Graphically the game looks fantastic. The textures are highly detailed and there are small touches everywhere that add to the look of the station and to the feeling of immersion. It may just be the static scan line making its way down a video display, an empty can of soda sitting on a magazine, faulty wiring sparking from within an access panel, or monitors and control panels that actually look functional, but when these facets are taken together with the countless other little details in the game it gives Doom 3 one of the best looking space base environments ever to appear in a computer game. And when you get the opportunity to walk on the Martian surface you’re in for a real treat. The wind effects, the red dust everywhere, and the weathered look of any equipment sitting outside the base work together to strongly convey the feeling that you are in an alien, dangerous, and very hostile environment. You’ll actually find yourself feeling a little apprehensive when outside and find yourself wanting to go back in as soon as possible. The quality of the graphics extends to the character models as well. The characters look lifelike and their movements are smooth and realistic. The monsters are even more amazing and it is obvious that a lot of work and imagination has gone into their look and animation. Fans of the classic Doom games will appreciate the fact that many old favorites return, but they should also be ready to meet some new “friends”.

The demons look great - when you can see them.

Unfortunately once the shooting starts you’ll only be able to enjoy the visuals on the small portion of the screen that you illuminate with your flashlight. Doom 3 is a very, very dark game. Most of the time you won’t be able to see more than three feet in front of you and will need to rely on your flashlight just to see where you’re going – and that’s even while playing in a dark room with the monitor’s and game’s brightness settings set to their maximums. This can be especially frustrating when trying to navigate the numerous catwalks in the game. You’ll constantly need to swing the light down to see where the walk makes a turn and to avoid pitching over the edge when a section of guardrail is missing.

While the darkness is annoying while trying to move through the base, it is a major hindrance to the fighting. For some reason you’re equipped with a handheld flashlight and so you can’t handle the light and a gun at the same time. Apparently in the future it hasn’t occurred to anyone that helmet or gun mounted lights would be a good idea in a dark and claustrophobic base. Every time you are attacked, out go the lights and the shooting in the dark begins. This is troublesome enough when you’re being mauled by a monster right on top of you, but it becomes downright frustrating when you become the target of ranged fire. You can either leave your flashlight on as you scan the area for the source of your attack or sweep the screen blindly hoping that you see the target cursor turn red before your enemy chews you up. The designers obviously knew that shooting in the dark is a random proposition and so they added the color changing target reticule feature, but it makes you wonder why they just didn’t make it easier to see things or to give you an always-on light source.

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