Doom 3 - It is, what it is
Some background for some of you, since this game is a few years old:
The year was 2001, and not a social networking site made a peep - for in this time, there were no such things as social networking websites. "But how did people get their news, and connect with friends?", you may ask. Well, we had these things called forums, and these websites called fan sites. It just so happens that on one of these fan sites, which I'm not naming names, I saw a small preview for an upcoming id game. "What could it be?" I mumbled to myself as I clicked the link. And as my browser loaded on my 56k dial-up modem, a screenshot slowly started to download, second by second - eventually an image of a Pinky Demon and a Zombie appeared on my screen. And so began a 4 year long addiction and obsession with following any piece of news, media and content for Doom 3 that I could get my hands on.
Finally, 2004 came along, and I waited in line. Once I had the game in my hand I raced home and popped it in my computer. I turned off the lights and turned up the 5.1 Dolby Digital. Shock set in as I gazed my sites upon one of the most visually stunning games of that time. The ambiance created by the dynamic lighting was amazing. But even more so, the sounds in game of monsters would not settle well with me. This game was one of a kind for scare factor, but there were a few problems....
Review:
Doom 3 is a game that set out to accomplish the goals which the developers set forth to do. They aimed at creating a visually stunning game that would scare your pants off like you'd never experienced before in a video game. Unfortunatly, at the same time Doom 3 was set to launch, a rival company released their top selling action adventure game: Half-Life 2. With this came a lot of comparisons from the gaming community - fanboys were no exception. Doom 3 was blasted for having simple AI - lack luster level design, and a plastic feeling to everything. Oh yes, let's not forget the seperate flashlight/pistol combination.
But in all honesty, the game may have been lacking in some areas, but you need to understand that the game is built on a simple idea: Arcade. id Software knew that this game wasn't going to mimick Halo, and they never set out to do this in the first place. Everyone knew that Doom 3 wasn't the same game as Half-Life 2.
The story starts out on a military facility based on Mars called UAC. You play a Marine who is brought in to do some routine duties, when suddenly out of no where, a portal to hell is opened and everyone on the base is turned into monsters. Throughout the game you find small PDA's which leave clues and video messages to help guide you throughout your mission. You are given a vast arsenol of weapons, including a: Pistol, chainsaw, shotgun, and a soul cube.
There are a few issues with the gameplay, such as the simple AI, and lack of outdoor levels. But this review is written years after the game was created, and I understand the limits that they had on the engine.
In conclusion - this is a really fun and scary game to play on the PC. If you have a standard gaming PC in todays market, you will be able to play this game beautifully. Don't cheat yourself, buy this game. It's in the discount rack at your local Gamestop.
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