Doom 4!

[Pluck101]

Seeing as Doom was my very first video-game (SNES port For the Win!) i still have very hopes for Doom4 even after the dissapointment of Doom3. My opinion on Doom III (because everyone is expressing there's on this topic even though the title clearly says "Doom 4!" and not "Doom 3 rant!") is it was a decent game with a dragging feel to the campaign, completely moronic multiplayer, and as for the repetitive texture rant i think that even if you had an unlimited budget (as said in the Doom3 intro explaining the UAC) the last thing you would be worrying about was sprucing up every hallway in your gigantic base on another planet to make you say "ooh, ahh! Thats a real pick-me-up to see this wall different from that one!". but i do agree with the stupidity of having a kick-ass engine that has the ability to render awesome textures... and very little lighting to see the awesome (albeit repetitive) textures. There!

[Enjay]

as for the repetitive texture rant i think that even if you had an unlimited budget (as said in the Doom3 intro explaining the UAC) the last thing you would be worrying about was sprucing up every hallway in your gigantic base on another planet to make you say "ooh, ahh! Thats a real pick-me-up to see this wall different from that one!".

Possibly true. However, the game is not reality. You view the world through a very restricted portal (both in size/FOV and the other things that it can show you - eg, the sights, sounds, details and smells of Alpha sector may be quite different to Delta if you were actually there) so clues to help you orientate yourself need to be more obvious.

Also, remember that a game is supposed to be, first and foremost, fun. It's something that you do for entertainment. If a little reality has to be sacrificed, then so be it. For example, the reality of a day in the field with the army is going to a wood somewhere, setting up an OP (observation post) then sitting there for 8 hours getting cold wet and tired whilst trying not to fall asleep, then having your relief turn up and you just go away again having done nothing all day/night. How many "realistic" military games let you do that though? None. Why? No matter how realistic it would be, it's not fun.

[Sussudio]

I almost didn't finish the Doom3 demo, it was boring as hell and you couldn't see shite, but the real disappointment comes with everything I was expecting would return from classic Doom that never made it, specially the enemies (and what's with the caco looking more like a pain elemental?)

Doom 4? come on, Doom3 wasn't even Doom.

[Firebrand]

Doom 3 is only a game I can only really love to play once. It's not the type of game that I can play several times over and enjoy just as much as the first time, sadly.

I completely agree with you there . I hope Doom4 can fix most of these problems (but I really doubt it myself).

[MartinHowe]

"Doom3 wasn't even Doom"

Exactly - and when it came out my computer of the time couldn't run it anyway.
The only reason to buy Doom3 would be to run HeXen: Edge of Chaos which looks as if it will be awesome.

[PeskySaurus]

screw the haters, doom 3 was fucking fantastic. it didn't compare to the originals though, but i had a blast having to peak my flashlight nervously into corners and then swapping to my gun just in time as my heart jumped. i was also a light weight stoner back then, and i got REALLY REALLY high before playing it, alone at night during a thunderstorm with the lights off.... and it just really made me think... what if there REALLY IS a hell? how would it be that its so awful no mortal can fathom it while on this earth? and the games atmosphere kept that chilling thought process alive. the hell part was kinda dissapoint, but the parts right before it were freaky as SHIT, delta labs and such.

[Paul]

I didn't like Doom3 that much. It was far too linear and albeit the incredible atmosphere and artwork it was a lackluster. A lot to see, but not much to experience. It is a good game to play once and then shelf it as a dust collector, which is the politics for game designers now anyways - the game is bought, money is made so everyone is happy. Ya, except the players seeking really awesome games (that's like uhh 70% of players out there?)

I really hated Doom3 on the beginning of the game. The Alpha Labs were horrendously repetitive, dark and featuring exact monsters. The game really picked me up though in Hell, but it was such an artistic, epic, Dante's version of Hell it didn't amaze me really. It just wasn't scary and cruel enough to be "a true hell" in my honest opinion.

The ENPro plant and Delta Labs were very nicely designed and so were the final areas (the Dig Sites). Combat in general was good, the learning curve was very well established and the weapons were tactical enough to all have situations to use them. Unfortunately a lot of battles were very repetitive - here some monsters, there some monsters, fire, dodge etc. Due to the levels' linearity there was only a single approach to the situation, no need to think a different strategy, which is bad IMO. However the shootout with Cacos in the caverns, or the fight with the Guardian were simply amazing. Ocasional hardened combat with a bunch of enemies were also a nice touch, but like I said it was ocasional.

Story is your usually affair with a scientific experiment going wrong and a space base being overrun by monsters, nothing new or spectacular. There was a nice twist however when you were given the choice to send out a distress call to Earth. Gotta tell you the truth, I knew what Kelly was plotting when he wanted the fleet to get on Mars So I followed Swan's advice, heh. That was one of the more brilliant elements of the game.

Personnal Logs smell of System Shock, but instead of building up atmosphere there's too much to hear and ponder on. Text over form in this case. Plus, Doom 3 is an action game, so an ocasionaly sitting down and listening to someone babbling about some experiments making people have killer headaches are kinda out of place. Plus, a story being uncovered with the use of logs and messages, the further we go the more we know, is good when you DON'T know the final objective. In Doom3 it is evident from the start - Hell invaded Mars, Betruger went nuts, remedy the situation, so what's the point telling what went here and what went there.

Doom3 stands out as a game that is very attractive, like a sexy person, but inside it doesn't have a lot to offer with some cool ideas and a bit of boredom. A Mediocre game in this case with gameplay not far from productions like Unreal, Red Faction and such - move forward and blaze guns. Nothing amazing, but nothing horrendous either. Doom3 obviously was designed to sell well. Did it play well? Well, you have to answer that question yourself. For me it was a nice adventure, but nothing more. Definitely not something you would have expected from the descendant of the game that started the FPS craze.

[Enjay]

A lot to see

... but no way to see it.

Yeah, actually, your last paragraph pretty much sums up Doom3 for me too.

From what PeskySaurus said, it would seem the best way to make Doom3 into a good game is to get stoned before playing it. Other wise, it's just mediocre.

[Pluck101]

lol that should be a new math formula
N+A=F
(Narcotics plus Anything equals Fun)

It could be called the PeskySaurus Therum

[PeskySaurus]

rofl