the the first 2 games already. They're better anyway

Whaaaat. I don't remember Doom 3 looking that shitty. On low settings sure.

Speaking of which, is that really all there is to tweak graphics wise in game? I hope there's at least an ini file where you can change all the graphics options.

I will say that if you do have doom 3, you'll get it for 20 bucks instead on steam. That seems kinda of fair. I did pick it up because, well I love it. I just feel like they may not have done as much with it as I had hoped. I mean the flashlight isn't a weapon anymore which is either really great or not, I can't tell.

@TheHT said:

Whaaaat. I don't remember Doom 3 looking that shitty. On low settings sure.

Speaking of which, is that really all there is to tweak graphics wise in game? I hope there's at least an ini file where you can change all the graphics options.

Found this, seems to have plenty of options. EDIT: But when trying to switch run and flashlight on the controller it switched back as soon as I closed it. Not sure if it does that to all of the settings or just controller options, but that's kind of fucked. Ah, well, won't bother me too much.

Frickin' sweet! I got my biggest issue with the game solved - the controls. Now run is on LT and flashlight is on the analog stick, which is good enough. Now I want to get flashlight on B.

EDIT: And now I have flashlight on B, nice and proper.

I loved Doom 3 and I can't wait to get my hands on the BFG Edition. Thanks for the sneak peek info.

Yeah from what I'm reading about the PC version of bfge and looking at screens, it (just like Rage) is another big middle finger to the PC crowd right now, terrible resolution options and lower resolution textures overall than was possible with the modded version of original Doom 3. It's been ported in to Id Tech 5 apparently so some minor elements of the game are slightly improved visuals wise but in general another incredibly lazy console port So I suppose I should be glad? it's not available for my region yet and I've taken the time to read about it. Was actually hyped until I learned about its shortcomings, very dissappointing coming from a once great studio. And to think Carmack himself apologized for the Rage fuckup only for their company to repeat this again, geez somone in management needs to be fired.

Imo anyone thinking of getting it for PC should wait and hope for a patch to fix these glaring oversights which hopefully will eventually be adressed.

Just getting this out of the way first since this ended up being a lot longer than I expected (sorry!), Maybe ill post it also as a user review? Anyway... Whether you've loved or hated DOOM 3 before, I highly suggest anyone considering buying this to steer clear of the 360 version!

Having already owned the collectors edition of Doom 3 for the original xbox and playing it until the end game, I was excited to hear the BFG edition was coming to the 360 with a bunch of graphical and gameplay updates and achievements. The Xbox version was far more stripped down than the PC version but controls and the button mappings made sense for a console shooter and I still had fun with it. Additionally, I already played the shit out of the XBLA versions of DOOM and DOOM 2 and S-Ranked both. I figured the BFG Edition would be a good excuse to cash in and replay these games since it also had DOOM 1 & 2 plus the D3 expansion (which i've never played yet) and extra levels, plus knowing it had achievables to further expand the longevity of these games if I ever felt the need to replay it another time was also enticing.

So, I bought the 360 version today totally excited to play some updated Doom 3! I install the game onto my hard drive, as I usually do, and then start up the game. First thing I load up is D3, obvious! Curious to see what the multiplayer was all about I decided to see if there was any online co-op option... nope, only local co-op, the back of the box does not lie about this. I start up a quick match of multiplayer anyway to see how good or bad it may be. The first game I get into was almost instant. Cool, right? Not really. Seconds into this match with a shotgun equipped, the game decides to freeze up on me during the very instant I take my first shot. Off to a great start! Restart Xbox, start Doom 3 Campaign. Immediately, as mentioned by a few people already, I experience the ridiculously intrusive checkpoint/autosave system they implemented (you can already still hard save... so wtf?). It completely stops the game for maybe 3-4 seconds at the worst moments, killing any sort of tension the game would've had built up. The flashlight swapping no longer being a thing sounded like it would be a smart idea, especially since theres a mod for such a feature on the vanilla D3 for PC for quite some time. But after a few levels in, it doesn't make it all that scary or fun anymore, especially solo. I'm sure part of it is due to me already playing through it in the past but these changes alter the game enough that it would've made an online co-op experience far more enjoyable! An 'on/off' setting in the options to toggle for a swap-able flashlight would've sufficed.

I've tried really hard to overlook the issues I've encountered so far but I can't wrap my mind around the thought process behind some of these decisions on all the "improvements" they've made. The game's options are so bare bones that in 2012 this shouldn't be an issue. Some of the options that they do decide to have have are only for multiplayer which no one is gonna play long-term anyway. There are absolutely no subtitles or settings to turn them on or off, no alternative options for controls nor a custom button map config (flashlight toggle on LT just doesnt feel right at all), no option to switch to "toggle crouch", no way to turn off the insane autosaves this version has introduced. Again, they Include co-op in the game but only local co-op (even XBLA DOOM / DOOM 2 and RAGE had online coop! not many people play them this way, but the option is still there!), the versus multiplayer and the maps feel like a claustrophobic mess even with only a 4-player limit online. It's also strange that when your shots hit opponents in the multiplayer it makes the exact same sound you would hear in Quake... and it plays absolutely nothing like Quake multiplayer (which i would much rather play than this hot mess). Why would they even have multiplayer at all if they were going to make it so sub-par?

On top of all this, if you wasted time installing your game to your hard drive and decide to switch to some oldskool DOOM, you'll be welcomed by a notification letting you know you can't play DOOM or DOOM 2 unless you delete the install from the hard drive...why!? There aren't even any achievements either for D1/D2 on the BFG Edition whereas the Steam version does! Again.. what is the point in including these games on disk for the 360 if it's not going to be at least on par with the features included in the XBLA releases? I understand these games haven't been on PSN before but Including a code for XBLA versions -- even if people already own them -- would've been less of a surprise to me or anyone than having the game inform people to delete their game install if they want to access that content. I'll still play through everything on this disk just to try and get my money's worth, but I can't honestly say I'm happy about my purchase. I'm just baffled at how disappointing this ended up being (much like RAGE). What happened id?

EDIT: Just deleted my install to see if there was any difference in the versions of DOOM/DOOM 2 from the BFG and XBLA versions.... all it does is boot up the XBLA versions I have already owned for years.... I really don't understand why I needed to delete my install just to have it load content not even on the fucking disk. ugh... false advertising much? I don't think I'll be buying anything from id for a while...

I never played Doom 3 and was always curious to check it out, but there's already a half dozen games I need to play already -- not counting stuff that still need to come out. By the time I'll have room, I'll probably forget about it.

I own all these games (the originals on many systems) and I still bought this. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I love some Doom.

I really liked Doom 3 and the expansion pack on the PC back in the day, except for perhaps the human charactor models. I got more out of it it would seem than many others...but they would really have to step it up somehow for me to rebuy it even for the 20.00. I'm saying of course I already have it, but sits in my library.

We'll see...

I checked the price for regular old Doom 3 on Steam the day before the BFG edition came out, and it was $30 and did not contain the few modernizations or previous Doom games. It has since been lowered to $20. If Doom 3 was ever (in the past 5 years) worth that $30 price tag, it's now.

If you already own Doom 3 on Steam you can you get the BFG edition on Steam for 20 bucks. Doom 1 and 2 are included as well, and the mouse controls are better than the other versions on Steam.

I'm enjoying the changes, but it's bizarre how the graphics options have been trimmed down like that. I really thought they'd do more to update the visuals and let you play with the settings some. (and the motion blur is TERRIBLE. I turned it on for five seconds and switched it right back off. It is so, so bad.) Also, the autosave and added tooltips are kind of weird. Feels like a quarter-assed attempt to modernize it.

I do love that all three games are in one program. I already have four or five versions of Doom 1 and 2, but the more the merrier.

One other thing: It's high, high time for a new Chex Quest game made using idTech 4.

If you already own Doom 3 on Steam you can you get the BFG edition on Steam for 20 bucks. Doom 1 and 2 are included as well, and the mouse controls are better than the other versions on Steam.

@ajamafalous said:

@runcrash said:

If you already own Doom 3 on Steam you can you get the BFG edition on Steam for 20 bucks. Doom 1 and 2 are included as well, and the mouse controls are better than the other versions on Steam.

Does 'the mouse controls are better' mean 'the mouse controls are actually functional and you don't run forward when you move the mouse up?' That's what's been keeping me from replaying Dooms 1 and 2.

Dude, you gotta go get stuff like ZDoom or something similar that updates the graphics engine. id never meant for players to use the mouse to look around so modders put it in.

Also there's one more thing I have to add about this re-release; the www.martianbuddy.com website doesn't work. You had to go to it in order to find out the unlock code for one of the lockers. The fact there's an achievement for unlocking all of the storage lockers and you can no longer get the code from the original website is laughable and just another stupid oversight. You can find the code online by googling it, but it ruins what was a pretty cool 4th wall moment.

@believer258: Thanks for the detailed report. My only real question, does it feel really dated now? Like, in terms of gameplay and overall feel?

Has anyone checked out the 3D, is it any good?

@PillClinton said:

@believer258: Thanks for the detailed report. My only real question, does it feel really dated now? Like, in terms of gameplay and overall feel?

Well it runs at 60 FPS which always makes a game more enjoyable to me, its a solid shooter and getting rid of having to switch to the flashlight helped and made it an even more of a straight up shooter. The really linear levels would turn off a lot of people, but it doesn't bother me. The lighting engine still makes parts of the game look really good.

The multiplayer is very basic and won't have much longevity. On PC I'm sure mods will breathe fresh air into it if modders find a way to easily port over mods. A coop mod will be really nice. On consoles, only having 4 players is really shitty, especially because half the maps were in Resurrection of Evil which were balanced for 8 players. Also, the multiplayer lobby shows 8 slots for players, but there's still only a 4 player limit.

The gameplay itself is really basic. Hunting for storage locker codes is an optional thing to do so if you hate that type of stuff you can skip them since supplies are so plentiful anyways. The monster closets are shit. There's a few times where you pick up a single item, a monster will spawn behind you, you kill that monster, and then THAT spawns more monsters. The game is very fast though, the 60 FPS helps this a lot. Its a pretty basic but solid shooter. If you are on the fence, try the doom 3 demo from 2004, its basically the same gameplay except for the flashlight.

@PillClinton said:

@believer258: Thanks for the detailed report. My only real question, does it feel really dated now? Like, in terms of gameplay and overall feel?

To me? Not in the least. Well, OK, everyone who has ever played Doom 1 and 2 understands that there is going to be a time where you spend fifteen minutes running around with the map up looking for that last goddamn keycard. Obviously that's still there. Doom 3 has some measure of keycard puzzles but I don't feel that "where the fuck am I supposed to be going!?" feeling thus far. It's Doom, only more modern, and it still feels fucking fantastic to me.

I guess the one thing I need to mention is that animations on characters sometimes looks funny. There's one part where a guy holds a lamp through a completely dark area (a section of the game made moot by your fancy-pants shoulder flashlight) and he just looks kind of odd whenever he rotates a bit to the left or right. Sometimes the AI has funny behaviors. But all of my Doom experiences have been after the impressive graphics aren't impressive anymore and I still love it, the shooting feels great, the monsters feel creepy, and the tension is still there.

If you mean just controls-wise, at the most basic interface level, it feels great on mouse and keyboard. It's fine with a controller as well if you do the configuration file edits needed to remap the flashlight and run buttons.

Did I answer your question? Or did I miss what you were asking? "Feel" can mean a number of different subtle things, but all in all I'd say it feels pretty damn good to blast demons in the face in all three games.

@believer258: Yup. You and @SomeDeliCook: just about covered everything, and more. I think I'll probably go ahead and get it. I played a good amount of Doom 1 and 2, but never touched 3, so this'll be new to me. I'd also really love to play it with the Oculus Rift when that eventually happens. Maybe sometime next year if I cough up the $300 for it, but there'll probably be better experiences to be had with it by then so...

@SomeDeliCook said:

@PillClinton said:

@believer258: Thanks for the detailed report. My only real question, does it feel really dated now? Like, in terms of gameplay and overall feel?

Well it runs at 60 FPS which always makes a game more enjoyable to me, its a solid shooter and getting rid of having to switch to the flashlight helped and made it an even more of a straight up shooter. The really linear levels would turn off a lot of people, but it doesn't bother me. The lighting engine still makes parts of the game look really good.

The multiplayer is very basic and won't have much longevity. On PC I'm sure mods will breathe fresh air into it if modders find a way to easily port over mods. A coop mod will be really nice. On consoles, only having 4 players is really shitty, especially because half the maps were in Resurrection of Evil which were balanced for 8 players. Also, the multiplayer lobby shows 8 slots for players, but there's still only a 4 player limit.

The gameplay itself is really basic. Hunting for storage locker codes is an optional thing to do so if you hate that type of stuff you can skip them since supplies are so plentiful anyways. The monster closets are shit. There's a few times where you pick up a single item, a monster will spawn behind you, you kill that monster, and then THAT spawns more monsters. The game is very fast though, the 60 FPS helps this a lot. Its a pretty basic but solid shooter. If you are on the fence, try the doom 3 demo from 2004, its basically the same gameplay except for the flashlight.

Honestly, I'd say that monster closets are so integral to Doom's design that it would feel weird without them. I like the fact that they are there, it gives a sense of tension, like oh shit this place might not really be safe...

If anything, they never feel cheap in Doom 3 to me.

On the subject of storage locker codes, I always tried to find them when I first played Doom 3 on the Xbox because they were often necessary, but I find myself always skipping them now. Actually, on that note, I'd say that if you're someone who really wants a challenge in their first playthrough, @PillClinton , start this on the next difficulty up. Normal seems fairly easy to me.

@PillClinton: Enjoy it, its a really fun shooter. Since its the first time you'll play it, it'll probably be very creepy if you haven't seen much of it in videos.

@believer258: I just beat Doom 3 on normal and my health never went below 80, unless I fell from a ledge or a barrel blew up in front of me. Started the Resurrection expansion on hard and wow, its a very huge jump. Attacks seem to take away ~20 health even with armor. I've thrown my controller around a few times now haha. Gonna enjoy beating it though

@believer258: I'll probably do that, thanks. I've always played the CoD and Halo campaigns on their hardest difficulties, so I do enjoy a good challenge from a FPS.

No sale unless there's an option to turn the Carmack's Reverse ALL THE WAY UP!

@PillClinton: Once you beat Doom 3, you unlock the nightmare difficulty. In it, your health gradually drops down to 25 health even if you heal up. It takes about 5 health away every 5 seconds and monsters do a huge amount of damage. Not to spoil specifically what it is, but you also start the game with a certain weapon that helps a lot. Its pretty damn hard but its cool to at least look at when you beat the game.

@SomeDeliCook said:

@PillClinton: Once you beat Doom 3, you unlock the nightmare difficulty. In it, your health gradually drops down to 25 health even if you heal up. It takes about 5 health away every 5 seconds and monsters do a huge amount of damage. Not to spoil specifically what it is, but you also start the game with a certain weapon that helps a lot. Its pretty damn hard but its cool to at least look at when you beat the game.

I got through a fair bit of the Xbox version on Nightmare. I can definitely see it being possible, but not without a whole lot of patience and some really smart playing strategies.

@Rotnac:

Oh gosh, I am so happy I'm not the only one having these problems. I was not aware that co-op was optional on this Doom 3, it just wants me to pay for LIVE to access the multiplayer. I'm returning this tomorrow and exchanging it for some better games, particularly Dark Souls. As this man has stated, stay away from the 360 version!

@Campion: Doom 3 doesn't have co-op. The other guy was misinformed

@rebgav: They co-exist. Since mods no longer work with this new version and they need to be redone, it would be a huge slap in the face if they replaced them.