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DOOM 3!

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Rank: Death Bringer

Posts: 327

Posted on: 2003-03-06 22:44

WHOA READ THIS!

The demonstration of DOOM III: The Legacy held by gaming industry veterans id Software was undoubtedly the highlight of E3 2002 programme. The line leading to id's booth literally extended miles long, as 11-minute in-game video was demonstrated behind closed doors of the voguish stand that mimicked the design of a Martian base, with inevitable UAC inscriptions on doors (DOOM veterans would have recognized this abbreviation right away). However, the minor number of chosen journalists were granted separate demonstrations, followed by improvised press-conference with id Software developers. Of course, I rushed to the DOOM III booth right away, and having got past the red tape, stepped inside the "Martian base", which proved to be a pretty cozy little cinema equipped with large screen, three rows of seats, and Dolby Digital audio system. The very process of launching DOOM III was arranged as affair of a great magnitude - they used a huge sci-fi looking control panel sited behind seats, which they must have borrowed from some space movie set. When journalists took their seats, id's representative had a brief opening address to assure the public that everything they see was rendered in real-time and should not be considered pre-filmed video. Then he toggled a dozen of switches on his console. Lights went out.

Incredible. Stunning. Astounding. And dreadfully pants-off scary. I could draw a long list of praises, but I'm afraid I would soon run out of words describing what DOOM III looks like, no matter what language I use. These were the 11 minutes that jumped on top of my nightmares chart, and I'm not exaggerating. I thought myself an expert in computer fear factor, as I have successfully went through Thief 1/2, System Shock 2, Alien vs Predator, Resident Evil, Silent Hill 1/2, and many more horror games. Creators of DOOM III easily surpass the level of creepiness of these games, and also they leave Hitchcock, Lovecraft, and King far away on the left field. Doom III is neither a themed game nor it is an unbeaten compilation of renowned gaming components. And it is not a first-person shooter. It's a sheer revolution. A revolution far beyond the FPS genre, it would alter the entire computer games industry.

It is the year 2145, Mars. Two space marines stand sentinel, exchanging latest gossips and complaining about the dull soldier's lifestyle. A scientist in white smock passes them by, fluttering about and emanating nervousness. He casts a thievish glimpse as he approaches communications control panel, then reports everything is set, but there were some troubles with stabilization field. Harsh voice interrupts it is not for him to worry about. The camera changes for another Martian base room view, showing the flashes of light, sparking electric wiring and levitating objects. The feeling of anomalous activity is reinforced with sound pattern, as strange rattling sound of short circuit bursts through dynamics. As the scene gains momentum, one of the walls open wide and exposes red substance that transforms into an ugly disfigured face. Its mouth ajar, semi-transparent flaming skulls fly out with lingering shrieks. One of the sentinels we saw recently wouldn't even turn around to face the enemy, as the skull sinks its teeth into his neck. The face of the poor fellow is distorted with silent cry of pain, but in a second he turns into a zombie and a looks around for his first prey.

The footage looked as a thrilling and really scary movie excerpt (although we had to keep in mind it was rendered on game engine in real time), and managed to scare the hell out of the public within seconds. So much for the intro, the in-game demonstration was still ahead. What we have seen in the following ten minutes was way more bloodcurdling. The action started with brief cinematic sequence displaying an elevator that descends to the basement level of the base. Locked and loaded marine inside the lift looks terrified, embittered, and frighten. As he puts his combat helmet on and takes a look around, profound voice-over states he is the only man to stand between Hell and Earth. The game starts.

Jim Dose, id Software programmer: "The main purpose of DOOM III is to scare player and make him believe in what's happening on the monitor. We want him to recall his DOOM experience even when his computer turned off. We want DOOM III to be a new reality for him". Obviously, id Software aims high, but they are likely to achieve what they are longing for - DOOM III is not just scary, it's nightmare-inducing, jaw-dropping and spine-chilling experience. The whole level layout and design serves one goal: the player should always be subjected to fear the unknown, with every shadow, around every corner and even behind every wall. Why wall? Here's one in-game moment: you walk down the passageway with pipelines running on each side, puffing away the steam. You make several cautious steps forward and see the tubes bending in front of you; in a split second you hear metal cracking and see the wall exploding open (debris shatter in accordance to physic laws, mind you), revealing the head of malicious beast with flattened skull and huge jaws. The monster slowly squeezes through the hole, browses around, then "notices" your presence and makes a giant leap in your direction. This moment had such a huge impact on audience that CNN girl sitting next to me almost passed out (no kidding). The animations, models, and physics are so realistic that one won't believe it is a computer game. "That's right", - says id Software designer Mal Blackwell. "We always yearned for cinema look and feel. This became real with new technologies supplied by GeForce 3 and ATi Radeon. We are going to create credible environment that would ensure a whole new level of immersion unattainable before. We'll make player believe the reality of the game".

The key tool of creating proper DOOM III atmosphere is the all-new lighting system. Shadows are calculated for each pixel of the scene, which allows developers create locations where lights and darkness are essential constituents of the set. Here's another quote from E3 movie: you notice some monster dragging corpse inside a small compartment. You follow and find yourself in a bathroom. The camera leaves player's "body" and takes a sneak peek around the corner. A lamp hanging from the ceiling lights small room, and the proper feeling is achieved by blinking light that illuminates walls by turn (it's hard to express this scene in written, this must be seen live). Your flat-skull friend monster is here again (as I figured out later in a private chat with id Software, this one is a new incarnation of original Doom's pinky demon), tapping on the bleeding corpse, snarling, and devouring the guts of a poor nameless guy. The lighting was used extensively throughout this scene, and the effect was so overwhelming that I could have taken it for a well-cut FX-bolstered movie.

However, this short episode aroused some vague suspicion. Could it be that Doom's fast-paced non-stop action is extinct, giving way to sluggish crawling interrupted by pre-cut videos? Mal Blackwell: "That' right. In most crucial moments we employ the third person perspective camera to build up the tension and pump up some adrenaline. However, sometimes the external cam is required to elucidate the action. There won't be excessive cut-scenes, and we are going to insert them into the plot rock solid. Trust me, you won't want to miss them".

Sounds very reassuring, but what does Blackwell means by "elucidate the action" thing? What is the plot behind DOOM III? Is it elaborated? "Yep", -- smiles Jim Dose. "Moreover, it is going to shock you. DOOM III story is created by a our fellow Matthew Costello, who conceived stories for "7th Guest" and "11th Hour". We are pretty aware, though, that many players and especially Doom I and II fans might dislike delving into the fundamentals of the story, and ignore the roots of incident on Mars. We can't force them to, so we grant an option to finish game in a shooting-spree style. Well, those who want to know the truth, will find it out".

Although id Software employees were unwilling to reveal the twists and turns of the plot, we managed to clear up some bits of it. DOOM III is set entirely on Mars, somewhere around the times when events of the Doom I took place. So here's another question: is DOOM III a rehash of the older story, a remake? "Well, actually yes it is", - Jim Dose had to confess. "Imagine there were no Dooms before. Our new game is not about retelling the same story (there was not much of a story, actually). This is Doom at its best: fearful as hell, mystic, and breathtaking immersive". I also managed to find out that DOOM III player will be opposed by Evil itself.

I took this article fromHere

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