Publisher: Microsoft
Ages: Teens & up
Parental
Advisory:
Violence and hideous creatures
It's a fantastic shooter, among the best there is, and it's also the scariest. Activision's Doom 3 offers an involving and entertaining experience that is bloody and violent and not for the weak at heart. And it's amazing, detailed graphics display every violent turn in almost living color.
It seems that two years have followed an unexplained disaster on Mars, and as combat engineers, it's up to players to investigate a mysterious beacon buried deep in the ruins of an ancient civilization and fight for survival against an army of demons and zombies.
Throughout, the game is dark. In fact, it's downright creepy. Hideous monsters, many of which are updates to creatures in prior Dooms, die graphic and bloody deaths. The environments and monsters are rendered in amazing detail and they almost resemble movie-quality computer generated animation. The visuals are that good.
The game features powerful weapons that include the classic double-barreled shotgun, as well as a gravity-defying "grabber," a device that can move, catch and throw objects or small enemies. The game also features new locations, puzzles and an ability to slow time.
There's an excellent two-player cooperative campaign and adequate Xbox Live multi-player action. In particular, the two-player coop mode, which offers a variation on the single-player campaign, is a fine addition that was not available in the PC version.
If your kids are trying to talk you into this title, be warned. The monsters are truly hideous and this is the stuff of nightmares. And this doesn't even consider the over-the-top violence. In the end, Doom 3 is just about everything that gamers have been waiting for. And the graphic, bloody game is no title for the family-even though the kids will undoubtedly be asking for it.
5/3/04 www.daytrum.com
Editorial Staff
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