Conclusion
I’ve been gaming for more years than I care to admit and in that time I’ve played widely praised corkers, I’ve loved undiscovered gems and I’ve loathed hyped up turkeys. Sadly, Doom 3 falls into the latter category. It’s by no means a BAD game, it’s just that its not a GOOD game.
This is a classic case of developer believing their own hype and going for style over content with an outdated idea of what drives the market. Sadder still, I can see various reviewers falling for the hype and hailing Doom 3 as the best thing since sliced baked produce. Sit the game along side the original and this is a stunning piece of gaming software. Play it alongside any of its contempories though, and its shortfalls soon become apparent. Far Cry, the closest, most recent game to compare Doom 3 to, does just about everything better. Sound, graphics, game design, immersion, interactivity… you name it, Far Cry does it better.
Footnote: It’s interesting to note that they are now several third party add-on programs that change some of the niggles I’ve brought up. You can download a fix to now have the torch duct-taped to your weapon, and another which stops enemies fading away once dead. These third party add-ons add a considerable amount to the gameplay and are well worth getting… but the cynic in me can’t help but ask why id didn’t include these options in the original game…
Pros
Superb Graphics engine
Beautifully rendered environments
Great effects
Genuinely scary in places
Doesn’t need an uber-machine to play (but will to get all the bells and whistles going)
Cons
Lacks depth
‘Run and gun’ idea has been done to death
Very linear
Very dark
Poor AI
Weak feeling weapons
‘Surprises’ become predictable
Overall: A superb graphics engine looking for a game.
