Review: Doom 3
(id Software)

by Luis Levy
Staff Writer

The original game in the trilogy (Doom, 1993) is regarded as a major breakthrough in the computer gaming industry, updating and perfecting the format introduced earlier by Wolfenstein 3D. Doom became quite a “killer app” for the PC platform.

This game is real-time all the way. Since your objective is to survive and advance to the next map, everything happens in a very realistic manner. No turns or time limits - usually the case with FPSs.

The market for this game is Gen-X, Gen-X, Gen-X . . . ! This generation is obsessed with “the survival of the fittest” and “trust no one” lifestyles; Doom 3 is the perfect vehicle for that. Also, this generation played the first game when teenagers, which gives room to a revival of that game today. This is the “nostalgia effect," which is sending shockwaves through the industry right now. It’s almost the same thing as buying that car you dreamed about when sixteen, at forty; only that, instead of being an old car, the owner now spends tens of thousands in the restoration – the “new old car” is actually better than it ever was.

Doom 3 earns its M rating -- overflowing with gore, monsters, brains a-popping and squishy sound effects. id Software knows its public too well public and indulged every horror fan wish of graphic content. The game is pretty scary and has full potential to prevent some people from ever having a good night’s sleep again.

Without the “god” cheat, it’s almost impossible to play for 20 minutes straight (without loading a save-game), often because ammo is scarce and the game is so bloody dark. Monsters usually hid themselves in dark corners and show up in the most unexpected places. Understanding the game’s logic is troublesome too – I was lost at least 3 times, not knowing what to do or where to go. As for the “fun factor”, blowing up supernatural monsters and zombies will always be fun, no matter what. The punch in most weapons is satisfying and the atmosphere of doom (no pun intended) makes everything more enjoyable. The only problem is the all-too-simple gameplay and the linear, character-less storyline, which doesn’t work as a game and wouldn’t work as a movie either. It’s Doom all over again, with the endless pursuit of keys and serial monster mashing.

The game shines in the audio department, probably because of extreme good taste and a fat budget. Weapons sounds are nice, real, future-oriented and gutsy at the same time. Monster noises are efficiently unnerving too, which scared me many, many times. All the other sounds – environment and foley (doors, terminal screens, etc) – make a good impression of a “sci-fi horror movie” in the tradition of Alien and The Predator.

However, the game just didn’t work for me in the character development department. You don’t care about the people in the game, because:

a) 99% are fat zombies

b) you don’t see their faces or hear anyone properly talking to the player

c) email will ALWAYS be cold

d) voice memos are boring and too “generic”

Another big problem is the main character – the Doom Guy. We don’t know anything about him; he’s not even an archetype, since they couldn’t manage to follow the Hero’s Journey. In terms of Drama, the game is stale as a Jerry Bruckheimer flick.