As a marine sent to the Union Aerospace Corporation ’s Martian facility , you ’re prepared for another quotidian security detail . But almost the second you step onto the base , it ’s clear that thing are n’t right . People are go gaga . People aredying . The next thing you bed , all underworld is breaking loose — quite literally .
Welcome to Doom 3 , a terrifying first - person shooter that taps into a primal fear : being trapped in the dark with something menacing . I previewed an early release of the game in the February 2005 issue . It ’s now out and deserving a look — as long as your system of rules can handle it .
Doom 3 is basically a retelling of the first game in the Doom series . But while the canonical plot may be familiar , the game is all new — powered by a game locomotive engine the likes of which we ’ve never seen on the Mac before .
Doom 3 uses every Hollywood magic in the record to evoke a nearly changeless sense of dread : You spend much of your time in the darkness , searching with a flashlight or listen for the next hideous creature . The game is chock - full of the sickening , most commove zoo of beasts , lusus naturae , and reanimated cadaver you ’ve ever seen in a game — and they all move with shameful fluidity and reality .
The game ’s creepy atmosphere has one big downside : all this running around in the darkness will eventually infuriate you . Apparently there ’s no duct tape on Mars , because our intrepid leatherneck never figures out how to keep his flashlight fixed to whatever weapon he has ready to hand . As a result , you’re able to eitherseethe affair try out to kill you orshootat it . But you ca n’t do both .
The secret plan keeps you busybodied by requiring that you unlock doors , acquire admittance codes , and find alternate routes . Your PDA allow you access audio log , picture discs , and e - ring armour from station personnel , providing you with security clearances and the backstory . But while none of the game gaming is particularly modern , all these plot devices — as well as periodic interstitial successiveness and hallucination — give some much needed depth to the account and keep the action interesting .
The most impressive aspect of Doom 3 is its graphics engine . The lighting and shading capabilities in Doom 3 provide a greater horse sense of realism than we ’ve seen in the yesteryear . When paired with a picture notice that ’s up to the task , the game rewards you with a visual feast . ( We have a full report of Doom 3 ’s carrying into action on the Mac . ) Doom 3 ’s technical merit do come at a price , however . The game requires at least a 1.5GHz G4 and a video card with 64 MB or more of VRAM .
Doom 3 lets you compete with other musician , no matter of platform . A built - in secret plan - observe engine will even help you site and sort online games by eccentric , number of players , reaction time , and other criterion — so you could find the perfect mates .
The Bottom Line
Doom 3 is a technical wonder that ’s intriguing , fun , and really scary . But you might just palpate leave in the dark once too often .
