DOOM 3

IN THE FIVE-PLUS YEARS GameSpy's been open for business, DOOM 3 may be the hardest game I've ever had to review. And, in some ways, it's also been the easiest. Confused? You shouldn't be, because DOOM 3 is a game of opposites. It's simultaneously innovative and derivative, and it's a game, I suspect, that gamers will either love or hate, with little space in between. At the end of the day, however, DOOM 3 marries amazing technology and top-notch production values with a presentation on the level of classics like Half-Life and System Shock 2, and ends up a terror-inspiring journey that's also one of the more enjoyable epics we've played in recent years.

DOOM 3 is a "retelling" of the original DOOM, in which you play a lone unnamed space marine on Mars single-handedly fighting off the forces of Hell. Make no mistake, however: this is no fast-paced shoot-em-up with hordes of enemies coming at you from every direction. DOOM 3 is a methodically paced shooter, shrouded in shadows, where you fight tooth and nail for every inch of real estate you can get.

The game's structure will undoubtedly remind many players of Half-Life. It's the year 2145, and you've just arrived on Mars for your new assignment at a research facility of the Union Aerospace Corporation. After you land, you're given some time to wander around and soak in the surroundings, during which you interact with other characters who talk about strange goings-on. There's an amazing amount of detail in these opening areas, and it's worth taking your time to explore before reporting to your CO for your first official assignment, as it's the last moment of peace you'll have for a while.


As you make your way through the game's prologue, there's an air of nervousness that permeates all the characters, and the mystery -- what's going on here? -- begins to build. Inevitably, Something Bad Happens (TM), and when strange demons begin attacking from every direction, you soon realize that you're the only thing standing between Hell and Earth. Over the game's 27 levels (which will take most players well over 20 hours to complete), you'll slowly put together pieces of the puzzle and figure out what's going on.

Dancing in the Dark

After a few years of seeing DOOM 3 through a handful of screenshots and movies, watching the game in motion on your own PC is a sight to behold. As you can see from our own screenshots, the character models are rendered with astounding detail, but it's the dynamic lighting that really steals the show. Unlike DOOM 3's advanced physics system, which plays a fairly minor role in the game, the lighting and shadows are completely intertwined with the gameplay every step of the way -- the game is extremely dark, and you never really know what might be lurking up ahead. Your only ally at this point is your flashlight, which requires that you lower your weapons to use. While this might seem irritating at first, you soon develop a unique rhythm where you sweep your flashlight across each new area, scouting out potential trouble spots before switching back to your weapons and moving in cautiously.


While the cutting-edge graphics are indeed impressive, it was the presentation of DOOM 3's world and story that I enjoyed the most and kept me hooked. Early in the game, you're issued a Personal Data Assistant (PDA) that can store emails, audio logs, security codes and other bits of data. As you find other PDAs strewn among all the dead bodies throughout the facility, you get a glimpse into the mindsets of the base's former inhabitants in the weeks leading up to your arrival.

This is a game mechanic that's worked extremely well in games like TRON 2.0 and System Shock 2, and it works equally well here: some characters are panicked, some are mired in political struggles, and some are just Average Joes trying to do their job. Amidst tense emails and audio logs describing strange voices, missing technology, and rumors of ghosts, there are also fairly lighthearted messages that talk about that weird guy who works down in Delta Labs or Quake 43 (right, like they'd ever have that done by 2145). Occasional cutscenes (rendered within the game's engine) help round out the story, and are presented at a perfect pace. When all is said and done, it's still a pretty basic sci-fi story, but in DOOM 3, presentation is everything.