Doom 3: BFG Edition
PlayStation 3
Nostalgia Factor:
I first played Doom 3 back in 2005. My memory of that time is extremely hazy. I drank a lot back then. I remember buying this at Mega Media Xchange on Brady Street, back when the store was actually part of a strip mall and not its own separate entity. I didn't have an Xbox back then, but my girlfriend Jessica did. We lived together on Milwaukee's East side. I vaguely remember playing the game and enjoying it. Like I said, I was drunk a lot back then so I don't remember much about it.
But as I mentioned in my recent Phantom Menace review, I can often remember the exact date I played a game based on what sporting events were happening at the time. I remember beating Doom 3 on the same day that the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers to open the season back in 2005; Andrew Bogut's first NBA game. It was an overtime game, and I distinctly remember switching back and forth between the basketball game and Doom during the commercials until I beat the game. Using that date, I know that I beat this game on November 1, 2005. I never replayed the game. When Jessica and I broke up a few years later, she'd end up taking the game with her because it was her Xbox. I didn't put up much of a fight, because I would have had no way to play the game anyway.
After beating Doom 3, I wouldn't play it again until 2013 (8 years later). It was the BFG Edition for PS3. This version came with the original Doom games on the disc, and I remember playing through those as well. The next time I would play Doom 3 was here in 2025, 12 years since my last playthrough. So I've played it in '05, '13, and '25. If the pattern holds up, I'll be playing through this again in 2051. See ya then!
Ah, I'm such a joker. Honestly, I'll probably never play this game again. Not because I don't like it, but because there is not much of a reason to play again. I think I've seen and done everything there is to do with this game. But anyway, let's dive into the review.
Story:
Unlike previous Doom games, this one at least attempts to tell some kind of coherent story. Not that I was paying attention. I was focused on the gameplay; exploring the stages, shooting enemies, and uncovering hidden secrets. I didn't really care about the story at all. So don't expect me to recap it here - because I wasn't paying attention! Some reviewer I am.
From what I could gather, it follows the same basic path as previous Doom games. There's a space colony on Mars. Some kind of gateway to Hell is discovered. Demons start flooding into our world. You are the only one who can fight them off. As the protagonist, you eventually make your way to Hell and defeat the enemies at their source. Yada yada. Nothing particularly interesting to be found here.
Where this game is different from previous Doom games is how the story is pushed harder. There are cutscenes, NPCs you can interact with, audio logs, notes left behind, etc. I appreciate the effort, but I still didn't really care about what was going on. I was all about the gameplay.
Gameplay:
If you are coming into this game directly after playing the original Doom I and II, you are going to be in for a big surprise. This game is not much like those other titles at all. Those titles are fast and action oriented. This starts as more of a slow burn. It feels more like Dead Space or Half-Life. Cinematic, detailed, a heavy emphasis on pushing a storyline within an atmospheric environment.
After the introduction, where everything aboard the Mars colony falls apart, is when it starts to feel more like Doom. You're going to be running around, gunning down enemies, picking up items, finding keys, and exploring the big, maze-like stages. It still doesn't quite feel like the original Doom, though. There is a lot more maneuverability. You can climb ladders, jump, crawl through tight spaces, etc. One of the biggest differences is how dark the game is. You have to use a flashlight to illuminate your path. It adds a whole new element to the game that wasn't there before. Things start to feel more like a slow, horror based sci-fi oriented first person shooter than a Doom game.
Don't get me wrong, the whole game is not slow. In fact, there are a ton of areas that are nonstop, guns blazing action. That is when the game feels the most like Doom. Unfortunately, that's only about 50 or 60 percent percent of the actual game. Most of the game is walking around in the dark with your flashlight, discovering audio logs, reading emails, and finding passwords to enter storage lockers. You also do a lot of exploring and looking for the PDAs you need to access new areas.
That said, the pacing of the game is pretty good. You are constantly getting peppered by enemies as you make your way through the stages. The classic Doom trope of walls opening up as you walk past them, and enemies attacking you from behind is on full display here. There's always enough action keep the game fun and interesting. That's the biggest complaint I had about the 2016 Doom reboot. It seemed like a lot of the stages were empty. And then you'd enter a big room, the doors would close behind you, and the room would turn into a battle arena where you fight waves of enemies. It didn't feel natural, where you are constantly battling enemies the entire stage, like the other Doom games. This feels a lot more natural than the reboot.
The game is quite long. I was playing this for weeks on end, it seems. I do have to say that the game outstays its welcome. I was starting to get bored. The environments are all dark and dreary looking. Everything is a metal, industrial looking corridor. It all started to get really repetitive. And then when I was done with the game, I had two full DLC packs to play through.
All in all, it was a... fine experience. Never at any point did I say "wow this sucks." It is well-put together and fairly entertaining. Even if it does drag a little bit from time to time.
Graphics/Sound:
The game looks great. It is hard to believe the original Doom 3 came out 21 years ago. I assume the BFG Edition on PS3 cleans up some of the rough edges, but it still looks like something that could have come out within the last 3 years. I guess that says more about how graphics have plateaued somewhat than anything else. But I stand by it.
The game sounds pretty darn good, too. The music is dark and moody when it needs to be, and it ratchets up in intensity when it needs to, as well. The whole game is carried by its heavy, oppressive atmosphere. The sound and the visual design have a lot to do with that. While things do start to look "same-y" after a while, at least it looks good in the process.
Before we move on, I do have to comment on how some of the classic Doom characters were brought into the 3D world. While most enemies look fine, like Imps and pinkies (which are much scarier this time around), there were a few redesigns I didn't like. Cacodemons are one of them. They are almost unrecognizable from their original design.
Overall:
I don't have any strong feelings about this game either way. It is a perfectly suitable first person shooter. It's fun, it handles well. It's a perfect way to kill some time. It's very forgettable, though. It lacks most of the charm of the original Doom games. It feels more standard and generic, especially when compared to other dark space station shooters that have come out in the last 20 years. There's just not much that really sets this game apart.
It's hard to get excited for this game. I'm not walking away from this like "oh hell yeah! You need to play Doom 3!" I mean, it's a fine game. It just doesn't inspire much from me. I'll probably never play it again, if that amounts to anything.
It's a well-made game. I think it's a good game. But aside from that, I don't really have much else to say. Play it if you're a fan of the genre. Otherwise, you won't be missing a whole lot if you pass this over.
THE GRADE
B-
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