DOOM 3

PN Review continued... Wishlist There are obviously potential game elements that could have improved Doom 3 and the id team possibly even considered many of these, but discarded them for whatever reason. So, if some nice-to-have goodies were never intended to be part of the game, it's probably not fair to point these out now. Still, besides the problem I have with Doom 3's boss monsters, there are a few other things I would have liked to see while playing - the lack of these in no way spoils the game for me, but their inclusion would definitely have enhanced my experience of Doom 3. Doom 3's eerie settings are imposing & atmospheric. First and foremost on my wishlist is an automap (or any map, for that matter) as one of the resources at the player's disposal. This is a crucial element in all previous Doom games, but was seemingly dropped by id altogether as their games progressed from 2.5D to true-3D. When Quake was produced, the argument against it also having a map was apparently that it is difficult to show multi-layered 3D architecture in a simple 2D schematic... Of course, Doom 3's technology should have allowed for something as involved as a rotatable wireframe model of the particular level in which a player found himself. This could have been integrated into the PDA or might have appeared on the interactive screens the player finds throughout the base. Not including a map (except a single static one in the Delta Labs lobby) means that the id designers probably felt that it wouldn't have served a purpose: progression through a level is linear, so the player rarely wonders where he should go next. Also, most demons teleport in from seemingly nowhere, so they wouldn't be expected to show up earlier on something like a "radar map" (a la Far Cry or the Aliens games). Over and above its practical use, there is at least one other reason why a map would have been a good thing in Doom 3: in the earlier Doom series it contributes greatly to one's feeling of being inside a huge maze of linked corridors and rooms - seeing the various parts of a level stretching off into different directions really heightened the sense of exploration and anticipation for me. Interestingly, its seems that a PDA automap was worked on in the earlier development stages of Doom 3, but it got the chop along the way... Avoiding monsters by stealth is not possible... Next, I would have liked it if there were more variation to the ways in which the attacking hordes of monsters could be eliminated or avoided altogether. This would probably have meant a radical change to Doom 3's overall style of basic FPS gameplay, but a bit of stealth or strategy to deal with some enemies (or maybe just the bosses) would have been a welcome change to the endless gunfights the game forces on the player. There are obviously many possibilities, but here's one potential scenario of how Doom 3 might have worked: The entire weapons arsenal a player can collect is much smaller and also weaker, maybe including just five types of smallish guns & explosives - losing the comforting reassurance a rocket launcher or BFG gives, this would increase the player's feeling of vulnerability (as demonstrated early in the actual game, when all one has to fend off attacking zombies is a small pistol). Next, the player has a portable radar that scans for life forms (friend or foe), he can access a map through his PDA and can also use security cameras (already in the game) to monitor areas - all this to plan ahead and possibly sneak past some demons, instead of just blundering ahead aimlessly, guns at the ready. Also, Doom 3 already includes some machinery that could work well as improvised weapons: cranes, grappling arms, lifts, airlocks, a huge scientific laser and teleportals - all things that could potentially dispatch demons en masse. The robot sentries could also play a bigger role, maybe being remote-controllable to kill enemies from a safe distance or to scout ahead with a mini-cam or demon scanner. The above would have moved Doom 3 away from simple shooter action in the direction of an FPS-hybrid like System Shock 2 (which it already resembles to an extent), but maybe the mod community or other game companies will try something like this now that Doom 3's technology is available for further development. Next Page >

PN Game Reviews: Doom 3 > 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9

Doom 3 versus Half-Life 2, PC game review, review of Doom 3 vs Half-Life 2, fps games, 3-D graphics, 3D games, 3-D shooter, first person shooters, single player. PC games, best FPS ever, best game of 2004, best FPS of 2005. Doom3 sucks, HalfLife 2 sucks, screen shots, old Doom 1993, Half Life 1998. Id Software, Valve, Steam, Source. Quake 3 engine, FarCry, Pain-killer, Medal of Honour Allied Assault, Call of Duty, Thief 3 - Deadly Shadows, Chronicles of Riddick - Escape from Butcher Bay, System Shock 1994. Mars base, Hell, Alien movie, Ravenholm, Zombie.
Tired of games? Check out Photo Nudes...