Reviewed by: BobiRoka
Developer: id Software
Publisher: Activision

Quotes in italics taken from Grawl’s Doom 3 walkthrough (19/08/04 - V1.12)

“See the explosive barrel? Walk to it, then walk back, shoot at it, and kill the Imp because of the explosion [of the barrel]. When you try to walk up the stairs, some junk will fall down, so be careful. When you are done being scared, walk up the stairs. See the door with the green panel next to it? An Imp will come out of that. When it's killed, enter that room yourself. Kill the Marine-Zombie, before it's able to stand up. Grab the stuff here, use the Health Machine if needed, and then use the computer to unlock a door. Also, an Imp will find out that glass isn't breakable ;p Return back to the previous room. There is another Marine-Zombie here, so take care of that soldier. The door that was locked before is open now, so enter that one.”

Killing? Explosive Barrels? Health? Locked Doors? This all sounds quite familiar, but then again, id decided early on to present their next generation tech in the guise of a direct homage to their original masterpiece. Doom set the precedent for FPSs to come, and after all - it’s where all those explosive barrels came from in the first place…

The inclusion of these cold snippets from Grawl’s walkthrough might look like a deliberate and malicious attempt to expose Doom 3’s archaic gameplay, but if it weren’t guilty, I wouldn’t have the evidence. To be fair, we shouldn’t have expected any more than a simplistic first person shooter of the most basic kind, but even so, I feel the need to emphasise a simple point: While Doom 3 is a huge step forward in some respects, it’s a gargantuan leap back in others. The future of videogame entertainment (I hope) this is not…

“Walk a bit forward and a Zombie-on-Fire will attack you. Bam bam! End of story for this guy. Enter the next room, and kill off the 2 Marine-Zombies. There is a little area on the left where a fat Zombie is hiding. Kill him and enter his hiding place for goodies. Walk to the doors in the hallway, and kill the Imp that'll appear. On the right [there] isn't much to do, so enter the left door to enter the Alpha Lab.”

So far, so very ‘been here before’ and were it not for the effective use of id’s mighty new graphics engine, what a sub standard game it would be. I’m not refering to the shadows, or the particle effects, which generate realistic explosions, or the way enemies interact realistically with the environment. I’m talking about the environment itself. While id have stuck quite rigidly to their limited color palette approach and cut corners with regards to player/environment interaction, the end result will still make all your other games look the 5 years older they really are (specifically, in terms of the technology powering them). I could go on at length about the technical merits of id’s new engine, but I’m not sure I really understand them. Suffice to say, the screenshots here were taken of the game at its medium detail setting with all advanced options on at 1024x768 (and reduced to 800x600 by me! - Ed). The graphics cards needed to power the game in its ‘Ultra’ setting at a playable framerate don’t yet exist. Consider that the game still looks good and plays well on its lowest setting at 640x480 on the minimum spec and you can’t but commend Carmack & Co for a job so well done.

Sound plays an equal part in generating a nauseous feeling of terror throughout the 26 map-long ride. Creepy voices call from unknown directions and scuttling noises prey on your paranoia. To make matters worse, light levels are generally quite low in Doom 3. You have access to a torch from quite early on, but you can’t wield it at the same time as a weapon. While some gamers have complained about this ‘absurd mechanism’, it seems clear to me that it was included in a deliberate attempt to induce even more panic in an already scary game. Well, scary for the first couple of hours at least…

We’re getting back to my point about the fusion of old and new again… The environments are really sophisticated, the lean compliment of adversaries verge on CGI perfection, yet we must accept this is Doom. In Doom you navigate maps full of monster closets and wage war with a ridiculous arsenal. Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

“And what’s wrong with that”, I hear a legion of Doom fans cry. I won’t argue, but I will say the body count numbs the fear factor before too long. Sure, the game still manages to ooze with creepiness and is still capable of making you jump and wince throughout, but the tension levels remain so consistently high I guarantee for the most part you’ll feel more ‘Duke Nukem’ than ‘System Shock(ed)’. Indeed, it’s hard to feel truly vulnerable when you’re packing such awesome firepower

The weapon compliment is quite lean by today’s FPS standards: less than a dozen in all, none of which sport alternate fire modes. Again, another legacy issue here, but again, this is ‘Doom’, so I can’t dock points. What’s available is very effective, if perhaps - intentionally – a little underpowered. The starting pistol is archetypically weak, but comes in handy later on when ammo is scarce, but explosive barrels are not. The shotgun is devastating at very close range, but the machine gun, chaingun and plasma rifle are far more effective over distance at the cost of eating up ammo by the bucketload. Heavy artillery comes in the form of hand grenades, a rocket launcher, the B.F.G. (more powerful than ever before) and finally, the S… (Oops, almost printed a spoiler there!). Let’s just say you manage to uncover a certain artefact, which adds a neat twist to the combat in the later levels. Disappointingly, the chainsaw is only available in the middle portion of the game, or at least I didn’t find it again after… Erm, best not go there. Spoilers etc.

The familiar storyline of scientists delving too deep and opening a gateway to Hell will come as no surprise to most. It’s hardly the most imaginative plot, but id have done their best to add some new embellishments, particularly with regard to how to the story is told. In addition to the usual weapon inventory, you also have access to a PDA, which details mission objectives and stores the various bits of information you pick up on your travels – usually in the form of audio logs, video discs and/or email fragments downloaded from slain NPCs PDAs. Looking at it the cold, hard way, since these PDAs (Keys) also upgrade your security clearance (unlock doors), it could be argued that a little ‘plot’ reward was an attempt by id to reduce or conceal the tedium of a very tired game mechanic. I might be wrong, but regardless, they stole the idea from System Shock…

Any other breaks in the relentless slaughterthon seem to be culled from other notable FPSs (cough, Half Life, ahem.). A few puzzles involving manipulation of machinery here, a monorail ride to there etc. Sometimes a bit too abstract for their own good, these elements are perhaps the weakest part of the jigsaw. I will admit though, despite my reservations about the old school gameplay, that id really do know how to do first person combat properly.

Enemy AI isn’t the best in the world, but the different Hellspawn casts behave and act quite diversely, the boss encounters are some of the most imaginative I’ve ever seen and there are several memorable set pieces amidst the proceedings. Dealing with different combinations of minions throws up different challenges. Shoot out the duel homing projectiles spewed out by a Revenant’s shoulder cannons? Or dodge the Imp about to leap at you. Movement speed is regulated to an adrenaline bar, which you’ll find yourself depressing almost constantly in the later stages of the game. Doom 3 can often be more about the running, than the shooting. Enemies constantly spawn behind you, keeping you further on edge and forcing the biggest dilemma: “Do I want to see what’s coming? Or keep the gun out and rely on muzzle flash?”.

OK I admit it! I really enjoyed Doom 3. It kept me coming back for almost 3 weeks of casual play. It’s a great game to slip in and out of - it’s only after prolonged sessions that the cracks begin to show. Then again, there’s only so much this slipper wearing, pipe smoking, RPG cravin’ correspondent can deal with in one go…

The multiplayer I haven’t tried yet, but then I don’t really consider the 4-player deathmatch mode out of the box a valid part of the equation until the mod community does something worthwhile with it. The tools are there and with it the beginning of a new chapter in videogame visuals. It won’t be long before many popular online games are given the Doom 3 treatment, not to mention the numerous commercial titles than will inevitably license id’s technology. For now though, let us be content in what Doom 3 is and not what many people thought it could be. Not quite the future of gaming, but what the hell!

Presentation	10
Cutting edge tech applied in a chillingly atmospheric way.
Gameplay	7
Deliberately old-fashioned. Puzzles can grate against the bias towards shooting, which fortunately is rather good indeed.
Value	8
A lengthy single player adventure (15-20 hours worth?), but only basic multiplayer support. It could be fun I suppose…
Benchmark	5
Tomorrows technology, but with yesterdays game. The two opposing forces tend to cancel each other out…
Score	8
If you like your games fast, accessible and atmospheric or you consider yourself a fan of the ‘Doom’ saga, then you won’t be disappointed. If you own a PC of sufficient power you’d be an ignorant fool not to play it. I know you’re gonna buy it regardless of what I say, just don’t expect a revolutionary shooter and you’ll be impressed by what Doom 3 does offer.

Doom III - Get it now from GAME!

Minimum Spec	Reviewed on
1.5GHz CPU 384Mb RAM 64Mb GF3 or Equivalent 2Gb Hard Drive Space	P4 2.53GHz 1Gb RAM 128Mb ATI Radeon 9600 Pro Full Install