When one talks video games, the conversation usually begins generically enough in the topic of genres. Within each genre there are games that define the classification. The name DOOM inevitably surfaces in that conversation.

DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil is the expansion of the D3 title that first shipped in April. While it is an “expansion,” you do not need the other to play this. It is stand-alone in many ways, and even comes with some nice little addendums that you won’t find on the PC version of the game – such as Ultimate DOOM, DOOM II and DOOM II Master Levels.

The story picks up years after the tale that sparkled DOOM 3’s action. For those who do not know, in D3, scientists working on Mars were fiddling with teleportation technology that essentially was going to open portals. The military figured this to be a great thing, but the scientists messed it up and instead of opening portals to travel to other places quickly, they opened a portal that allowed the demons of hell to enter the complex. From military and scientific research post, the place soon became a nightmare and invasion from hell. It was up to a Marine to close that portal before the demons could amass and launch an attack on Earth.

Fast forward now, years later and a beacon signal once again beckons Earth forces to Mars. During the exploration of an ancient archaeological area, a device is found – henceforth known as the Artifact. A Marine (the one you play) touches it, and, well … they’re BAAAAAACK! The demons want that Artifact back. You want to keep it. It is all that stands between you and allowing those demons to overrun the base. Why? Because it has some special properties that will come into play as the game evolves. But that is not the only weapon new to the game – there is the wonderful Grabber, which allows you to pick up things and relocate them. Those floating demonic skulls that attacked and bashed at you are a nuisance no more – not with the Grabber. Just grab them out of the air, and smash them into a wall. See that demon throwing fireballs at you? Grab ‘em out of the air and hurl them back. Return to sender.  

The Artifact, which feeds off souls (which means human bodies, it is a weapon from hell, after all), has a hell time (slow motion), and can later give you a berserker power that allows you to lay waste to attackers with one punch, and then there is an invulnerability burst that really comes in handy when some of the new mobs are firing rockets and lightning-fast barrages at you.

Of course, what would a game like this be without nightmarish visions, and DOOM 3: RoE has that in spades. Monsters will come out of dark corners at you so often that it almost becomes commonplace. And with the floating little skulls, they are liable to come at you from up above as well. The path through the game is fairly linear and should you get killed, you will know what to expect as you venture into the level again.

As for the levels: While the graphics are very, very good, most of the gameplay is tried and true. Enter a level, move forward, monster pops, fire and move backwards till the monster is dead, then move forward again. Of course, just for fun, occasionally a monster will spawn behind you as well.

But what really makes this game shine, even though it feels a little on the short side, is the fact that both graphically and aurally, this is a terrific game that urges you to not play in the dead of night, with no lights on. It carries the thrills and chills in just the right amounts so they do not feel overdone. The ruins are wonderfully designed, there are ‘visions’ the Marine suffers of pending doom, and the game gives you very little time to catch your breath as you move through the levels. The audio portion is precisely what it should be – the sounds of this world are alive and eerie, and the musical tempo is spot on.

Resurrection of Evil is DOOM 3 with a few new toys, but the same basic gameplay, a similar storyline, new mobs and tough bosses. It is ride through the horror house at the amusement park, full of thrills and chills and things that don’t just go bump in the night, rather, they roar at you with deadly intent and you have to either be very quick and accurate, or you will find yourself restarting the levels.

Gameplay: 8.5
The framerate is smooth, the controls are mostly standard for the genre and the game does not require you to think too much – but you had better react quickly.

Graphics: 9.0
The textures, lighting and effects are delicious eye candy.

Sound: 8.5
Spooky game, spooky sound. Not unexpected but rather a solid supporting cast member that fits the tone and mood of the game perfectly.

Difficulty: Medium
There are four difficulty levels here, so players can move through the game at their own skill level. There is nothing much here in the way of puzzles. The PDA device you carry spells a lot of the gameplay concepts out.

Concept: 7.0
Not a lot is truly new here. There are new areas to explore, new weapons and new mobs, but the game is essentially the same as the title that spawned it.

Multiplayer: 8.5
While not entirely innovative, the multiplayer aspects are very well done. Co-op play is restricted to the classic DOOM games included in the package.

Overall: 8.4
If you played the title that spawned this one, then you know exactly what you are in store for – namely, a pop-out-of-the-dark, monsters-in-your-face, hellish vision of a game. The new weapons, mobs, and extras that Doom 3: RoE bring make this a shooter title that anyone who considers themselves a fan of the genre should own. Glorious graphics, edge-of-the-seat excitement are the defining elements of this game. The plot may be a retread, and the tactics are generic to the genre, but still this is an enjoyable romp.