Doom 3 (Xbox, 2005)

This was the first title in the first person shooter genre that I actually finished from start to end. My previous experience has been in arcade style gaming and rpgs. I had nightmares over this game! It did everything it was designed to accomplish. The graphics were intense, expecially when played in a dimly lit room in the middle of the night. I had to catch myself from playing too much. The "I will stop after one more door" syndrome. I played the first time through at a beginner level without any cheat codes. It was difficult being a first time player in this area of gaming. It was difficult to find first aid in certain sections and ammo got a little scarce. I did purchase the prima guide about half way through the game and it made life alot easier. As with any game you definately need to save and save often. I never knew when one of the boss monsters would pop out. The sounds were extremely creepy. I did finish the sequel much quicker and more easily than this copy. Once I finished the basic level I did venture out unto the higher levels. This definately called for a few help(cheat) codes. I know I shouldn't but as a relative novice at the fps games, I did indeed need the help. I strongly recommend this and have now ventured towards Quake4. Some similarities I have noticed already. The main reason I bought after playing through is it is just a great game. I find new areas and things each time I play, expecially on the different skill levels.

First off, I liked Doom 3 (so hold off on the pitch forks and torches). The graphics are great no doubt, the gameplay is solid, very true, but as I've said earlier, it's just too damn dark. Not only is it dark, but its claustrophobic and repetitive in map layout. Some would argue that it's those two qualities that make this game good, but I say it's just too annoying, almost a cheap way out from a developers point of view, kinda like the use of Fog. Often times I kept hoping I'd get some light other than a computer monitor or the flash of my gun...never happens. Something else that annoyed me was the cheap way that demons spawned and leaped out of ready made closets as you passed by. Just when you thought you cleared the room, you'd be ambushed by another baddie from some stupid hole in the wall behind you. Like most magazine reviews noted: "What the heck are these guys doing in there while waiting for you to come along?!" True that!

As anyone should know, the biggest clincher for any great game is variety, and sadly there really isn't any of it going on. Things got dull fast since every turn just lead to yet another dark corridor, computer room, engineering room, sleeping quarters and if your lucky the occasional bleak and musty outdoor romp on Mars' dusty surface. And to be honest, those things get old and just don't do it for me after a few hours in. Look at the movie Aliens, sure it's one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, but could you imagine watching it for 12+ hours to see it thru til the end? I submit that you cannot, it will get old. Speaking of getting old, the whole premise/plot of D3 can be found in just about any medium you pull from the genre (movie and game alike). So there wasn't anything revolutionary going on.

Okay, that was the bad (still reading?). Despite all that, I still liked Doom 3. Why? Because even in all it's gratuitous darkness and been-there-done-that hallways/rooms your still made to be apprehensive and scared to make your next move (cram all D3's creepiness into 90 minutes and it'd be Aliens). And despite it being a fantasy world, there seems to be a true sense of realism, you can almost smell the sweat and blood, pipes really seem to hiss with pressure, yells from afar and what little light seems to make us feel safe. Was this a bad game...no, was it revolutionary in gaming terms...not at all...but did it scare the crap out of me from time to time...you bet ya!

This is an amazing game, adding plot and suspense to the series, completely redefining Doom in it's new horror genre. It is packed full of new features. Let me fill you in on some of the new concepts. It is DARK. Not dim, not like full moon dark, like you can only see the little light on your gun telling you how much ammo you have. You have a flashlight. It is not attached to your gun, like in Quake 4, but you have to switch from gun to flashlight. No, it's not stupid, it emphasizes the horror aspect of the game. Was Quake 4 a horror game? No. Did it have a light on the gun? Yes. Another new great feature is separate ammo reserves. No more running out of plasma gun ammo because you used the BFG. You have a radio. You can't talk to it, but it's great for hearing orders, finding civilians, and listening to the tortured screams of your falling comrades. You have to find codes for doors and lockers, use interactive panels to access (occasionally secret) places and find PDAs. Oh, and the arch-vile can summon demons, instead of bringing them back to life, now. So, don't buy this game expecting your classic Doom's run-and-gun feel. There is no par time, there is just you, your gun, and a huge level to explore. So turn the lights down and crank the sound up, it's gonna be a long night in hell.

First, I don't think anyone under the age of a teenager should even see this game. The game has a rating of Mature which I found to be a fair rating.
As far as games that are meant to make you feel you are there, this one comes really close when you are playing it in surround sound at midnight. The sound quality is great as are the graphics.
This is a first person shooter game, which as you can see by my other reviews, I enjoy playing.You begin as a marine coming to Mars where your new home awaits. Unfortunately for you as you begin your tour of the grounds all hell breaks loose, literally. Somehow the geniuses there have found a way to open a portal to Hell which does not boast well for the people that don't know this. Needless to say you need to find a way off this rock before the hellspawn and demons get you. If you like to play games in the dark, use a flashlight (which is a must at times), and use some cool weapons this game should fit that bill. I found the story to be quite entertaining as I made my way through different tasks slaughtering demons, hellspawns, zombies, and other baddies.
With the price this game can be picked up for today you can't loose, unless your afraid of the dark.

Doom 3 is a science fiction survival horror video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. An example of the first-person shooter genre, Doom 3 was first released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004.[4] The game was later adapted for Linux, as well as being ported by Aspyr Media for Mac OS X. Developer Vicarious Visions ported the game to the Xbox console, releasing it on April 3, 2005. British developers Splash Damage also assisted in design for the multiplayer elements of the game.[1]