by Stan Rezaee

Created on: March 30, 2010   Last Updated: April 09, 2010

With stylish graphics and a return to the traditional roots of FPS (first person shooting), "Doom 3", had it been released in 2002. However by its release in late 2004, the graphics were the only thing that made "Doom 3" somewhat memorable. Everything else was really just not innovative for its time. Most of its problems have to do with id Software's actions regarding the games advertising and the timing of the release.

The adventure is set on Mars in the year 2145. A military facility has been set up for scientific research in the develop of biological research and advanced weapons design. However, a teleportation experiment  opens a gateway to Hell, resulting in a catastrophic invasion by demons. The player, an anonymous space marine, must fight through the base and find a way to stop demons from Hell attacking Earth

For a game that was supposed to be one of the best of the year, it really felt that the game-play was uncreative. Except for blasting monsters and shiny graphics, a slice of plain white toasts offers more features then "Doom 3". It's just hours of shooting the same monsters with the same 5 guns that are seen in every other video game before "Goldeneye 007".  

Then there was the low standards the game set for current creators in the years to come. "Doom 3" can be credited as the game for starting a trend where games just show off their new graphics but offer no real game play. For several years id Software jerked around gamers and fans by releasing screen shots of "Doom 3" and its then amazing graphics. But upon its release the graphics were the only thing the game offered.

For some reason other game developers did the same thing. Between 2004 -mid 2008, the features of every hit FPS game was all about the shiny graphics. Hence many popular games really lacked game-play. This is especially embarrassing since the "Grand Theft Auto"-series had really began to influence games and "Goldeneye 007" had set higher standards for future FPS games.

Another thing that goes against "Doom 3" is the poor timing of its release. The game was released only a few months before another long awaited sequel to a hit game, "Half Life 2". Unlike "Doom 3", this has been one of the most anticipated games of all time and the wait had paid off. "Half Life 2's" game play was more then just basic shooting monsters as it featured elements like working with NPC's, ragdoll physics, playable environment, and a creative arsenal. The graphics for "Half Life 2" were not only amazing it could easily adapt to a graphics card that was 4 years old.

To top it all off, "Counter Strike" was remade using Source engine and available with the purchase of "Half Life 2".

By offering gamers nothing while being released around the same time as the more superior "Half Life 2", it's no wonder that "Doom 3" has so quickly become forgettable.

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