After literally inventing the FPS genre thanks to the first titles of the famous saga, a forerunner of the entire video game subgenre along with Castle Wolfenstein, Id Software found itself at an important crossroads for years: to repeat the same pattern endlessly or to take a risk with something "new" to offer to its fans.
Doom 3, released in the summer of 2004 after years and years of feverish anticipation and countless rumors, is a title that literally divided fans and critics, representing the true black sheep of the entire video game saga: many, like myself, consider it a true masterpiece, while many believe the title is little more than a half failure fueled by immense hype.
Set on Mars in 2145, the protagonist of the moment, the famous Doomguy, will face catastrophic events as after some teleportation experiments (which didn't go exactly well), the Martian base will transform into a literal hell teeming with demons and horrific monsters ready to feast on human flesh, coming directly from Hell.
And so far, "all's well," you might say: except Id Software, instead of focusing on the frantic pace of the early chapters, develops the game halfway between an adventure game, a classic shooter, and believe it or not, a first-person survival horror.
"Doom 3" is indeed much more than a simple FPS: the pace is slower despite the ferocity of the numerous enemies, and the high playability of the title places a huge emphasis on suspense and the (incredible) settings, thanks to a graphics engine that still amazes; shadows/lights are calculated in real-time, giving the game an atmosphere that is nothing short of insane, and you will often find yourself jumping out of your seat when faced with a sudden enemy emerging from the darkness.
The plot, perhaps the only flaw of the game compared to heavyweights of the same year like Half Life 2, develops very well in any case and contains all the "magic" of the early Dooms, including a dozen truly tough bosses to defeat, well-characterized characters, and a spectacular ending, that is, when the protagonist himself must seize the famous Soul Cube to defeat what I believe is the Devil himself, right in Hell (!).
The enemies are overall numerous and very well-designed, while the settings and even the background music border on absolute perfection; in short, very few flaws compared to the extreme quality of a product that, in my opinion, still sets the standard, considering the many first-person titles released in recent years (Resident Evil VII, etc.).
So, what "didn't work" according to many?
Being totally out of the box compared to any other title in the saga, almost representing more of a reboot than a true sequel, possessing characteristics, for better or worse, more unique than rare compared to 99% of first-person shooters, both past and present; for example, the inability to use a flashlight and a weapon at the same time, a paradox you might say, but one that indeed benefits the claustrophobic atmosphere of the title significantly.
In conclusion, Doom 3 represents for me a small masterpiece not without significant flaws but which are "swept away" by the remarkable attention to detail the game possesses, both from a storyline perspective and from a playability standpoint, and above all, the graphics, which still "astonish" with their beauty.
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