Doom 3 is one of the most hyped games of the last several years. For two E3s we’ve seen various videos and images that have sent a shockwave through the gaming community. How could they not, after all, considering the brand new graphics engine that the game features?

Now that it’s finally been released, could it really stand up to the hype? It is an all too common occurrence for anything that has been talked about this long to not stand up to the intense expectations. Well, Doom 3 beats the odds and is easily one of the most engaging and utterly terrifying games in the last several years.

If you’ve never played the original early 90’s title, then stop reading this and go back to Dance Dance Revolution and never call yourself a gamer again. For the rest of you… this is a “remake” of the original. I say that lightly because other than the very small plot resemblance, this is an all new game. You’re a Marine who’s been sent to a Mars research base. As you walk around in the intro level, you meet some characters and catch on that there is just something a little wrong going through the base. Everyone is aware of the spooks, but go on with their daily lives anyhow.

Granted, this lasts all of 10 minutes. You go where you’re told; to get a scientist… when hell breaks loose. Cliché as it is, I’m just going to go ahead and say it. Literally. You hear a demonic laugh and fire and lightning erupt from the ground and Satan’s armies unleash.

The first thing you’ll notice about hell is just how great it looks. As the power goes out, the entire base it littered with shadows and darkness at every turn. As we’ve all been hearing for months now, Doom 3 really does have the best graphics of any game released on the market. What is nice, though, is just how accessible the video options are. Id has made it so that even people who still run their old MX card can play the game in some way or form. My Radeon 9800 Pro 256 does an excellent job showing off what is possible from this game. However, even it cannot push the game to its max. Supposedly my “ideal set up” is 800x600 on High quality. Well, I refuse to accept that nonsense. After much experimentation, I have found that 1280x1024 on high settings is the best I can do and still have it run without a single hitch. However, if you can, run this game on Ultra settings for at least one level. It will blow your mind.

At the beginning, you have only two choices when it comes to weapons; a pistol… or your flashlight. We all knew this going in, but it is rather surprising just how well it works. The flashlight does an amazing job of raising the tension as you can only see what its concentrated beam illuminates. Since it’s early in the game, you don’t really worry too much about the enemies as most are slow, unarmed base workers who now know what it feels like to be Linda Blair.

Yet for some reason, they still end up being scary. This has nothing to do with how they look… it has everything to do with the sounds they make. You may take a quick look around a room with your flashlight and see that no one is there. Assuming you’re safe, you wander in looking for some ammo. Suddenly your sub starts to kick in and you hear a very light moaning. As you approach its source you hear the desperate words, “Help me” come echoing from a dark corner. I can take a lot, but the first time this happened I admit I let a little yelp out. And no, you don’t end up saving anyone. It’s just good ‘ol Satan messing with your mind. Unlike almost any game I have ever played, Doom 3 does not work at all if you have a terrible sound system. A decent sub is almost key to utilizing this game. If you have surround sound, you are in for the ride of your life. Creaks, eerie rumblings, cries of pain, explosions, and demonic laughing will erupt from all around you and suddenly even the wind blowing out your window makes you jump.

Now that I’ve finished drooling over the presentation of the game (did I mention it’s flawless…?), I guess I may as well give some insight into the gameplay. This IS a game, after all, and not just a movie. There is a slight problem when it comes to how people will absorb the game. It really has no depth whatsoever. There are no puzzles to solve, no plot twists, and no interesting dialogue to follow (other than some really creepy messages left in the PDAs. Listen to them all.). No, id has decided to make their game a true homage to the games of yesteryear. If a door is locked, find the key. If you’re surrounded by 3 imps, fire like a maniac. For some, this is often considered unacceptable. With so much innovation in the gaming world, many expected some new elements to come with the pretty package. There aren’t any. You know what? I love it. I think id made the absolute perfect choice.

Call me crazy, but I hate smart AI. I really do. If I want to fight someone who can use tons of strategy against me, I’ll play multiplayer. When I load up an action single player game, I want my enemies to use the classic tactic we all know; overpowering force. This is, I suppose, the reason I love this game the most. The demons are morons. They don’t hide, and they don’t work to surround me. They see me and they charge. Hell has some tricks up its sleeve, but nothing so unpredictable that it makes me violent. The opposing strategy belongs to a single entity in the game; the devil. Lights will go out, demons will spawn in dark corners, and 10 enemies will attack at once. That is the extent of their intelligence. When you die, it isn’t because you didn’t see it coming. It is because you’re hopelessly outnumbered because you A.) ran in with guns blazing, or B.) had the wrong gun out at the wrong time.

As almost all shooters do in this day and age, it comes with multiplayer. However it becomes immediately evident that it is somewhat tacked on. There are only the most basic of modes, and even those aren’t as exciting as they could be. Deathmatch is exactly what you expect, but without demons, the game loses all of its shock value and suddenly blends in with all other shooters. Not to say it isn’t fun, but it just doesn’t last too long. I set up a LAN with everyone attending having the hopes of playing Doom 3 all night. Two hours later, we were already on to other games. It was fun, but nothing special.

An Xbox version is on its way, so those of you without a gaming computer need not worry. In fact, the console version features one mode that would have made me jump like a little school girl had they included it with the PC… co-op. Why the hell they didn’t add this now is beyond me. I can imagine nothing as fun as creeping through the single player game with one guy holding the flashlight and the other preparing to scratch his itchy trigger finger.

Regardless, I can’t help but recommend this game. I realize that the deep gamer won’t get much out of it, and that those who are easily scared may not sleep for a night or two, but no matter what, it is a game that just has to be played to be believed. Doom 3 is an event… a game that will go down as one of the scariest experiences known to PC users. Some parts are so terrifying that I wound up playing them several times just because I got such a thrill out of it.

As it isn’t perfectly rounded, I can’t give the game a perfect score. In fact, my disappointment with the multiplayer almost made me lose some respect for the game. Thankfully, the single player is easily the most enjoyable experience I have had in a very long time. In the end, the fun factor is what makes a game… but amazing graphics don’t exactly hurt.