Be afraid of things that go bump in the night. But if the thing bumping is you, then be even more afraid of the things that chase the things that go bump in the night. 

While many games purport to ‘unleash hell’ or some facsimile thereof, when it comes to edge-of-the-seat terror, few can deliver like Doom 3. In 2004, the PC version of this anticipated title accomplished exactly what the designers intended – it incorporated first-person shooter mayhem with terrifying situations guaranteed to keep the heartbeat at an elevated level. Playing the game in the dark was not recommended. It’s a new year and with it comes a new port of the title.

id Software, Vicarious Visions and Activision have conspired to bring Doom 3 to the Xbox. In order to do so, they have configured the controls from keyboard-heavy PC mode to Xbox handheld controller with delightful results. The graphics have been tweaked to brighten up the overall look of the game to compensate for television resolution.  

Of course, the console version takes full advantage of the Xbox Live multiplayer options, giving up some stock multiplayer modes but also offering cooperative gameplay through mission levels.  

For those who have played the PC version, no explanation of the storyline is necessary. This is the same game. For those who have not yet had that opportunity …

Union Aerospace Corporation has the ability to do research outside of moral obligations. It has the biggest toys and continues to explore and research areas other cannot or will not. When what appears to be the key to opening gateways to other worlds is found on Mars, UAC sets up a station and begins research. But then scientists start to go missing, as do Marines sent there to safeguard the research. 

You take on the role of a new Marine arrival to the station. You quickly find out that the research station is fraught with accidents, workers are spooked and wishing to transfer off the station. But as one somewhat sinister doctor points out, “amazing things will happen here soon.” Amazing is one word for it. What the doctor unwittingly does is open the doorway to hell, and demon-spawn are flooding through. Some of those on the station are rendered down to bloody, dismembered corpses, while others are mutated into various nightmarish creatures. All in all, it is not a great place to be, but someone has to put a stop to it and like it or not, you’ve been volunteered. 

The game’s setup does lead to a rather linear campaign structure, with demons that attack from the front, spawn behind you with frequency and jump out at you with frighteningly good results (in the heart-start department) even when you expect it. There are a variety of weapons, including a much-improved chainsaw, shotgun, pulse rifle and the game does have pickups scattered throughout the levels of the structure. You do have to reload your weapon, and you can find health terminals scattered about to heal damage. There is a personal data assistant, PDA, that allows you to download data, get codes for accessing locked areas, receive e-mail and review video disks. It also keeps your current mission data updated. 

If you have played the PC version of this title, while the general gameplay is the same, the Xbox version is streamlined a bit, making it more action oriented than feeling like an action-intensive dungeon crawl (albeit a very scary one). The nuances of the PC game are intact. Certainly this game plays off the “jack in the box” cliché for some scares – monsters that pop out of corners and dark areas at you – but it does not get dull. In fact, the game builds in intensity and is overlaid with such thick textures of impending ‘doom’ that you are drawn along with trepidation underscoring each step in the corridors of this station.  

Of course, once you get into hell itself, moving slowly is not an issue – simply because you are running and gunning. 

The control scheme fits the handheld controller very well. The sound is dynamic and carries the mood of this game forward. You can hear whisper of “help me,” even though you know that those whispering are beyond help – well, maybe not the help afforded by a well-placed blast of the shotgun.

Graphically, this game is exquisite. The graphics have been brightened to account for lower resolution of televisions, but the game’s texturing is wonderful, and the dynamic lighting and shadows give the game a spooky feeling that fits the gameplay. This game really takes advantage of the consoles graphics capabilities and delivers an immersive visual experience. 

Doom 3 elevates the bar for shooters on the Xbox platform. It is one scary game that redefines the term ‘twitch.’ At the higher difficulty levels, apprehension can invoke the twitch response, and result in wasted ammunition. If you are ready for a good scare, then this is a must-own.

This title is rated M for blood and gore as well as intense violence. 

Gameplay: 9.4
The controllers fit the game very nicely, and the game’s pacing is terrific. The framerate is consistently excellent and because this is a seamless world, you are not given much time to catch your breath – unless you find a dark recess and crouch there to fret for a few moments before continuing. 

Graphics: 9.4
This game has been brightened up a bit from the PC version to make it look better on televisions (which generally don’t have the resolution capabilities of computer monitors), and that reveals the game in a terrific number of ways. The animations are very good, the hellish texturing is solid and the gore is rampant.  

Sound: 9.3
Turn it up and feel the ambiance. This is a game that has terrific sound support to carry the theme.

Difficulty: Med/Hard
Targeting and shooting, sneaking, moving through and playing the game at the difficulty level that is right for you (there are four – recruit, marine, veteran and nightmare, though you must unlock the nightmare level before you can play it) will create a solid challenge. Just remember, be aware of what spawns behind you. 

Concept: 9.0
id Software has done a remarkable job of preparing this game for the console and television. While the PC version is intact, little tweaks to make it feel at home on the console’s controllers and look very good on televisions take this game a long way.

Multiplayer: 9.4
The various multiplayer modes are absolutely terrific through Xbox Live support. There are the standard array of modes, like deathmatch (on four maps) and team deathmatch, and even last man standing, but the game’s biggest and brightest multiplayer feature is the co-op mode. However, while hell’s spawn is no less scary with a teammate, you at least have someone whose screams and squeals may cover your own.

Overall: 9.4
This is a game that oozes with terrifying levels. You know that hell has been unleashed (you read the box, and that is why you bought the game), and you know its minions are hunting you. You also know that they are likely to jump out of the dank and dark recesses of this station, but that knowledge still does not prevent you from jumping, or your heart beating faster when they do lunge for you. Doom 3 is the stuff nightmares are made of, and terrific terror-shooter games as well. If this game doesn’t have your heartbeat up, you are likely a casualty on that Mars station and fighting against the lone Marine.