4.5/5 ★ – 321gametime's review of Doom 3.

I need to write a long review for this one. I went into Doom 3 with an open mind, trying to avoid as many Spoilers as I could, and trying to let the game speak for itself. There was definitely no way I could avoid how controversial this game was. I knew going into it, this game was going to take things in a new direction, one that a lot of Doom fans disagreed with. I expectedthis game to go in a different direction than the other games, but what I didn't expect was this new direction to be somethings I ABSOLUTELY LOVED. It definitely isn't a complete new direction. Obviously it takes some inspiration from the previous Doom games, but what surprised me was how much this game felt like Half-Life, my favorite FPS franchise. It got to the point where despite me never playing this game before, I started to feel really nostalgic playing it. Playing this game, especially the earlier tense parts, reminded me of when I first played though the early parts of Half-Life 1 many years ago. Doom 3 is also a brilliant showcase of (at the time) new technology, similar to the various Half-Life games. I know a LOT of people hate the lighting of this game and the reliance on the flashlight, but I FUCKING LOVED IT!!! I had to rely on not just the flashlight, but audio cues, and light sources from my weapons, as well as the demon's attacks. I also was scared of losing resources early on, so I made sure to pick up every PDA and read through every log I could to not miss any ammo supply. This also had the secondary benefit of getting me more engaged in the lore of this world. All of these mechanics come together to not just encourage the player to get immersed in this world, but REQUIRE it. It's an experience I sadly haven't felt in gaming for a long time, especially from a FPS game. As the game goes on though, it slowly and surly shifts into a more familiar FPS action game, which, again, I was a huge fan of how it was handled. I had to earn that powertrip. I had to survive my way though hell, both figuratively and literally, in order to become a badass, and once I did, OH BOY DID I HAVE A BLAST. The game definitely isn't perfect, and I do see why it polarized the Doom fanbase. I'm a bit worried about the beginning parts feeling a bit too slow on a repeat playthrough, but on a first, I definitely enjoyed it. And trust me, I will definitely be returning to this game in the future. I really, REALLY want to give one of the VR ports a try. This was one of the most immersive and engaging gaming experiences I have ever had. I loved it so much. 9/10