Doom 3: When I was a lad, gazing upon its daunting system requirements saw my proletarian heart sink, and caused id's Wunderkind to become the video game equivalent of watching John Carmack sit upon his throne of skulls, eating an entire four course meal while my Dickensian avatar rubbed his growling belly and sobbed softly into his rags. Still, time heals all wounds, and now that
Doom 3 is the latest and greatest of yesteryear
(as a further aside, I did indeed finally manage to play the game), such unpleasantness is largely forgotten.
While a new
Doom title is in the works
(Carmack having presumably grown tired of his favorite concubine, Rage), it's still some time off. Thus, id Software has announced that
Doom 3 is joining the ranks of "every game in existence" by getting an HD upgrade. While
BFG Edition features the standard array of texture upgrades, smoother framerate, improved lighting, support for 5.1 surround sound and the like, the game offers a few extra delicious, digital morsels for mass consumption. Fans will be pleased to know that in addition to the core game and the
Resurrection of Evil expansion pack, id will be including a new expansion, called the
Lost Mission: "a never-before-seen single-player story for
Doom 3 spread over seven fresh levels." For those that prefer to "kick it old school," the
BFG Edition will include both
Doom and
Doom II.
Lastly, one of the chief complaints with
Doom 3's gameplay has been resolved. At long last, the specter that cast its long, dark, shadow over the game - that god d*mn flashlight - is being addressed. Mod-happy PC gamers have long seen this issue remedied, but for those that prefer their nighttime killing sprees on consoles, id has bid adieu to the days of gun/flashlight juggling - a mechanic that was designed to increase tension, yet only managed to increase needless frustration - in favor of an armor-mounted light source. Trophies/Achievements will also be added for console gamers.
Peering back into the swirling fog tthat memory, I'm rather agnostic on the merits of
Doom 3. Nostalgia compelled me to defend its honor: having been utterly enamored with the
Doom series throughout my youth - something that, defying all expectations, did not inspire me to kill all of my classmates in a videogame-inspired fury - the mere sight of an updated Cacodemon was enough to make my teenage heart go all aflutter. Yet despite id's best efforts, I never managed to find myself completely sold on the "survival horror" aspects of the game.
What do you think, gamers? Are you tempted by the prospect of stepping into
Doom 3's space boots once more, or is this so "please give us money" HD silliness? Sound off in the comments seciton below!
Doom 3: BFG Edition will be released this fall, for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3.
via Eurogamer