Doom 3

First off, let it be said that while I was a huge fan of the first Doom games, I fully expected Doom 3 to suck balls. Especially after seeing the screen shots, and how sites like Penny Arcade ridiculed the shit out of them.

But like everyone else who's a first-person-shooter fan, I read glowing reviews one after the other...not a bad review to be found. So after a week I finally gave in and purchased a copy.

Am I glad I did! This is one of the most immersive FPS experiences I've ever played. It ranks right up there with Half-Life and Halo...definitely tops in the pure horror genre. If you play this game you will either scream, crap yourself, or most likely suffer both indignities simultaneously.

Many reviews say the game is too dark, and it is. But I'm used to cranking the gamma up on most shooters, way way up for anything made by ID. And let me tell you ladies and gentlemen, this game is tough! I played for a good fifteen minutes then got my ass handed to me and had to start the level completely over. I'd forgotten my old Doom habit of saving after every terrifying encounter...and yes, they are all terrifying (reference my comment above about screaming while messing your pants).

My only real beef is that the areas are very cramped, there's almost no room to dodge fireballs, bullets, or the clumsy mitts of some zombie. I'm hoping that in later missions the rooms and corridors open up some or we even get some outdoor action, like in the old games.

One very interesting feature is that the computer panels you can select have some interactivity. Matter of fact, your guy has a PDA that gets email and can store voice and video data. You can even play back an audio recording and lower your PDA to continue playing while listening to the playback. However that is entirely too spooky and not recommended for persons with existing heart conditions.