Tense Encounter

By Alex McLain

I'll put it bluntly. DOOM 3 is the scariest book, film, and game I have ever had the "pleasure" to experience. It's that simple.

No other nugget of entertainment has ever had me wound so tight I had to remind myself to breathe. No horror or suspense movie has ever left me as bodily exhausted as a three-hour sit-down with DOOM 3 has. No other game has instilled the sense of claustrophobic terror that DOOM 3 has mastered, and no sci-fi book, film, or game has ever left me so utterly disturbed and witless.

DOOM 3 is no game in the leisurely laid-back sense of the term. Instead, it provides what can only be called an "experience". It is its own unique breed of game that is so perfect in its execution that the term first-person shooter (FPS) seems to no longer apply.

DOOM 3 is much more than a shooter—it's a first-person nightmare that needs to be "played" to be believed.

I'd be ticked to be that ugly, too.

For a fuller explanation of the wonders of DOOM 3's presentation. For a more practical explanation of what DOOM 3 offers, read on.

For the Uninitiated
For the select few that are unaware of the DOOM phenomenon, let me sum up. The original DOOM took place on a scientific outpost on the surface of Phobos, one of Mars' several moons. You played as a nameless and voiceless marine (a tradition that continues in DOOM 3) that came onboard to assist in the investigation of some rather curious goings-on.

Mere moments into your experience, you realize that the "research" being performed at the Mars installation has brought forth some rather demonic results—the planet and Hell itself have merged.

DOOM 3 is an extension of that game nearly in title only, for we could much more accurately call it a re-imagining rather than a true sequel. DOOM 3 tells the now classic first game's story in a way that could not have been imagined in years past.

Once again, you'll find yourself the nameless space marine landing at the Union Aerospace Corporation’s (UAC) Mars research facility to lend a hand, only to find yourself witness to the beginning of the demonic horror that is being unleashed upon the facility. However, DOOM 3 uses the best of today's technology to such a startling effect that even veterans of the original can scarcely imagine how fresh the retelling can be.

Ah! Run!

Such a Simple Concept
While technical bells and whistles are evident in all facets of id Software's masterpiece, it is a simple design choice that gives this game an edge on the tension front. When all Hell literally breaks loose in the facility, you quickly realize that you can only use one thing at a time. This means, you can choose to have your flashlight out or a weapon … but not both.

Shuffle through the deep black shadows of a possessed environment; hear the muffled screams of fallen comrades, the shocked and horrified pleadings of a wayward scientist, and the almost chanting whispers from the ether taunting and cackling at you; and clutch your pistol in your sweaty hand, the lights around you clink off one by one.

You'll hear the scuttling about you and find that simple decision to be enormously important. The shadows are alive with a very real evil … but how will you choose to be prepared?

Yes, that's an explosive barrel in the background.

Gifts for the Xbox
If you'll pardon a moment of editorializing, I would say that id Software has taken its damn sweet time coming out with the Xbox version of the PC blockbuster—but I'm now learning why. DOOM 3 is no simple port. No, indeed. While the foundation of the PC version is intact, it's also been greatly expanded for the Xbox version. Xbox-only features include:

• Co-op: You can now experience a redesigned single-player campaign with a friend, as you both set out to beat back the minions together in a fully implemented cooperative mode. This should also introduce a new element of tension, as you have to worry about more than just yourself this time around.
• Xbox Live™: Yes, the PC version contains online multiplayer as well, but as we all know, there's a line of distinction between an online experience and an Xbox Live experience.
• Widescreen, Progressive Scan, and Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound: My snooty PC brethren can have their flat-screen, 21-inch monitors. I'd rather have my 51-inch widescreen TV with progressive scan and surround sound from the comfort of my couch any day—and DOOM 3 will support every last bit of it, including true widescreen.

DOOM 3 is a technical masterpiece, but it's also brilliantly designed and paced and so full of rich detail that it can only be compared to the very best that the industry has to offer. Even then, it has few equals.

It must be seen and heard in motion to be truly experienced, and you'll be able to do just that this April. I'd say enjoy, but you might be better served with: Prepare yourself.