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Doom 3 Xbox Activision  I spent many a night staying up playing 'Doom' on my friend's dad's old 486 computer. It was this wonderful blood-filled gorefest, and we were hell-bent on filling the screen with the bloodied bodies of Hells minions as we battled our way across Mars. It didn't matter why we were there, or how Hell had appeared on Mars,: this was as good as gaming got (until we figured out how to play it networked, and then the REAL fun began...). 'Doom 3' is a recreation of that seminal game, putting you in the role of that ill-fated nameless marine on Mars. This time, the fierce battles with the minions of hell have been supplemented with a more in-depth story and greater incentive to explore the Martian base. As you move through the base, you'll locate various PDAs located around the base. These are keys which open certain areas and contain snippets of information which can help you in your mission, such as codes to unlock lockers and the previous owner's voice logs which detail the strange behaviours and events that are taking place within the Martian base, helping immerse you in the mood of the game. The PDAs can be lowered, and you can still hear the voice logs play as you move about. Also as you move about you can interact with computer stations and doors. Unlike other games where interaction with objects loads another screen, the interaction with computers and keyboards and input keys is seamless. Look at a keypad and your crosshair turns into a pointer to click on the numbers. 'Doom 3' is also very atmospheric. The space station creaks and clangs and groans around you, things hiss and sizzle and bang, and you're never sure if that noise is merely background or an approaching demon. Adding to this ominous atmosphere is the lighting: 'Doom 3' is one of the most beautiful games you'll never see. The darkness is black as the ace of spades, and you're in it most of the time. The use of the torch caused some contention with the PC version, and it hasn't been altered here - you use a weapon or torch, but not both. Luckily you can very quickly change from torch to weapon when the inevitable ghoulie jumps out at you, scaring you witless. The exterior locations are also wonderful, especially the Martian landscape. Of course, it's not all exploration and if you've played any first person shooter you've played 'Doom 3'; and this is the game's downfall. The shooting feels generic, especially in later levels. As you progress, you'll notice a pattern forming - see a powerup such as armour or a bigger weapon - and you know the area you're in will lock and enemies spawn in. Wash, rinse, and repeat. The Xbox features the usual Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch multiplayer modes, and these too are fairly average given the range of excellent shooters in the Xbox library. However, it also features a cooperative mode, where you team up and battle Hells' minions with a friend. This mode is fabulous, adding an extra dimension to the single player levels. You can have a friend search the dark with his torch whilst you provide the firepower. 'Doom 3' is a great game let down by the repetitive later levels. It looks and sounds fantastic, and early on creates a very ominous and claustrophobic atmosphere, but you'll soon learn the cues before certain things happen. This is offset by the great co-operative play on Live, System Link or with two controllers, and until you reach the final levels you'll have quite a fun time.  |
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