OldsterHolster
September 26th, 2004, 12:37 pm
The worst of hurricane Jeanne is passing, and I've still got my power; so let me say a few words about Doom 3 while I'm still trapped, inside. Personally, I'll never forget the game because it took me six weeks and three hurricanes to finish it. I did, though, and survived the storms, too; but the impression, or "mood" the game left me with, is a little different from most of what people are posting.
Some seem to love it, and even more people bitch about one technicality or another; and I find myself somewhere in the middle. It is an excellent game! Some like to say, "The graphics are good, but ..." The graphics are stunning! The lighting and shadows, the colors, textures, subtle motions, effects, and atmosphere are all just first rate, and gorgeous. And, it is scary. The sounds, expecially, are varied and perfectly matched to the action; and if you're not scared by falling panels, moans and maniacal laughter, and pop-up monsters, then you are just not in the mood and should be playing something else, anyway.
As far as action goes, its simply a well-balanced shooter. Everything works well. The weapons, motion, enemies, puzzles, and goals are all straightforward and comfortable; and progress through the game is smooth and trouble-free. It wasn't too hard, and it wasn't too easy; and even the boss battles were all reasonable. It is just well-done, and I didn't encounter one single bug.
I do agree that it was too dark, especially in the first half of the game; and I highly recommend setting the gamma level to 2 in the console. I didn't find the game boring, at all; and I suspect "user error" in those that do. It's long, which is a good thing in my opinion; and it does get somewhat predictable by the end, but what do you expect from a good shooter? If you're not a true shooter, you can argue that all of them are boring. All things considered, I feel I definitely got my money's worth, and I'll replay it again sometime soon. (After hurricane season is over. Heh, heh.)
In all honesty, I'm not a fan of the horror genre, and being scared is not my favorite feeling. It seems every game I play, lately, has either a Hell or Purgatory level somewhere in it; and I think that's why Far Cry was such a pleasure. Between bad guys, you could see birds and fish and tropical flowers instead of creeping slime, corpses, and blood on the walls. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due; and Doom 3 is a fine example of a game doing everything right for what it is. I was impressed.
I guess that about covers it. I can't wait for that level of graphic excellence to find its way into games with a different atmosphere. Maybe the Far Cry and the Doom 3 people could get together and make a game. We could still fight monsters from Hell, but the setting could be in Heaven. Heh, heh. I've got Call of Duty-United Offensive coming by Fed-Ex, tomorrow, and I am looking forward to Half-Life II, in spite of the delays and hoopla we've had to endure. Hope you are all enjoying the games you are playing, and don't hesitate to talk about your experiences and impressions. Take care. Edward.
Some seem to love it, and even more people bitch about one technicality or another; and I find myself somewhere in the middle. It is an excellent game! Some like to say, "The graphics are good, but ..." The graphics are stunning! The lighting and shadows, the colors, textures, subtle motions, effects, and atmosphere are all just first rate, and gorgeous. And, it is scary. The sounds, expecially, are varied and perfectly matched to the action; and if you're not scared by falling panels, moans and maniacal laughter, and pop-up monsters, then you are just not in the mood and should be playing something else, anyway.
As far as action goes, its simply a well-balanced shooter. Everything works well. The weapons, motion, enemies, puzzles, and goals are all straightforward and comfortable; and progress through the game is smooth and trouble-free. It wasn't too hard, and it wasn't too easy; and even the boss battles were all reasonable. It is just well-done, and I didn't encounter one single bug.
I do agree that it was too dark, especially in the first half of the game; and I highly recommend setting the gamma level to 2 in the console. I didn't find the game boring, at all; and I suspect "user error" in those that do. It's long, which is a good thing in my opinion; and it does get somewhat predictable by the end, but what do you expect from a good shooter? If you're not a true shooter, you can argue that all of them are boring. All things considered, I feel I definitely got my money's worth, and I'll replay it again sometime soon. (After hurricane season is over. Heh, heh.)
In all honesty, I'm not a fan of the horror genre, and being scared is not my favorite feeling. It seems every game I play, lately, has either a Hell or Purgatory level somewhere in it; and I think that's why Far Cry was such a pleasure. Between bad guys, you could see birds and fish and tropical flowers instead of creeping slime, corpses, and blood on the walls. Still, I have to give credit where credit is due; and Doom 3 is a fine example of a game doing everything right for what it is. I was impressed.
I guess that about covers it. I can't wait for that level of graphic excellence to find its way into games with a different atmosphere. Maybe the Far Cry and the Doom 3 people could get together and make a game. We could still fight monsters from Hell, but the setting could be in Heaven. Heh, heh. I've got Call of Duty-United Offensive coming by Fed-Ex, tomorrow, and I am looking forward to Half-Life II, in spite of the delays and hoopla we've had to endure. Hope you are all enjoying the games you are playing, and don't hesitate to talk about your experiences and impressions. Take care. Edward.