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Doom 3
(Standard Edition)
Holy
bloody scary game Batman! I am pleased to tell you all that this is one
game that really needs to be looked at by anyone who enjoys first person
shooters. One of the first things I am going to say is, if you are
looking to make the most out of this game, make sure you RUN, yes RUN to
your games shop and get the limited collectors edition of this game for
reasons that I will discuss later in the review. But trust me, stop
reading now because if you are still reading you might just miss out on
the superior version of the game.
For
those with their heads up their bums, Doom is the game that most of us
remember as being the game that made us really stop and take notice of
this new genre after the success of Wolfenstein. Doom was the first time
a game truly had me scared as I battled against a pixelated army from
hell. In any case I digress into the blissful past where the 486 reigned
supreme.
We are
covering the standard edition of this title however I can let you in on
what you are missing in the collectors edition. First things first, this
game is an absolute dream to play, when it comes to gameplay and all
round quality, everything in this title is going to make you very very
glad that you bought it. In fact, I'd go so far to say that this is one
of the best releases for XBox this year and possibly to date with a few
noted exceptions that you can read about on the other pages of this
website.
You
are once again an unamed marine that has been sent on detachment to the
Union Aerospace Corporation on Mars where a number of highly
questionable and unethical experiments have taken place. One experiment
involving travelling through portals has lead the scientific team
directly into hell. People are going missing with explanation,
mysterious laughs and voices are echoing down the halls. Tensions are
high and everyone just wants off the planet just as quickly as they
can.
Just
in case you didn't know, this version of Doom 3 is a port from the PC
version of the game but with a truckload more spice to make it twice as
nice, well the Deluxe edition anyway. Vicarious Visions have done an
amazing job of transferring this awesome game from the PC to the popular
XBox format. There have been some changes made to the game to deal with
the format that the title is running on but unless you are a fanatic
player of the PC version you are not going to notice little bits and
pieces that have been altered. Possibly the most striking difference
would have to be that you do not venture outside during the game,
unlike on the PC which personally I did not care for anyway. The
amounts of time that we did so were limited and are really not going to
be missed in the greater scheme of things.
The
feeling of being at your wits end during this game is fantastically
realised throughout it's entirety and there are very few times where you
won't be on edge and turning around sharply at every noise that comes
out from behind you! Audio plays a massive part in this title and quite
frankly scared the pants out of me for the entire game!!!!! From the
scary sounds that constantly pervade every single imaginable environment
that you will traverse through. Creature sound effects are amazing and
what I found scariest of all was the intermittent blasts of garbled
static coming out from your radio headset. Music is a rock type
soundtrack that suits the mood perfectly and frankly from the experience
I've had playing this game, audio has got one of the most immersive uses
that I've had the pleasure to come across.
Graphically this game is a treat as well and seriously would have to be
the best looking game currently on the XBox. Ironically when I started
the title and the game started playing the little intro movie at the
beginning, I cringed when I saw the pixellation and the lag and despair
sunk in, thinking that it was all too good to be true. Tough it out my
young friends as it's just a crappy compressed film and everything else
about the title is all top notch. Animations you see in this game, have
to be seen to be believed and overall the title staggered me from start
to finish. Fluid movement, brilliant graphics and one of the scariest
shooters on the market. In fact I'll correct myself here, this is
currently the scariest shooter on the market hands down.
I'm
not the sort of guy who normally comments too much upon the online side
of things when reviewing a title unless it is online only. I am of the
firm belief that if a title cannot hold it's own being played at home by
yourself, then I simply am not going to give it the time of day to see
what it does online. Doom 3 was different. Why? On the standard edition
of the game, it's the only way that you can play co-op without a system
link cable, another XBox and TV. You still need it this way too but at
least your chances increase when you are buddied up with someone online.
Co op is sweet and although a little bit of stuff is cut out, it's still
all good. Of course there are the obligatory deathmatch modules et al
but All things said and done you simply must own this title and I would
strongly urge anyone who is considering this purchase to exhaust all
options on getting the collectors edition before settling for the
standard one.. However before I tell you about that edition here are the
scores for this release.
Postscript: For those of you still reading to find out what is in the
collectors edition, get ready to hold onto your panties as you have most
likely missed out by now. Mass shortages on product meant that many
shops who ordered 40+ copies got only 2 of them. This was the case where
I went and bought the collectors edition after reviewing the standard.
Ability to play split screen on the one TV is supreme, especially in
cooperative mode RULES. Every game should have this feature and I really
don’t get why the standard edition didn’t have this. Not everyone’s
buddy has an Xbox, TV and either a live account or the ability to drag
their stuff over to your house just so they can play.
There
are photos, interviews and everything that you could possibly wish to
have in a special edition, however apart from the split screen option
there is also the option to go old skool and play the original doom and
doom 2! Single Player & Cooperative, these babies are here to have a ton
of fun with.
I just
wish I could work out how to split the screens vertically as currently
they are horizontally split. But that’s just me and I am outtie. Here
are the scores for the Collectors Edition
Gameplay 10
Graphics 9.7
Audio
9.7
Value
10
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