In terms of a general first person shooter,
Doom 3 holds its own with the best of them. In terms of gameplay,
Doom 3 has one of the best single-player FPS experiences around. The entire time I had the controller in my hand, I could
see,
feel, and
hear the environment like no other game on the market. I was drawn into the game so much that I think my stress level actually rose every time I peered around the next corner.
Doom 3 is quite possibly the scariest game I’ve ever played in my life. As a huge horror movie fan, it takes a lot to get me to jump. But the element of surprise got me not once, not even twice; I jumped out of my seat multiple times because the game completely engulfs the player, then hides baddies around every corner, nook, and cranny. And just when you think you’ve cleared a room from evil, you hear a faint noise from behind, turn to check it out, and realize there’s a zombie about to use your head as a chew toy. The use of light and dark is what does it. Equipped with a flashlight, you have to use it on a regular basis because many areas are pitch black.
The only real downfall to picking up Doom 3 for the Xbox comes for those who have played the game on the PC. Since this is essentially the same game, you really have nothing new to uncover. And since the graphics aren’t quite as impressive as its PC cousin (due to hardware limitations), you may be disappointed. However, if you don’t play a lot of PC shooters, you may feel more comfortable with a controller in your hands. And of course, for those who have the audio system to support it, Doom 3 is a must-have title.
Doom 3 also comes packed with multiplayer mayhem. Whether you system link or take the game onto Xbox Live, you’re treated with updated graphics, but the same-old Doom formula. And if you’re fortunate enough to pick up the Limited Collector’s Edition of the game, you can play the single-player and multiplayer (split-screen only) versions of the original Ultimate Doom and Doom II. It’s amazing how far games have come in such little time.
