Post by Mystic on Sept 29, 2005 11:58:20 GMT -4
September 26, 2005 - Like any worthy and respectable demons, the ones from the Doom 3 universe just couldn't stay dead. Either that, or the marines and scientists on Mars are just too dumb to pack up their stuff and stop poking around ancient ruins and investigating strange signals. As players might expect, the scientific investigations in id Software's Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil go too far and wind up ripping open another portal to hell.
We were able to play through a short demo of id RoE's story mode and also some of its multiplayer modes, and came away pleased. RoE is a stand-alone extension of Doom 3, which essentially means that you do not have to own the Xbox version of Doom 3 to play. The big new features here are a few new weapons and items, including the Grabber, the Artifact, and everyone's favorite, the double-barreled shotgun.
The single player demo we worked our way through was brief, but highlighted some of the game's new features. In RoE you'll take control of a marine who discovers the mysterious Artifact somewhere underneath Mars' surface. We started out in control of a pistol and the Artifact, though the latter wasn't usable yet. It was a very welcome surprise to see that the flashlight had been strapped to the underside of the pistol, negating the ridiculous flashlight / weapon switching that was necessary in Doom 3. Still, the flashlight was only on the pistol, so you'll still be shrouded in darkness while unloading some of the game's heavier weaponry. Like in the previous game, the storyline progresses as you discover video and audio logs that can be uploaded and accessed via your PDA.
Making Our Way Towards Hell.
We started out in some underground corridors and were charged with the mission of bringing the Artifact up to the surface. Shortly after we started we were accosted by Lost Souls who spawned in from all over a cavernous mine shaft. We quickly dispatched them using our handy pistol which was made much easier with its flashlight attachment, then proceeded to pick up the shotgun, and shortly afterwards the machine gun.
We continued through the catacombs and machinated passageways taking out fire ball tossing imps and more flaming skulls and eventually got control of the Grabber gun. For those unfamiliar, the Grabber gun, also known as the Ionized Plasma Levitator, can be used to fling around environmental objects like barrels and boxes, can catch plasma and fire balls, and can also grab lost souls and smash them into walls.
Aside from being a cool feature, it actually became necessary to use against one boss we fought. The boss was surrounded by swirling balls of flame that he periodically tossed at us, and the best strategy was to catch the balls and fling them back until he disintegrated. The Grabber was also useful against RoE's new enemy that looks and acts like a much more agile imp. Instead of fire balls, they toss plasma balls which can be snatched up by the Grabber and flung back right into their ugly demon faces.
Other new gameplay elements included some puzzles that required the use of the Artifact to navigate. When activated, the artifact slows time for a short period. In order to activate it, you need to absorb the soul of a dead human, which is done by taking out the Artifact and pointing it at a corpse on the floor. These corpses were positioned near the puzzles, so you were never in short supply of Artifact charges when you needed them. This particular puzzle challenged players to slow down time to navigate a sequence of crushing walls that slammed together too quickly to pass in real-time. Aside from the puzzles, the Artifact can be used in combat to slow enemies and make avoiding their attacks while blasting lead and explosives into their bodies less of a hassle.
The last level we played through took place in Hell, though it was short and only had a few enemies in it. Still, we got to hop across lakes of molten lava ringed by gigantic demon skulls and had access to the game's entire arsenal including the plasma rifle and rocket launcher. More interesting than the enemies and the level design was the fact that we now had access the double-barreled shotgun. This beast of a gun hit hard, really hard, taking out towering plasma spewing demons in three shots. It does, however, have an extremely long reload time, so it doesn't exactly work well against the faster moving enemies since if you miss, you're entirely vulnerable.
Hell is a Lonely Place, So Be Sure To Bring Some Friends.
After mowing through the brief single player maps we loaded up some multiplayer chaos. The game offers Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Last Man Standing, and Tournament modes, all of which can accommodate a maximum of four players on a server. With such parameters, the maps aren't very large, and none of the multiplayer maps feature the Grabber or the Artifact.
That's not to say it's boring, players will still have access to the chaingun, shotgun, grenades, and a chainsaw among many others. Only the Surface map was available when we played, though there should be around five total when the game is released. Surface consisted of two multistoried building complexes connected by a bridge. In between was a ground level littered with broken fences and exploding barrels. The significant health and armor powerups were located directly beside explosive containers, so players need to be careful when trying to regain their health and protection.
Players can sprint, punch, fire their weapons, zoom by pressing down on the right control stick, climb ladders, and hop up stacks of boxes in addition to change the color of their armor. As useless as punching may seem in the face of a rocket barrage, it can actually be surprisingly effective. Landing a successful punch while the opponent has their weapon drawn allows you to steal it right out of their hands. Not only does this give you a major upgrade in firepower, but also leaves the opponent with empty hands. In other words, if you get a weapon stolen from you, it doesn't automatically cycle to your next strongest weapon, you actually have to cycle to another weapon. In a frantic firefight, this can be the difference between life and death.
You'll have access to stat tracking in RoE which you can consult to remind yourself how much ass you kick, or don't. In an odd twist, if you're standing directly on a spot where an opponent spawns, you'll instantly die. This happened once to us as a message at the top of the screen flashed "you've been telefragged," so players should be aware of their surroundings, though we were assured this didn't happen very often. Another feature, love it or hate is, is that the grunts players make when hit by bullets is exactly the same as the sound effect used in Quake 3: Arena.
Overall the game looked impressive, as is the case with any Doom game. The weapon additions and the flashlight could definitely work toward making the single player experience more enjoyable, while the fast paced multiplayer modes controlled well and proved intense despite the small server sizes. We'll be able to have a more definite word on this title when it ships on October 5 for a MSRP of $29.99. In the meantime, check the new screens below.
We were able to play through a short demo of id RoE's story mode and also some of its multiplayer modes, and came away pleased. RoE is a stand-alone extension of Doom 3, which essentially means that you do not have to own the Xbox version of Doom 3 to play. The big new features here are a few new weapons and items, including the Grabber, the Artifact, and everyone's favorite, the double-barreled shotgun.
The single player demo we worked our way through was brief, but highlighted some of the game's new features. In RoE you'll take control of a marine who discovers the mysterious Artifact somewhere underneath Mars' surface. We started out in control of a pistol and the Artifact, though the latter wasn't usable yet. It was a very welcome surprise to see that the flashlight had been strapped to the underside of the pistol, negating the ridiculous flashlight / weapon switching that was necessary in Doom 3. Still, the flashlight was only on the pistol, so you'll still be shrouded in darkness while unloading some of the game's heavier weaponry. Like in the previous game, the storyline progresses as you discover video and audio logs that can be uploaded and accessed via your PDA.
Making Our Way Towards Hell.
We started out in some underground corridors and were charged with the mission of bringing the Artifact up to the surface. Shortly after we started we were accosted by Lost Souls who spawned in from all over a cavernous mine shaft. We quickly dispatched them using our handy pistol which was made much easier with its flashlight attachment, then proceeded to pick up the shotgun, and shortly afterwards the machine gun.
We continued through the catacombs and machinated passageways taking out fire ball tossing imps and more flaming skulls and eventually got control of the Grabber gun. For those unfamiliar, the Grabber gun, also known as the Ionized Plasma Levitator, can be used to fling around environmental objects like barrels and boxes, can catch plasma and fire balls, and can also grab lost souls and smash them into walls.
Aside from being a cool feature, it actually became necessary to use against one boss we fought. The boss was surrounded by swirling balls of flame that he periodically tossed at us, and the best strategy was to catch the balls and fling them back until he disintegrated. The Grabber was also useful against RoE's new enemy that looks and acts like a much more agile imp. Instead of fire balls, they toss plasma balls which can be snatched up by the Grabber and flung back right into their ugly demon faces.
Other new gameplay elements included some puzzles that required the use of the Artifact to navigate. When activated, the artifact slows time for a short period. In order to activate it, you need to absorb the soul of a dead human, which is done by taking out the Artifact and pointing it at a corpse on the floor. These corpses were positioned near the puzzles, so you were never in short supply of Artifact charges when you needed them. This particular puzzle challenged players to slow down time to navigate a sequence of crushing walls that slammed together too quickly to pass in real-time. Aside from the puzzles, the Artifact can be used in combat to slow enemies and make avoiding their attacks while blasting lead and explosives into their bodies less of a hassle.
The last level we played through took place in Hell, though it was short and only had a few enemies in it. Still, we got to hop across lakes of molten lava ringed by gigantic demon skulls and had access to the game's entire arsenal including the plasma rifle and rocket launcher. More interesting than the enemies and the level design was the fact that we now had access the double-barreled shotgun. This beast of a gun hit hard, really hard, taking out towering plasma spewing demons in three shots. It does, however, have an extremely long reload time, so it doesn't exactly work well against the faster moving enemies since if you miss, you're entirely vulnerable.
Hell is a Lonely Place, So Be Sure To Bring Some Friends.
After mowing through the brief single player maps we loaded up some multiplayer chaos. The game offers Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Last Man Standing, and Tournament modes, all of which can accommodate a maximum of four players on a server. With such parameters, the maps aren't very large, and none of the multiplayer maps feature the Grabber or the Artifact.
That's not to say it's boring, players will still have access to the chaingun, shotgun, grenades, and a chainsaw among many others. Only the Surface map was available when we played, though there should be around five total when the game is released. Surface consisted of two multistoried building complexes connected by a bridge. In between was a ground level littered with broken fences and exploding barrels. The significant health and armor powerups were located directly beside explosive containers, so players need to be careful when trying to regain their health and protection.
Players can sprint, punch, fire their weapons, zoom by pressing down on the right control stick, climb ladders, and hop up stacks of boxes in addition to change the color of their armor. As useless as punching may seem in the face of a rocket barrage, it can actually be surprisingly effective. Landing a successful punch while the opponent has their weapon drawn allows you to steal it right out of their hands. Not only does this give you a major upgrade in firepower, but also leaves the opponent with empty hands. In other words, if you get a weapon stolen from you, it doesn't automatically cycle to your next strongest weapon, you actually have to cycle to another weapon. In a frantic firefight, this can be the difference between life and death.
You'll have access to stat tracking in RoE which you can consult to remind yourself how much ass you kick, or don't. In an odd twist, if you're standing directly on a spot where an opponent spawns, you'll instantly die. This happened once to us as a message at the top of the screen flashed "you've been telefragged," so players should be aware of their surroundings, though we were assured this didn't happen very often. Another feature, love it or hate is, is that the grunts players make when hit by bullets is exactly the same as the sound effect used in Quake 3: Arena.
Overall the game looked impressive, as is the case with any Doom game. The weapon additions and the flashlight could definitely work toward making the single player experience more enjoyable, while the fast paced multiplayer modes controlled well and proved intense despite the small server sizes. We'll be able to have a more definite word on this title when it ships on October 5 for a MSRP of $29.99. In the meantime, check the new screens below.
