DOOM 3

PN Review continued... Doom 3 is already a very frightening experience, but I noted some instances where id could maybe have upped the ante even more. As mentioned above, early on in the game (just after the hellish invasion) I felt extremely vulnerable with only a puny handgun as a weapon, but by the time I had the BFG and Soul Cube the monsters became much less of a psychological threat. Trying to play as far into the game as possible with only a pistol or chainsaw would probably be a good way to try and sustain the suspense and test one's nerve, but this obviously wouldn't work beyond the relatively weak zombie adversaries - bigger enemies require bigger guns to deal with. So, how could id have constantly kept the player on his toes except by means of constant surprise attacks (which in any case become much less of a "surprise" after a while)? Total immersion is crucial for many scary scenes. I think they had the right idea by introducing the occasional "red screen" cut-scene and whispered cries of "Help me!" or similar. But they could have gone further in freaking us out. One example: at several points the player gets to meet and interact a bit with other "good" humans, mostly scientists who give advice or access to weapons caches. Initially, I didn't trust these encounters, expecting a scientist to morph into a zombie as soon as I turned my back on him. If this had actually happened on only one or two occasions, I would probably have felt paranoid about meeting any other humans, no matter how friendly or helpful they appeared. There is one scene involving a lone female whose sobs draw you to her office, but as her sudden demise is presented through a cut-scene this episode is not as unsettling as it could have been. Also, I don't recall many heart-stopping instances where the lights suddenly go out and you find yourself surrounded with zombies or worse. There are a few truly hair-raising scenes, e.g. when you find your first "Berserk" powerup, but generally the scary moments become few and far between as the game progresses. The "they took my baby" scene might have been brilliant if it had included a sudden ghostly glimpse of the woman speaking, but only seeing some bloody footprints wasn't overly shocking. Maybe I would have liked Doom 3 to have been more of an interactive horror movie that scared me witless, but it's ultimately a game where a certain amount of repetition and even predictability is to be expected. Again, this is something the mod community or other developers may improve on. Finally, a personal little issue I have with Doom 3 is its almost total lack of female characters: except for the unfortunate lady mentioned above, we never see any other woman scientist, scantily-clad damsel in distress (I wish) or similar. Maybe the world of Doom 3 is simply too bleak and unforgiving to allow for a softer, feminine presence... Doom 3 is a compelling thrill ride of action & horror. Summary With Doom 3's most important aspects discussed above, I'll make a few closing observations. First off, although it might not be apparent in light of all my earlier comments, I think that Doom 3 is an absolutely great game on several levels. Its sense of realism is almost mind-boggling (especially compared to earlier FPS games) and the involvement and immersion it achieves in some sections is simply sublime. It's one of those games that one just wants to keep on playing with a kind of morbid fascination: at times the excessively gloomy environments can become quite threatening, yet one always wants to continue further, opening the next door and venturing deeper and deeper into the darkest recesses of this disquieting virtual world. There's a certain addictiveness to it all, the kind of primitive thrill one gets from a good horror movie or novel. Any real person who was ever exposed to the depravity and carnage that this game concocts would surely be traumatized for life, but sitting safely at my PC I experienced all the "threats" as not only bearable but surprisingly enjoyable and compelling. Doom 3 sucks you in and doesn't easily let go, probably tapping into things like our basic hunting instincts and subconscious obsession with things unknown. While playing through the game I didn't want it to ever end - and even now I can already picture myself experiencing it all over again in the not-too-distant future.

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

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