Doom 3, one of the most anticipated games of the year. Does it live up to hype? Yes and no. Doom's gameplay is far from revolutionary, it no different from any FPS. The game's graphics and sound are. Doom 3 is the best looking and sounding game I have played. To truly experience you will need a beefy machine with good speakers, preferably 5.1. These add to games claustrophobia and general fear. The graphics have spectacular pixel shading and shadows, but it does not shine until your trip to Hell. This game should be played only after the sun is down; it is the scariest game since System Shock 2. It does not ever become cheesy like many horror games. Even if you are not scared by it, you will at least relish its great scripting. All the old Doom weapons make a return, but the highlight is the new soul cube acquired late in the game. Kill four enemies with another weapon, and it will let you know it is charged. Fire it and it will a targeted enemy giving you health. This time you will also have a PDA, to collect data and voice logs like SS2, and the trusty flashlight. The flashlight is the beyond useful, the game dark, real dark. To find any pickups you will have to use it. When welding the flashlight you are effectively without a weapon, this adds a little strategy to the game without becoming a nuisance, since many enemies give off light when attacking. The multiplay is nothing new, it is the same as the old 4 player deathmatch of yore. I recommend Doom 3 for anyone not afraid of the dark looking for a good single player FPS.

Score: 8.9

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