Quite possibly one of the most anticipated games of the last five years, "Doom 3" hit shelves last month to less than overwhelming fanfare.  This, the third installment in the wildly popular first-person shooter series "Doom" by Id Software, is yet another in the company's brief line of products designed to raise the bar in computer performance.  But does the game itself challenge standards for the genre, or simply rest among an ever-growing pile of overpriced tech demos? 

Right out of the box, it's clear that "Doom 3" possesses astonishing graphical prowess.  Even on lower-end machines, the visuals for the game are remarkable.  Hyper-realistic textures, advanced facial movement, and dynamic lighting all allow one to glut upon a literal feast of eye candy.  However, when these immediate bells and whistles begin to fade, and they will fade, the mechanics of the game appear in a rather unflattering light. 

The massive contradiction of "Doom 3" seems to be that, while the presentation is technically a behemoth, the underlying framework is, well, bare.  "Doom 3" is a flat and straightforward first-person shooter.  Id has refused to take any risks concerning gameplay or story development.  In fact, while completion time for the piece clocks in at around fifteen to twenty hours (higher than average for its genre), progressing through the game's events quickly becomes tired and monotonous. 

Veterans of the series will notice that many of "Doom 3's" villains are modern recreations of previous demon spawn.  In fact, "Doom 3" is purportedly a ground-up reimagining of the original "Doom."  Yet despite the new veneer on each of these hellish baddies, the actual challenge presented in warding off evil is minimal.  

The sound for "Doom 3" is excellent.  Subtle mood and ambiance tracks are densely layered in order to produce a sense of subdued, yet richly orchestrated horror.  Unfortunately, added effects such as gunfire fare slightly worse.  None of the weaponry involved in "Doom 3" has any sense of consequence.  Shots are tinny and muted.  However, several mods (game modifications) have already been released that suitably fix these minor problems.

As far as replay value is concerned, the single player mode is enough to quell one's appetite post-completion.  The multiplayer component is sparse, but loyal fanboys are already hard at work fixing and remodeling these contingencies.

On the whole, "Doom 3" does succeed as a horror-themed first-person shooter, even if that victory is somewhat muddled by competing factors.  As mentioned earlier, the presentation and technical aspects of the work are topnotch.  What lacks is the substance supporting said presentation.  At the end of the day, "Doom 3" is a milestone of graphics rather than gameplay.  That's the word, come hell or high water.

Doom 3

Platform(s):  PC

Publisher:  Id Software

Player(s):  1-12

Completion:  15-20 hours

Evaluation:

Graphics:  A+

Gameplay:  C

Sound:  B+

Addiction:  C-

Worth your time:  B+

**Worth it's weight in bananas monkey**

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