DOOM 3 – XB – Preview 2


Mars can be a lonely place. It can be even
lonelier when almost all the members of your party are dead. But when you find
out that demons killed your comrades and are intent on traversing back to Earth,
the word “lonely” can be supplanted with the word “terrifying.”

 

Doom III is the retelling of the original
Doom, and is being released by id Software and Activision, and developed by
Vicarious Visions, for the Xbox. The goal in making this title was rather simple
… the intent is “to make your living room the scariest room in the house.” 

 

This game essentially ports the storyline
intact from the PC to the Xbox. The main differences are the co-op mode of play
that has been added for the Xbox release and the fact that the controls have all
be reconfigured for the Xbox controller. Even the framerate from the PC – 30 fps
– has been maintained for the Xbox system.

 

The game features 30-40 hours of gameplay, and
there are five multiplayer maps for the Xbox Live experience.  The game sports
puzzles and mazes, and the weapon swap-out is typical of FPS titles. But this
title prey on players with psychological terror. There are moments when hell
takes over parts of the base. The scenes are akin to macabre nightmares of
flayed bodies, living tentacles embracing whole rooms and ceilings, creepy
crawlies and drop in from above, and zombies that pop out and try to do more
than simply say boo.

 

Publishing and development officials, at the
Activision Pre-E3 Editor’s Day, stated that “we think Doom III on the Xbox will
be the scariest, best-looking console game ever.

 

“The goal was to make this the best
single-player game that id has ever made.”

 

Why is the game only being ported to the Xbox
and not to other consoles?

 

“The Xbox is the only console that can handle
the way they did bump mapping, lighting and shadows, and only the Xbox can
handle that.”

 

Officials also said that they wanted to make
Doom III feel and play out like an interactive horror movie. They have done a
good job with that. As impressive as the game is graphically, what really lends
to the atmosphere and mood is the soundtrack. If you are looking to alleviate
that eerie feeling and nervous tension, start by turning the sound off.

 

Doom III (Xbox) has been a long-awaited title,
but from this first look, the wait will have been worth it.