Doom 3 Reviews

• Fantastic Engine, Potential, but Big Mistakes

  
  By A2VLF9FE68LFX6 on 2004-08-06
  I, like so many others, was an original Doom 1 & 2 customer back in the "download it from the local BBS" days. I couldn't wait for Doom 3 after learning about it a few months back.
  
  Now that it's been out a few days (I bought it the morning it was released), here's the deal:
  
  1. The engine is incredible. The sound and graphics are top notch, as is the overall environment, physics, etc. These guys at id always show everyone else how games are done. Everyone will now copy them for the next 5 years until id does it again. However, it's far more of a hog than we're being told. This is a game that forces you to buy a new computer (much to the industry's delight), just like all of id's other games (each Quake release forced us to buy new machines). I have a brand new Dell 3.2 GHz machine with a GeForce FX and 7200rpm drives. For Doom 3, I had to kick all the detail and graphics settings down to rock bottom, and also down to 640X480 jsut to keep it from being a slideshow. It's now merely "playable" (still looks great!). As computers and graphics cards get faster, this is really going to be cool, so id was wise to go way over the top detail, performance and feature-wise. Technically speaking, this game will enjoy along life (if other things are fixed - keep reading).
  
  2. Creep factor - not nearly the frightfest we were hyped up on. This is basically you walking around in an "Alien" movie. Not a single goosebump while playing it at work. If I have to play it at night to get goosebumps, then it's not that scary. Fright factor of the old DOS Doom was way more scary than this one. The original Doom game truly SCARED us, and scared us JITTERY. It was mesmerizing and all-encompassing. It was a combination of atmosphere (the levels were downright intimidating and revolutionarily epic) and originality. Doom 3 just feels like you're a pest control guy from Orkin who's wandered into an "Alien" movie.
  
  3. The gameplay is great, but monotonous. Here we are in the 22nd century, and still holding flashlights? Heck, I strap on a little battery-powered head lamp when going out to my wood pile so I can use my hands and have light AT THE SAME TIME. A high-tech space marine doesn't have a combat helmet with a light on it? Or nightvision? I've played this game less than 6 hours and I'm already sick to death of getting killed because I'm holding a flashlight instead of a weapon. This aspect of the game is not only ridiculous and unbelievable, but downright stupid.
  
  4. The monsters are great. Too bad you don't get to appreciate them. They're so fast you never get a good look at them. It's so dark when you drop your flashlight to shoot them that you never get a look at them. You have to kill them so fast that you don't get a good look at them. And when you do kill them, they vaporize, so again, you never get a good look at them. This is a real bummer, because the game is all about the monsters. One of the fun aspects fo the original Doom games, at least when it was "new", was seeing that pile of guts laying there after you rearranged his internals with a rocket.
  
  5. I agree with the "Doomed 3" review - this game is all about finding PDAs to get through doors. Boring, redundant, and gets in the way of playing the game. This is a lame attempt to add storyline and "cerebral content" to a game that, for obvious reasons, needs none. I mean - a revolutionary computer game forcing you to use a simulated PDA to get through a door? It's ridiculous, tedious and interruptive. Give me Quake 2 any day, where every door works so I can go in there and waste monsters. There is such a thing as too much realism, such as flight simulators being so complex that they're no longer fun. Doom 3 gets very close to this problem - not good for any game, especially a shooter.
  
  6. Hallways. As brilliant as the surroundings in this game are, I'm sick to death of hallways. Doom 1 and 2 had wide open areas where you could enjoy really fun long-range shots with rocket launchers and get good views of your enemies before pulling the trigger. You got to see huge hoardes of monsters out in the open and have lots of fun blowing those groups apart with long range rockets, plasma and BFG. Atmosphere is incredibly important, and hallways get boring really really really fast. What's the point of having a rocket launcher in this game when you're always in rooms too small to use it without blowing your own face off? This forces a very boring "pick them off one at a time as they jump you" gameplay scenario.
  
  7. Weapons - fantastic. I love the reloading function. They did a great job on the weapons, and it couldn't be better. Now they need to give us some wide-open spaces with daylight to actually use them to their full potential. One thing I mes sis the bodies flying. When you hit an Imp in Doom1/2, the body went flying as it came apart. I haven't seen that in this game so far, and I really miss it. That was not only realistic, but VERY realistic.
  
  8. Speaking of daylight, we're on MARS, for crying out loud! Let's get out there in the Martian terrain and have some fun! THAT would be atmosphere! Enough with all this crappy "dark hallway" stuff. It's putting me to sleep. Now, I confess I'm not all the way through the game yet, so hopefully the whole game isn't like this. I have faith that it eventually improves.
  
  9. Speaking of darkness and gameplay, the endless darkness everywhere seems rather obvious that it's otherwise a very boring game without the suspense of being in the dark. Not good. This game is all engine and little fun in the sense that the original doom games were. Again, hopefully this improves as you go through the game.
  
  10. This game REQUIRES serious multiplayer network ability, and id really blew it here. After giving us the Quake games, Return to Wolfenstien, etc., there's just no excuse for this limited, wimpy 4-player-only stuff. Shame on you, id. You guys know darned well that this would piss us off. And DOOM 3, of all games. If there was a game that needed to be perfect in network multiplayer capabilities, it's this one. And after games like the Quake series, I can't believe id botched multiplayer up so badly - the one function that makes their games legendary. If it would have taken another year to get Doom 3 out the door with the multiplayer abilities it deserves, we all would have been more than happy to wait for it.
  
  11. This game is REALLY going to shine when the general public starts creating new levels for it. That is, if the guys at id release a level editor (have they?). Also multiplayer networking MUST be brought up to at least Quake 3 capability. This MUST happen, or Doom 3 will be a flash in the pan due to boring environment, lack of industry standard multiplayer networking, monotonously predictable monster attacks and ridiculous darkness darkness darkness.
  
  12. Game's awesome, but only because of it's potential once people start creating custom levels for it and the assumption that multiplayer will be fixed. Doom 3 without multiplayer "warfare" capability just will not do.
  
  I highly recommend the game, it's great. Could be better, but it's still top notch, especially for the single player.
  
  

• It's a freak show.

  
  By ABSHD5PC5YEH6 on 2004-08-07
  I've seen some scathing reviews on this game here. Some go into so much length you won't even finish reading them. I don't see what the problem is, myself. I have an ATHLON XP 2800 with a GeForce FX 5600 and a Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ,plus 512 meg of DDR ram, and this thing ran perfectly. Even on 1024X768 with *most* of the features turned all the way up. As far as fear factor, give me a break guys! I catch myself jumping every couple of minutes. That never happenned to me with the original Doom. That game was awesome, but suffered only because of 'when' it was created. Computers just couldn't truly deliver what ID wanted for the game. This program has outstanding graphics, great physics, and LOADS of atmosphere. And they throw literally DOZENS of different freak-show baddies at you throughout this game. Great detailing on the faces too. The best vocal lip-syncing I've seen yet. I just got out of the labs and am about to find out what my next step is. I can't wait to finish this game! I couldn't be more satisfied than i am with this. The only point i wish were followed deeper is the fact that you are 'ON' Mars But you do very little on the surface. Most of this takes place in different 'compounds' on the surface. But, that's not a gripe worth worrying about. Anyone who can handle gore and the extreme haunted house environment should try this out. It's truly amazing!
  
  

• I Went to try the Alpha

  
  By on 2004-04-20
  But All I got was 360 megs of Lesbian Porn, which imo, is definatly 5 stars
  
  

• DOOM III ALPHA LEAK------ WOW!!

  
  By A3PJDROCGE8MR9 on 2002-11-15
  Hi my name is Thorns,
  I was one of the few lucky ones to be able to play Doom III Using the 3 level Demo that E3 released. I must say that the game accomplished what it was intended for, to scare the living daylights out of you. I played the Alpha Leak on a 1.8Ghz 512mb ram with a Geforce 4. It was laggy but I'm sure it will run better once the retail is out. Doom III has the best lighting and shading I've ever seen in a game ever. The game is like walking around in a scary haunted house with a gun. The models for the zombies and monsters are insanely realistic. It's dark, bloody, and scary and I look forward to playing the retail version. One word of advice, if you think the zombie is dead, he is not!
  
  

• The 'Next Generation' of FPS

  
  By A1XSE72PVYU0A7 on 2003-01-07
  Misunderstood genius in the works? Possibly. Hardcore multiplayer deathmatch junkies abound choke, jaw dropping, and eyes tearing up in addict style form. "Did someone just say... D3 will only support FOUR players in multiplayer???! OMG!"

  Well sorry to drop the news, but yes, id Software has announced they will indeed be abandoning the near legendary theme of 'deathmatch' mayhem in upcoming Doom III: The Legacy, the very same theme that previously ensured Doom and id a permanent spot of PC gaming infamy.

  So does this mean it's the end of the world? Hardly. Check out any popular online PC game review group site (PC IGN, Gamespot, Gamespy, just to name a few). The purpose behind D3 was to scare the living daylights out of the player -- in a SINGLE PLAYER setting. Goal accomplished. Don't be disappointed in a lack of emphasis on multiplayer action. If Doom 1, 2, Quake 1, 2, 3, Unreal and Unreal 2003 weren't enough to quench your need for constant, uninterrupted, mindless slaughter of the closest living creature over and over and over again, hey, Quake 4's coming up soon. Why would a company with a series like Quake on its roster bother to make another game of the same concept with a different title, i.e. Doom? Afterall, boys and girls, that -is-what Quake is for.

  Drool. Shudder. Buy the game. Covet your lovely BFG reincarnation and all will be well with the world. ;)
  
  

• Doom 3 is crap
  By A29236UC30EZ8W on 2004-08-04
  Disclaimer: I didn't play the full game in normal mode. I couldn't bear it. After an hour I turned on all weapons. Another hour and I turned on god mode. Later I just turned on noclip and wandered through the game. I imagine some people are going to fault me for not playing the real game experience. My point is that I'm faulting Id for making me not want to. If a game can't hold my attention enough for me not to do this then its not a good game. If I hadn't been able to do this I wouldn't have bothered finishing. Half-Life, Far Cry, Splinter Cell, GTA, these are all games that made gameplay interesting enough that I didn't feel like "Enough already, take me to the end".
  If what you want in a game is basically Doom with shiny surfaces, then you're fine. If you want something new, or even something with a refreshing twist, then aside from the rendering engine you're basically out of luck.
  
  The game is well produced. The voice acting is good. The facial animation is decent. The textures are all very detailed, but you know, the 'fun' bottleneck is no longer in the graphics. Its in the gameplay.
  
  So the big news is the latest rendering engine from Id, the people who brought us the first widely released FPS. Well, I'm sorry to say that from what I've seen the rendering engine is about on par with the Source (Half Life 2), Crytek (Far Cry) and Unreal 3 (upcoming America's Army and Unreal releases) engines. There are probably purists out there that will say I'm insane for this and that Doom 3 does X that none of those others do, or do as well. Well, if I don't notice it when I'm playing it doesn't really matter does it? The most impressive things I saw were the distortions glass caused in anything beyond the glass, and the 'heat distortion' you could see in items that were extremely hot. The glass distortion was interesting for about 5 seconds the first time I saw it, and then distracting the rest of the time. The heat haze was interesting in one level, and almost completely obscured with smoke effects the rest of the time. Yes, the lighting was very nice, but since its mostly used to create vast areas of darkness to 'freak you out', I began to hate the lighting.
  
  Gameplay was tedious. If you're a huge fan of haunted houses, maybe this will appeal. If you're not, this is just going to drive home why you typically don't see haunted houses year round. It seems like every corridor is filled with false panels. It also seems like hell's minions have absolutely nothing better to do than to go wait behind one of those panels, wait for you to walk past and then pop out behind you. This kind of mechanism should be used at most once or twice in a game. Here it shows up every 5 minutes or so.
  
  Level design is repetitive. Carmack talks about how many levels use up to half a gig of textures. Yet the game comes on 3 CDs. Well the easy explanation for this is that the game has about 4 levels. It has the mars base level repeated ad naseum, the underground caverns level (seen for about 2 levels), Hell (seen in one level and basically the end game) and mars base being overrun by hell (1 level) which really isn't original at all but uses a mixture of textures and design from previous levels. All in all, there are maybe 2 really 'Wow' moments when you're looking around you. This isn't bad, except that the rest of the time, for me anyway, it wasn't so much a lack of 'Wow' but a 'Oh god not this again' feeling.
  
  Sound is well used in the game, but then its only used to try to freak you out.
  
  Overall this is the problem. THe game wants to freak you out. And not just a couple of really good scares, but rather it wants you constantly edgy and terrefied. This isn't really what I want in a game, or at least not what I want the entire game to be about. Think about the most suspenseful movie you've ever watched. Now think about the most suspensful 5 minutes of that movie. Now watch that 5 minutes over and over again. Either you're going to get bored or you're going to need medication.
  
  In the end, the original Doom was constrained in its level design and gameplay by the kind of hardware it had to work with. This isn't the case anymore, so id should get off their ass and try either a) just building a rendering enginer licesning it out to someone who can make a good game or b) hiring some new blood for game design in house.
  
  
  
• The Third and Best Doom So Far!
  By A1BS8YM712C0VJ on 2004-08-03
  Doom 3(2004). The Third PC Game In The Doom Series.
  
  Back in the Early 90's, when the computers where still hitting their stride, and video games were the last thing on people's minds, two revolutionary games were released. Those games were 'Wolfenstein 3D' and 'Doom'. Both games became immensely popular, so it's no surprise numerous sequels have been released for each game. 'Doom 2' was a worthy followup to 'Doom', but brought nothing new to the table. Now, in 2004, Id releases 'Doom 3', in full 3D surroundings with realistic graphics! So, is 'Doom 3' an overhyped disaster, or the game that lived up to everyone's expectations? Read on to find out!
  
  Game Ratings-
  
  Graphics- 'Doom 3's biggest draw has been its revolutionary graphics, so it's no surprise here what to expect. Character Designs are scarily real, the atmosphere you walk in feels almost as if you are in it, in other words, you feel the blood on the walls, and see the demons jumping out of the shadows, as if it's real. A very surreal experience. 5/5
  
  Play Control- Although I'm not a huge fan of PC controls, there's nothing to complain about here, as 'Doom 3' easily places the FPS controls to make it easy for the gamer, and I found it a breeze to run around and blast demons. 5/5
  
  Plot- 'Doom 3', much like 'Half-Life', has a phenomenal, and deeply horrifying plot. 'Doom 3' revolves around a Lab on the Planet of Mars accidentally opening a portal to hell, and you must fight off Mars and through demons to survive. The story is very enthralling, and once you start playing, it's hard to stop! 5/5
  
  Challenge- 'Doom 3', while not as challenging as 'Half-Life', is still puzzling and hard in many ways. Most of the game, you are forced to fight multiple enemies at once, it dark surroundings(Much like the Aliens Vs. Predator series), and one of the most challenging things about the games is recovering after getting scared after a monster jumps out of nowhere. Also, as with the old games, you will be asked to recover keys, cards, etc. to continue your game, which is always a challenge. 5/5
  
  Replay Value- 'Doom 3' is basically a Single Player game, and once you finish, really the only thing you can do is replay it. There is Multiplayer, but it only allows up to 4 players and isn't nearly as fun as the Single Player adventures. I wasn't too impressed. 2/5
  
  Sound/Music- 'Doom 3' sports excellent sound, so good, in fact, that I found myself muting the sound for fear I would scream! In extremely dark, quiet rooms, when a demon jumps out of nowhere, making a ton of noise, it can get very scary! The sound is flawless in other words! 5/5
  
  Fun- 'Doom 3', although not much different from other FPS's, still remains incredibly fun, and blasting your way through the demons to escape Mars will have you hooked once you pick the controller up!5/5
  
  Overall, 'Doom 3' is a very good sequel to the first two Doom's, and now that it's got 3D and Pixel-Shaded atmospheres, it brings a whole new aspect to the game! Well deserving of all the hype, but I can't wait for 'Half-Life 2'!
  
  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO FANS OF FIRST PERSON SHOOTERS, THE ORIGINAL DOOM GAMES, AND PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE SCARED! WARNING- DOOM 3 REQUIRES A REALLY GOOD COMPUTER, AND ALSO IT'S VERY SCARY AND QUITE VIOLENT AND DISTURBING! NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE UNDER 13!
  
  Also Recommended-
  
  Doom 2- PC
  Half-Life- PC
  Unreal Tournament 2004- PC
  
  Thanks For Reading!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The facts about Doom 3 and what you'll need to run it
  By A28LG2MEWGLKZW on 2002-10-13
  There is a lot of false information floating around on the internet about what kind of super computer you'll need to run Doom 3. Here is what we know:

  John Carmack, who is programming the graphics of the game, has stated that you'll be able to run Doom 3 with all graphicsdetails at a reasonable framerate (probably around 30 fps) with a Geforce 3. Anything below that (Geforce 2, Radeon DDR) and you will have to turn down a lot of the details to get it to run well.

  Doom 3 is designed for a Geforce 1 level class of card, so any DirectX 7 card with hardware T&L will be able to display all the effects.

  Doom 3 was shown at Quakecon running on a P4 2.2 GHZ with a Radeon 9700. It has been shown twice on the Radeon 9700, and was shown at a higher resolution and framerate the second time. This means the code is improving, and a Radeon 9700/Geforce 4 card should be able to run the game smoothly with all the details turned up.

  If you're wondering if you should upgrade now, you could hold off until early 2003 when newer cards are being released. A Geforce 4 or Radeon 9700 should run the game great, but there will better cards available by the time of release.
  
  

• Half Life Doom??
  By AXDQJKKXQ3E2N on 2004-08-03
  I dont know who copied who first, but Doom 3 seems like Half Life two with better graphics and IQ; you travel to a research facility when something goes wrong and most of the people who were in the facility are either dead or have turned to monsters. When talking to the scientists I couldnt help myself but expect them to call me Gordon Freeman (is that his name? I dont remember).
  
  As far as graphics, they are probably great. Having a new computer with a low end graphics card (3.2ghz p4, ATI 9200 Radeon) I found myself comfortable at 800x600 with medium detail. This was a bit of a problem because my LCD's natural resolution is at 1280x1024.
  
  Overall, I have played this game at night (just like Id recommended) with the sound up and got myself scared many times. However after 3 hours passed, although I was still a bit scared whenever a monster jumped at me, I realized that it wont REALLY get any different than this. But hey this is a first person shooter so maybe it shouldnt. The one part that gets me down is that so much hype has been created over the graphics of this game, why not put a little more content into it instead of monster pops out and you shoot!
  
  A quick last note, ATI's X800 XT pulled an average of about 40-something average FPS at a 1600x1200 resolution with high detail, Nvidia's 6800 Ultra pulled out about 50something. There is an Ultra detail that was not shown in the tests because 40FPS is playable but anything below will be chopy. Considering that the X800 XT is a brand new card and will only be fully available by fall 2004, the hype of Doom 3's graphics isnt very interesting if you cannot experience those graphics for yourlsef. Ask yourself, will it be worth it spending $500 on a graphics card (that is if you already have a PCIx system) just to play Doom 3 and Half Life 2 at a good quality? For those hardcore gamers outthere, the answer is absolutely! For people on a budget like me who want their computer to still be able to acces the net normally in 3 years, the answer is no. I'll have to wait three years for a new computer or an inexpensive graphics upgrade that will let me play this game as it should be played, with high resolution and ultra detail.
  
  
• Sweeet
  By A5XSJN0U99AI7 on 2003-10-23
  Having the opportunity to get my hands on a Beta Release of Doom 3 all I can say is oh my god. This is what we have all been waiting for. The levels are beautiful. The monsters can scare the pee right out of you. With Doom 3 Im always on the edge of my chair. This game provides solid gameplay typical to the FPS genre and i cannot express enough how beautiful it is. Ive heard comments about DX9 Games like HL2 and Doom 3 Not fully working with Nvidia based cards, but if you have a Nvidia card just get the new 50 series beta drivers and you shouldnt have to much of a problem. I play this game on a Athlon XP 2700 1 GIG 333mhz Crucial Ram, and a Geforce 3 TI 500. My game settings are 1280x768x32 with High Detail, High Draw Rate and Medium Effects and i average 35-45 FPS in game, yes i know its not 60 or 70 but its smooth and very very playable, its not like trying ot run Unreal 2 on a 1.2 duron with a 32 meg card.. choke choke choke.. Not this game.. anyways its sweet.. get it.. you wont be disappointed.
  
  
• Great Game
  By A1BSDJM6MYK7CZ on 2004-08-04
  Id Software revealed Doom 3 in 1999 to both fanfare and criticism. Id Software promised a thrilling single-player game, some rudimentary multiplayer and of course, a brand new engine from Carmack and Co. I've waited impatiently, and while (without counting the presentation) Doom 3 doesn't break new ground, it follows the norm very well.
  
  Id Software has crafted Doom 3 with a rather engaging story, for a first person shooter at least. It is the year 2145 and the people at Earth are running out of natural resources. What can be done? Well, various corporations, including the Union Aerospace Corporation have built facilities on Mars that will allow Earth to gain natural resources from the red planet. When you begin the game, you are armed with absolutely nothing and have the task of finding a scientist and completing other basic tasks. As you progress, and it doesn't take long, you begin to realize that something is clearly not right and then, well, all hell breaks loose. For fans of the classic Doom games, it is important to note that Doom 3 is id Software's retelling of the original Doom not a continuation of the story line.
  
  Although there is an emphasis on story, it never brings down the pace of the game too much. Most of it is told through cutscenes and the rest you'll learn from your trusty PDA, a new addition for the series. The PDA allows you to receive email, audio messages, codes and other useful information. Some of this is meant to help you understand the story (so you can know exactly why all hell broke loose), while other information is meant to help you advance through the game. Even other messages (including the spam messages) are meant to add humor to the otherwise cold game.
  
  Let's be honest, the reason that many of us have been waiting for Doom 3 is because of its rendering engine. John Carmack and the others at id Software have continually raised the bar for graphics with each successive engine. Id Software pushed the PC to the limit with the original Doom, then brought true 3D with Quake and has now created the most technically impressive game I have ever seen. Even up against recent heavyweights like Painkiller and Far Cry, Doom 3's visuals are a notch above. Using pretty much every graphical technique available like normal mapping, self-shadowing, per-pixel lighting and others that my frail brain cannot understand, the Doom 3 engine is sight to behold. Some games that use normal mapping appear too "shiny" or have a "plastic" look, but Doom 3 does not. All of the indoor environments are meticulously designed with working computer monitors and what not. Furthermore, these environments are incredibly interactive and you'll often have enemies creating their own doors from walls and stairs. A fully functional physics engine lets you toss around boxes and soda cans, and the enemies as well. The animation system is simply breath-taking, and is enhanced by the shadowing system in the game. The weapon effects are plentiful, as well. Everything casts realistic shadows and further enhances id Software's view of Mars.
  
  Of course, to get the full splendor, you'll need quite a powerful system to run. On the my best, I was able to play at 1024x768 on high settings and get playable framerates. Just for giggles, I played the game on a 2GHz processor, 512MB RAM PC with a nVidia Geforce FX 5200 and found that was able to play at 640x480 low. Even at this resolution the game looks wonderful. HardOCP has a full and detailed article regarding Doom 3 hardware which is recommended reading. Click here to take a look at it.
  
  While a lot of the presentation relies on the kick-ass graphics, the audio in the game completes the atmosphere. Sure, you can run the game with stereo speakers, but to get the full experience, you'll want to hook up the 5.1 speakers. Id Software has used surround sound to a great degree, and you'll be able to hear enemies coming before you can see, adding to the realism. Otherwise, the sound effects and voices are crisp and solid, as expected.
  
  And then there's the actual game portion of Doom 3. As I said above, Doom 3 doesn't really differ from the standard FPS action of shooting things that move. Most of the time you'll move around the claustrophobic areas in the levels, shooting one of the game's many disturbing enemies. Thankfully, it isn't all run and gun and there are numerous times when I actually jumped back because a monster popped out of nowhere. A friendly looking set of stairs can tear apart, and you'll have a monster ready to feast on you. A lot of what makes Doom 3 different is the atmosphere, which includes plentiful amounts of gore and blood, and the dark, creepy environments. The fear is heightened because you can't use your flashlight and a gun at the same time. This forces you to rethink your strategy since you'll need the flashlight to see otherwise pitch black areas, but you don't want to be caught off guard.
  
  The game's weapons should be familiar to FPS fans but work very well, given Doom 3's gameplay. At the beginning of the game, you'll only have your fists! Thankfully, before any real action starts, you'll have the flashlight, a pistol and a bit later the shotgun. The pistol is a decent weapon but only if you run out of the powerful shotgun shells. Later in the game you'll receive a machine gun, which is rather accurate and fast, a plasma gun, which is basically a sci-fi machine gun and a chaingun, which is much faster but less accurate. You'll also find grenades, the fan-favorite rocket launcher (which looks awesome), and the devastating BFG (Big F'ing Gun) 9000, which will wipe out the enemies in the current screen. There's also a mysterious Soul Cube, which is quite powerful and beneficial. Ammo is rarely scarce in the game, allowing you to have fun looking at the pretty weapon effects.
  
  You'll find the typical Doom enemies in Doom 3, albeit with a 2004 makeover. These monsters include an assortment of demons, zombies, flying skulls, spiders, imps and the lovable pinky. Many of these will shoot at you, forcing you to take them out quickly. The larger enemies in the game take quite a few shells to take down, but they aren't very smart. They'll just keep coming at you while you shoot them. This is a little disappointing and takes a bit away from the horror. Of course, you'll be plenty scared when they break through something or come out of a shadow.
  
  Multiplayer in Doom 3 is limited to four players, although id Software has made it clear that future mods may support more players. A basic interface lets you join or create a game and works well. There are five maps, including Edge 2, a remake of the much-loved Edge map and four game modes. The most interesting mode is Tournament where you battle an opponent directly. Once they die (or you die) another player, who is waiting, gets a turn. The other game modes are Deathmatch, Team Deathmach and Last Man Standing, all of which are exactly what they sound like.
  
  Although multiplayer is simple in the nature, the graphics engine adds to the experience. For instance, Doom 3 features per pixel hit detection, so it is possible to shoot between someone's torso and arm. The lighting and shadowing provide areas to hide and forces you to be smart about using your flashlight.
  
  To be honest, when Doom 3 was announced, I didn't expect anything more than a technology demo to prove how powerful the engine was. While I wasn't entirely incorrect in this statement, Doom 3's gameplay (for which the single-player mode alone is fifteen hours plus) offers enough thrills to warrant the $54.99 purchase. And thanks to id Software's support of the modding community, we'll see some kick-ass mods in the near future.
  
  
• Technically Revolutionary but Gameplay is
  By A37MKGN7PBGMIB on 2004-08-02
  This game has been heavily hyped for last couple of years and it is a dissapointment gameplay wise but it is worth the purchase to see ID's new 3D Engine.
  
  Single Player
  
  I played single player for about 15 hours and it was fun for the first 10 hours then it just got tedious. The basic single player gameplay is "find the key and open the door". There are a lot scripted sequences that add to the ambience of the game. For example monsters busting down door, people getting slaughtered by demons, and demons tearing apart doors. But it is nothing new. I personally think Call Of Duty and System Shock 2 have much better single players games compared to Doom 3.
  
  Multiplayer
  
  This is the most dissapointing part of Doom 3 since there are no new gameplay modes and multiplayer supports only 4 players MAX!
  
  Graphics
  
  The graphics are truly cutting edge. I'd compare it to PIXAR like graphics. The facial animantions are life like. You can see the skin on a characters face stretch as they talk. Also the texturing is very realistic. For example on floors and walls you can see that they are not flat but are rough.Shadows also ineract realistically with the enviroment. For example you can see the shadows from a strobe light move around the room.
  
  Overall the game is a dissapointment gameplay wise because it brings nothing new to the table. Single player gets tedious after a couple of hours and multiplayer is limiting with only 4 players and no new game modes. Technically DOOM 3 is head and shoulders above any game out there in the graphics and sound department.
  
  
  Postivies
  + State of the art graphics
  
  Negatives
  - Tedious single player after a couple of hours
  - Only 4 players max in multiplayer
  - No new multiplayer game modes
  
  
  
• They missed the mark I'm afraid
  By A9AZJGWMDJ7SR on 2004-08-06
  First let me say I have only played through the first few missions of the game. I don't think things change much going forward though from what others have written.
  
  ## Hardware: I have an Alienware P4 3.2Ghz PC with the nVidia GeForce FX 5950 Ultra video card. The game runs fine at 1024x768 and high detail (Ultra is the best). There is some slight texture draw but not bad. So basically if you have any computer from before Oct03 you'll be stuck at 800x600 and/or really low detail.
  
  ## Graphics/Environment: Well on the one hand the look is very good. The environment is full of lots of little details such as video screens and terminals that have cool animations, many of which you can interact with. Your PDA (which you use for email, audio clips, etc) is interesting and helps flesh out the story and give you clues to more goodies. But even with all that you are still running around what feels like an abandoned station with monsters chasing you.
  
  The environment is annoyingly dark. This would be artistic and scary to a point but after awhile it is simply annoying and hard on the eyes. It also makes it hard to appreciate many of the cool graphics and gives the world a fake feel. Humans just don't live in the dark and in the future don't we have lights that don't need power? Also, how about some sort of night-vision equipment at least?
  
  Even the sound is so, so. Environmental noises are good but the weapons have a weak sound and the monsters' screams are really not anything special either (I'm playing with a 5.1 sound system).
  
  Compared to an environment like that in Far Cry, Doom3 feels a bit dated, fake, and boring even with all the new graphics tricks. Technically it is a better engine but the feel isn't there.
  
  Story: So far the story is interesting although you need to take the time to go through the info on your PDA to really get the details. Many won't bother. The problem of course is that unless you've never heard of Doom before you already know what the story is about and what is basically going to happen. That leaves just the details and execution. Personally I found Half-Life and Far Cry far more interesting on the story front.
  
  ## Gameplay: Ok, so how does the game really PLAY? Well unfortunately it plays like Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake. Nothing new. Monsters pop out and you shoot them. In between you reload and find med kits and bullets. That's about it. The problem goes back to the environment. Everything is so dark you often feel you are just in another dark hallway or room even when there is some really neat stuff going on around you (and there are some pretty nifty areas). But having to always sweep around with your flashlight and then switch to a weapon and shoot at stuff you can't see anymore just gets old real fast. A few levels like this would be ok but not for what seems like the whole game (as others have said).
  
  The game is moderately scary and somewhat gruesome (probably not good for children under 15). Most of the scariness just comes from suspense and the old 'cat trick' of things popping out at you. After awhile you are not scared anymore you are just annoyed you can't see anything and that something just popped out of an area you just looked at and cleared. Getting shot in the head from something you can't see isn't all that exciting either.
  
  The game is somewhat enjoyable and interesting but even with all the hype and all the advanced graphics it is still just an average first person shooter. I found Far Cry and Call of Duty to be much more interesting and enjoyable.
  
  
• Stop reviewing this game you morons!
  By AOHA2WG09RAC6 on 2004-07-24
  What part of the phrase 'Not Yet Released' is confusing people?
  
  You havn't played the game yet! If you have played the leaked alpha, shame on you, and don't judge it by that anyway. All the reviews so far have based on prejudice and an insatiable urge to post reviews. (Favourable and unfavourable reviews alike)
  
  Just wait until the game is released. Why amazon don't block reviewing of unreleased products is beyond me.
  
  
• Lots of Hype, lets see it deliver....
  By A2JEW132MIWCZD on 2003-10-31
  Ok, im not doubting id, but lets see the game bfore we give it 100 5star reviews......
  
  
• I dunno what to get.
  By A14WDHORVU2OLR on 2004-07-20
  I was going to buy this game and I noticed there were nearly 300 reviews. Then I read that Half Life 2 was better so I was going to order that but then someone said Doom3 was better so I decided to order Doom3 again. Now I keep reading Doom3 is better than Half Life 2 which is better than Doom3 which sucks because of no coop and also Half Life 2 doesn't even have coop and Nvidea sucks because they are crap but don't suck as much cawk as ATI and I think I pooped myself and Doom3 needs to be on Steam and Condition Zero frigging sucks but I bought it just to play Counter Strike Source (not Counter Strike 2 you noobs) and I don't know if I should get a AMD or Pentium 4 because John Carmack said I can't run it even on currently high end systems so I decided to build a time machine and play it in the future but when I got there Half Life 5 was just released but you couldn't use the full virtual cybernetic implant unless you upgraded to a 28 Tera hertz machine but I didn't have enough Moon money to afford it considering I forgot cash and only bring along the loose change in my pocket.
  
  So what should I get?
  
  
• The bar has been raised !
  By AVU8IJR3Q9E82 on 2004-08-03
  I've been playing Doom III for 2 days now, and I must say that it's difficult to remain coherent while battling the urge to "gush" over this game. First, Carmack, ID Software, hands down you continue to redefine the genre and display exquisite mastery of FPS's. Where do I begin? First of all, the system requirements. They are a little steep, but considering the work that went into making the game playable on older hardware, I'd say it's a perfect job. The minimum system you'd want to play on is an athlon XP 1600+ or Intel equivalent, 512mb DDR ram, and GeForce3 or higher. With these minimum specs, the game is at low settings, but VERY playable. Do turn off "specular" though, it will help the framerate. With a proper graphics card (radeon 9800 or better) gameplay is nothing short of amazing. The "haze" effect on fire, gives a shimmering, heatwave effect. Truly impressive. As far as the rest, with the dark environments, anti-aliasing doesn't add much. The sound is remarkable. The game supports 5.1 surround, and gives a perfect, spatial soundstage (this definitely adds to the creepy factor). Quality headphones also work well for an immersive experience. Gameplay is quick, tense, and horrifying. Yes, horrifying. You WILL become familiar with suspense, inch-long goosebumps, a neck hair afro, and cooldown sessions because of the intensity. I'm not exaggerating, and I'm an experienced gamer. It is that amazing.
  
  
• Why are there reviews written for this already?
  By A1CDYA09PWQQ6I on 2004-07-23
  Last I checked it was still July. How can anyone write a review for this game?
  
  Your preconseptions about the game are based on videos, screenshots, and a leak that's over a year old. Way to go. I'm sure people will find your speculation helpful. I hope Amazon deletes every one of these crap reviews when the game hits shelves.
  
  And on a side note, stop comparing D3 to HL2 and vice versa. There is no drama between Id and Valve. Both games offer completely different experiences and are each worth your money.
  
  Why do you care so much about discouraging people from getting D3? You all sound like fanboys who are afraid of a little compition.
  
  
• Way better than Farcry
  By A3RB0IJG7UOQCC on 2004-08-10
  There, someone had to say it. Yes, I know Farcry had pretty plants. Doom 3 Doesn't have pretty plants. I don't freakin care about pretty plants. But they were really, REALLY pretty plants and I should care! And yet here's me --> :[ refusing to care.
  
  Doom 3 scared the hell out of me about once a minute. It had little deformed babies that jumped at my throat so I had to shoot those little babies. I HAD TO.
  
  
• Doom 3 Falls Flat
  By A1482ISQT966WC on 2004-08-04
  If there is one redeming quality of Doom 3 it is the impressive graphics system. Unfortunately since most people don't have computers that are up to par for this game, not to mention the fact that most of the levels are pretty much pitch black: as it is, you wont even really be able to enjoy the graphics.
  
  Even with a high end computer this game leaves much to be desired. The story is old and lifted right out of Half-life, and you will recognize the machine gun from Halo. The levels are dark and cramped.
  
  One of the most annoying features is the flashlight. Unlike other games that offer night vision or a flashlight that can be used in conjunction with your weapons, this game forces the user to switch between a flashlight and their weapon constantly and to great annoyance. Even a flashlight/pistol combo would be better than shooting into the dark and hoping you got a kill. To add insult to injury the flashlight is used amost consistently throughout the game (it doesn't even need to be recharged) and even adjusting the gamma levels are not going to help very much with this game. Black is black, no matter how high you adjust your gamma settings.
  
  The enemy a.i. is stupid and the only reason they are even a challenge is because 1) its dark and you can't use a flashlight and a gun 2) enemies spawn spontaniously or emerge from walls and areas you just cleared. Forget strategy, you'll get used to having enemies spawn right on your back again and again. While its supposed to be scary as enemies pop out of nowhere, it becomes tiresome and annoying as the novelty wares off. In some ways the spawning of enemies seems to be an attempt to hide the poor and linear level design.
  
  Doom 3 offeres very little inovation as far as FPS games are concerned and other recent games to emerge like Call of Duty, and Far Cry are superior games in terms of story, level design, A.I pacing, and use of color palet to create interesting levels.
  
  Doom 3 also attempts to use a PDA as a mandatory way of transfering information. I found the PDA system to be annoying as well, because it cuts off the pacing of the game by forcing the player to comb through emails, audio, and video files looking for clues. there are even a couple of clues that force a player to break from the game and search the internet if they really want to find some nice secrets in the game. Again, going to the internet takes away from the pacing and feel of the game.
  
  
  There is also no excuse for the poor multiplayer options that come with this game. The max is 4 people, and while it make take you back to those days when you played the original Doom, it certainly doesn't hold up to all the FPS that are available today. Besides, the orignial Doom multiplayer was better because it at least offered cooperative play.
  
  Doom 3 does have some interesting inovations that would be great to see in other games. While inovations dont make an interesting game in and of themselves, having interactive computers throughout the game was a nice touch. it was nice to walk upto monitors and TVs and see short video clips or interact with the environment in that way. The all purpose targeting recticle was a nice touch as well.
  
  My recomendation would be to wait until this title reaches budget prices before you purchase it. That way you wont be too disapointed when you play this lack luster game.
  
  
• Honest review
  By AWRXIMG34MC0B on 2004-08-13
  First of all, I hear a lot of people saying that doom 3 is copying half life 1. Not true at all; Doom 3 is basically a remake of Doom 1 and Doom 1 came out before half life 1. Graphically the game is great. My computer has a P4 @ 2.4GH, 512MB Ram and an ATI Radeon 9600XT. I can't set the graphics higher than medium, but it still looks great. My problem with the game is the replay value. There isn't any replay value, I don't even think there's much play value. Most of the game takes place in the dark, which is annoying because none of your weapon are equipted with a flash light on them. You have to continuously switch between your flash light and weapon. Trying to find your way through the dark is much more challenging than the monsters you face. The path you take is linear and its all the same, run thru the darkness and kill some monsters, run thru the darkness and kill some more monsters, the game just gets boring. The makers try to get you into the story. Thru out the game you pick up PDAs left by characters in the game and within them you can read and hear logs and messages that hint about what happened or what's going on in the story. You have to listen to some of the logs to get locker codes. It's just a pain to have to go thru all this stuff. In the begining you don't really care about the story because you just want to see the monsters; later in the game you still don't care about the story because you desperately want there to be something different in the game (because it's boring).
  
  
• Doom ]I[
  By A2U74BMWR5IBO5 on 2003-03-06
  Despite what other people say, the alpha demo has quite a ways to go, before I can call it good. I have played the game (on the recommended hardware), and I can say that although the physics, lighting, and mesh reduced bump maps are nice little visual elements, graphically the characters still have a way to go. Its like for some reason organic beings all revolve around a grey mushy color in this game. I expected more demonic looking characters. I don't want this to be a resident evil look alike (zombies are nice, but hell is taking over mars, lets get some demons in here). And all the zombies look like prison inmates, what gives?

  Also, the sound effects (done by Trent Reznor of course) are very smooth and fit in perfectly with the game, but at least as far as the demo goes there are some syncing issues. And the character animations, although very fluid, were overexaggerated greatly, and quite a bit could be taught to iD about cinematic camera angles. Also, the complete lack of outdoor portals makes the world feel very small and enclosed. It does not lead as much to your sense of exploration as you know the next room will just be another room with zombies in it, that looked a lot like the room before it.

  Finally, the most annoying aspect of the demo so far is they don't compile their md5meshes, materials, or animations, so the game takes up quite a bit of space and load times are very subpar (also, the game does not appear to precache monster meshes or anything, so it loads on demand the animations, sounds, etc. which can cause random annoying lags in the game depending on your storage medium).

  Overall, this is the best first person shooter I've seen (with emphasis on the seen), and I love the doom games (they really struck a chord with me). But as it is prealpha, I cannot construct a positive or negative attitude about the game itself (just about the engine). The engine I give a 4. Its a nice prealpha test, but the engine does have a few steps to hurdle before it can be set atop Mt. Olympus. And the game itself needs a little more artistic help.
  
  

• DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME OR $
  By AYLY3E8STSLYG on 2004-08-10
  incredibly boring, slow paced, long movies and no action.
  
  
• a little disappointed
  By A6YI7RHPDU6ML on 2004-08-04
  what can you expect from a FPS? The Concept haven't changed at all, from the first and second game, you jump and shoot stuff. The access code thing is nice but kind of rips off of the original Deus Ex.
  
  My biggest gripe, is this takes place in the future...there is alot of dark areas in the game no matter how much you turn up gamma correction, you still need to use a flash light; well seeing how this takes place in the future and all, you think the marine your playing would have some kind of night vision goggles to compensate or have the flashlight attached to the machine gun or shotgun, or use the handgun in one hand and the flashlight in the other but no. Theres alot of areas you have to kill creatures shooting fireballs and clawing at you in PITCH BLACK darkness(i can't express how fast and strong these things are)
  
  Overall its a good game you'll play ONCE and when you end it, you will barely touch it at all, but you will be addicted to the game the first time you play it though.
  
  
• Lots of hype but it just didn't deliver.
  By A1HQBDSWWY3GPP on 2004-08-06
  Now it seems that all the die hard Doom 3 fans are going to say this rating sucks, but if you are considering purchasing the game i recommend you read this.
  
  I think that the developers spent a truckload of money advertising this so they could get their money out of it before player reviews came out.
  
  After reading all the online reviews before the game was released, i thought this was going to be one of the best games i have ever played. It wasnt anything near it.
  
  If you are looking for a good multi-player game, this is not it. It would seem to me that the developers spent all of their time working on the single player game. As for single player, it is extremely dark, and you spend half your time switching between your flashlight and gun(because i guess you cant geta flashlight on a gun....and i guess you cant find a roll of tape). I really expected more of a "dive in and start blasting the endless enemies with cool guns" kinda game, but i couldn't be more wrong, the gun are extremely boring, and the enemies even more so. When you arent switching between guns and the flashlight, you are running around in circle looking for a key to get through the endless doors.
  
  I have played this game for two days, and I want to sell it already. I have never regret buying a game as much as I did this one.
  
  So, unless you like running in circles in small dark hallways, I strongly recommend you dont spend your hard earned money on this sad excuse of a game.
  
  
• I don't know why the whole people hail this game!
  By A3TX5K70GCUQ41 on 2004-08-07
  I've played it for 3 Ours an saw it 2 days by a friend while he was playing.I thing this game is boring.So i will tell you what i think aboutit.
  
  THE GRAPHIC:
  
  in my opinion the Graphic is not really good.The Textures reminds me on games like XII with this Cell-shading technologie.Sorry but i think it locks a little bit like a comic.Bumbmapping's anniwhere!
  and that locks like crap.If you want to see a game which has really realistic graphics buy Farcry.In Doom 3 i never saw High resolution Textures.Only Bump Mapping.The only thing in the game were the Faces which locks really great!
  but the rest locks like an unreal World.Thats not real!
  
  GAMEPLAY:
  
  The Gamplay is really boring.In the Beginning its scary and makes fun but after an Hour you know the rest....
  You walk around the complex collecting key cards and wait for the moment when a monster comes out of the next door.Its a straight line.Nothing changes, the whole game!
  
  SOUND:
  
  ok,the sound is the half of the fun you have in the game.It's very amazing and somtimes you'll be hooked :-)
  
  I thing Doom III is like a Ghosthouse in the Funpark.If you come out and get in again you'll won't have fun annimore because you know it.
  
  All the People who hail to the game loves those straight line games like this or doesn't even played it.
  But in this times i expect a bit more inovation from a game which
  takes over 4 years to be finished.
  All the people who won't to buy it only of course the graphic and gorefactor should check out ebay or buy it used.Those people who pay the fullprice will be disapointed.
  
  A Review from Germany
  
  
• HELL ON MARS - DOOM 3
  By AOAW5ARGQWSCY on 2004-08-09
  I've been anticipating this game for quite a while now, hoping that it would be all that I heard it was going to be. Am I satisifed. Bet your #!@.
  
  GRAPHICS: The graphics are second to none. Absolutely the best I've ever seen. (And my PC will only run it on medium detail). They are eerie, atmospheric and overall, smooth and interesting. The humans look excellent and the monsters look outrageous. Being that the game so dark, however, you really aren't able to see that much of the level design. (Though what you do see is very cool). The cutscenes are very well done and a pleasure to watch.
  
  STORY: The story is very cool and interesting. When I play - I'm interested in watching the cutscenes and interested in what's going on. The story is pretty easy to follow and the dialogue acting is pretty well done.
  
  GAMEPLAY: Here is my only complaint with the game. The game can be kind of repetitive. It sticks to a pretty basic FPS outline. Go in room, clear room, get items in room, move on to next room. There are some variants to that formula, but not a lot. Otherwise, it plays just like a classic FPS. The game is definetely a blast to play. The atmosphere to this game is the best I've ever seen. This game is creepy, really creepy. Sometimes, when you go into a room, the lights will just go out and an evil laugh and then... you get the idea.
  
  SOUND: There are some really creepy sounds in the game, some really scary random noises. There isn't really much music in the game, but what sound there is sounds really good. Especially with the 5.1 that the game comes with. The noises the monsters make are pretty scary too.
  
  OVERALL: This game is awesome. The complaints I have are rather minor when you compare it to how much fun this game is to play. Graphically it is the best I've seen to date. (8/9/04). And it is also the scariest game ever. I've jumped playing it on several occassions. The atmosphere is so good that it just puts you right there. You feel truly immersed. (At least I do!)
  
  Taking into consideration my complaints about the repetitiveness - Also, the weapons could have been a little better designed and sounding. They don't sound that incredible and they could have added a few better ones. But another positive note I want to add is that the interface in this game is one of the best I've ever seen. Very user friendly and very well arranged. So hats off for that.
  
  Taking everything into consideration, my final grade is: A-
  
  PC Note* - Have a damn good one. lol.
  
  
• Boring, outdated - big yawn!
  By A18EC4GPEXFJ6E on 2004-08-27
  I've read the reviews which support this game for it's atmospheric dark looks, the use of the flashlight, the weapons, blah, blah - but this game is just absolutely boring.
  The graphics aren't all that (yes running it on good machine but it seems a case of the emperors new clothes), the monsters suck...they just come walking or leaping towards you, the weapons aren't even fun to use.
  The only thing I can applaud is Activisions sales - by not releasing a demo version they managed to make a lot more money out of people like myself, who would have taken one look and seen what a mediocre game this was for the $50+ price tag.
  Loved the first Doom's, loved Half-life, Battlefields, etc - and will go on playing them, Doom 3 I've sold already at a $35 loss.
  Big yawn.
  
  
• Good but not great
  By A14QNO4ZUWADO0 on 2004-10-25
  To make my review hopefully useful to you, I'll keep it short and to the point. Like many others I have followed the Wolfenstein and Doom progression over the years and I too got caught up in the hype surrounding this game. For me, any PFS is about 3 things; graphics, sound and gameplay. Yes, the graphics are very detailed and life like, but the levels all look very similar and after a while I wished they'd added some variety. The sounds are standard fare, low droning noise, industrial clanks and clonks, distant screaming, whispered voices, etc. etc. Yawn. Yes, it does create an atmosphere of suspense and drama, but like the graphics, after a while I yearned for some variation. The gameplay is the weakest aspect. It's linear which means there's only one way to get somewhere or achieve something. Pity. Also, nearly everything you come up against is triggered by you. Pick up some ammo, enter creature stage left. Locate the required PDA, enter monster stage right. Yawn. What about some realtime events? What about some random events? What about turning the lights on? It's way too dark and after a while that gets irritating. Doom 3 is good, but does not live up to the hype. For me, the most engaging FPS so far is Half-Life and the best FPS shooter overall is Deus EX. Just my opinion. If you desperately need Doom 3 to check it out for yourself, wait a few months for the price to drop. Let's hope HL2 does live up to its hype!
  
  
• Only losers give 5 stars to games they haven't played
  By A30OPRGSHPOLRJ on 2004-07-22
  C'mon dudes. My review title says it all. So mark this review as unhelpful just like all the other useless reviews by people who have nothing better to do than assume it will be "awesome dude"
  
  

• PC Gamer (1-year)
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional FULL VERSION with SP2
• ACT! 2005 [Old Version]
• Halo: Combat Evolved

• Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil Expansion Pack
• Quake 4
• Far Cry
• Halo: Combat Evolved
• F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon