8.0

DOOM 3 BFG EDITION

I loved this game when it first came out, and was thrilled to see it released for the PS3. id software and Bethesda pulled out all the stops on this revamp, putting out a title packed with extras which looks great and still manages to scare the #$@* out of me!

This version of the game is called the BFG edition and packs a whole swath of goodies into a pretty awesome bundle at a great price. Even gamers who have played this in the past like yours truly will find new things to really enjoy about this version of the game!

First things first, the game has had a total graphic overhaul and looks awesome. There was nothing really that I could fault about the look; sure some of the characters look like oversized gorillas with huge hands but this is not a new game by any stretch. It's simply dressed up for a new audience that should appreciate the thrills and spills that this game is going to provide.

The storyline to Doom 3 is pretty neat. You are the lone marine who against all odds has been sent to the planet Mars to run work security for the UAC Corporation who are running all sorts of tests on the red planet. Of course things go terribly wrong, and a portal to hell is opened. Practically everyone on the base has been killed or possessed by demonic forces and this is where you have to make your way through the base, survive, and work out just what the heck happened.

This BFG version of the game has additional levels built into it, called the Lost Mission. The add on pack from back in the day "Resurrection of Evil" is there also making this a very well rounded version of the game. I will stress again that this is a game that debuted I believe in about 2004, it's not pretending to be a new game by any stretch, nor have I seen it sold at anything resembling a new games price.

I'm reviewing this title with those factors solidly in my mind, and you should too before making the important decision to part with your money. Its been prettied up for a modern audience and works a treat on the PS3 which is all that it really has to do.

There are many parts to the game that do harken back to its PC roots, such as a lack of regular auto-saves which will make you damn sure that you save a lot as you can be backed into a corner that you can't fight out of if you die with little health around your last save. There is a checkpoint save system featured in the title but it could have occurred more regularly as far as I was concerned.

The graphics on this game are something to be reckoned with considering that they are overhauled from what can be considered an "old" game now. I loved the look and feel of the game back then and my feelings have not changed about it now. One thing that you can rest assured about with id is that they have created some of the most messed up monsters in gaming today and the creatures that you are going to face in Doom 3 are no exception. They are truly horrific and will have your marine backing off in horror as you madly shoot into the hellish hordes that quite simply want you dead or worse; one of them.

The enemies come thick and fast in this game and whilst not featuring an advanced cover system like more recent titles, they pour out of the darkness with enough randomness that you feel mighty twitchy playing the game. An ambient soundtrack only enhances the dread you feel as your flashlight slowly loses power and dies, leaving you alone in the dark with the sure knowledge that there must be something behind you..... Is that breathing you hear? Is it in the game or is it your own breath accompanied by the pounding of your heart? Yes, even after all these years, Doom 3 will still surprise even the most jaded of young players with a number of frights.

Add to the good time that you are going to have with the primary title the fact that both Doom and Doom 2 are included with this bundle and you are dealing with a massive gaming experience. Yes these games are old as the hills, yes they are all pixelated, and yes if they didn't exist you wouldn't be playing all the shooters that you know and love today. id software created the first person shooter as far as I'm concerned and gamers today owe this company a pretty massive debt of gratitude.

I'm happy to give this title such a solid score based on just how much fun it is and how little is wrong with it. Sprinkle in the fact that it's a polished older game that is packed full of fun and there will be little reason why gamers won't be fighting their way through a hellishly altered version of Mars for quite some time to come.

Highly Recommended.