Poll of the Day > I think Doom 3 is a really good game for what it is.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I think it did the whole " sci-fi horror explore facility that was overrun with evil and look at files of employees who died" concept better than other games did. Bioshock was another game like it, but it was too goofy. I'm playing Alien: Isolation right now, and I love it as something in the Alien franchise, but made me wish I was playing Doom 3 tbh. The gameplay in Alien is annoying.
Doom 3 got hate for not being like Doom 1 and 2, but I thought it was a really good horror/exploration game.
---

It relied too much on jump scares from dark corners. That's lazy horror imo.

I was fine with Doom 3, but I agree with this...

Duck-I-Says posted...

It relied too much on jump scares from dark corners. That's lazy horror imo.

..I don't like jump scares. It lowers my enjoyment of things like this immensely.
---

It was an alright game at the time. I agree with the "jump scares are dumb" sentiment going on though, they are very lazy. The occasional one may spice things up, but it becomes annoying when it's nearly constant. The older Resident Evil games meted them out perfectly, I thought. They existed, so it kept you a bit wary, but it was infrequent enough to give them value. That licker in RE2... Oh man, you know the one...
---

TheCyborgNinja posted...

That licker in RE2... Oh man, you know the one...

This is the one that got me the worst on my first playthrough: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npM43fceaiA&t=45s

Mr. X was great... He got me good a few times.
---

in some sense, it's the "real" system shock 3, with Painkiller being the "real" Doom 3. I love how intensely scary it was.

Duck-I-Says posted...

It relied too much on jump scares from dark corners. That's lazy horror imo.

who cares if it's "lazy", if it's effective? try playing it with loud 5.1 sound alone in the dark. I love how I was literally terrified of moving to the next room. there were at least a few times I was so scared I couldn't shoot straight. only game I've ever played and had that intense a fear reaction to it.
---

Sahuagin posted...

who cares if it's "lazy", if it's effective?

Well I can't speak for you, but for me it stops being effectively scary and starts becoming predictable and irritating if it's done too often.

FEAR was severely underrated. Here's a story I posted elsewhere as to why it holds a special place in my heart:

I was playing the game one night with my future father-in-law (Xbox 360, surround sound). It was 2am and the house was dead. My girlfriend's little sister (about 10) was wearing a red nightie that looked like Alma's dress and had long, very dark brown hair. Copy/paste of Alma.

We were getting creeped out (partly because it just happens easily later into the night) without external help. I get a feeling that somebody is looking at me. I look towards the kitchen, about 20 feet away and there's the girl, slightly lit by moonlight, standing there, motionless. "Dad" turns and jumps, then calls to her. No response. He gets up after a while and cautiously goes to deal with her, definitely not Alma. My god though, the chest pains in that instant between "reacting" and "logic."
---

TheCyborgNinja posted...

FEAR was severely underrated. Here's a story I posted elsewhere as to why it holds a special place in my heart:

I was playing the game one night with my future father-in-law (Xbox 360, surround sound). It was 2am and the house was dead. My girlfriend's little sister (about 10) was wearing a red nightie that looked like Alma's dress and had long, very dark brown hair. Copy/paste of Alma.

We were getting creeped out (partly because it just happens easily later into the night) without external help. I get a feeling that somebody is looking at me. I look towards the kitchen, about 20 feet away and there's the girl, slightly lit by moonlight, standing there, motionless. "Dad" turns and jumps, then calls to her. No response. He gets up after a while and cautiously goes to deal with her, definitely not Alma. My god though, the chest pains in that instant between "reacting" and "logic."

What I remember most about were how amazing it looked and the fact that for its time it had spectacular AI.

My gripe with Alien Isolation is that the game drags on for too long.
You'd think the game would end after the bastard is dead but wait there's more.

Still a good game though. I still prefer Alien vs Predator from 2010.
I enjoyed Alien Colonial Marines as well. I know most people disliked the game and for a good reason. It was fun as hell to play Coop with my brother and it was fun to point out all its flaws.
I guess I just have a weird taste in games lol

That new Doom game looks really fun too. I might play that if I find it cheap somewhere.
---

Sahuagin posted...

who cares if it's "lazy", if it's effective? try playing it with loud 5.1 sound alone in the dark. I love how I was literally terrified of moving to the next room. there were at least a few times I was so scared I couldn't shoot straight. only game I've ever played and had that intense a fear reaction to it.

I mean, jump scares are effective at being annoying. Does that count? Doesn't matter how good your sound system is.

There's a difference in being actually scared of something and something like a loud noise just startling you.
---

If you haven't played System Shock 2 you should, it does everything Doom 3 tried to do but better. I appreciated Doom 3 but it was the only game to ever actually wear out my nerves, the non stop jump scares were too much to handle in large sides and the story didn't really expand much more on the whole 'delved too greedily and too deep'.

LeetCheet posted...

My gripe with Alien Isolation is that the game drags on for too long.
You'd think the game would end after the bastard is dead but wait there's more.

I've heard that was the original plan, but execs decided it was too short and demanded more content.

KevinceKostner posted...

If you haven't played System Shock 2 you should, it does everything Doom 3 tried to do but better. I appreciated Doom 3 but it was the only game to ever actually wear out my nerves, the non stop jump scares were too much to handle in large sides and the story didn't really expand much more on the whole 'delved too greedily and too deep'.

I actually have both System Shock games in my backlog. Your post makes me wanna play it even more lol.

@LeetCheet I'm moving on to the DLC tonight. I wonder if any of the DLC moves on from the damned cliffhanger ending?
---

I never really bothered with the DLC in Alien Isolation, but I remember one of them being about the crew from the first Alien movie which is kinda neat.

I got all the Achievements in the Xbox One version. The Achievement when you had to complete the whole game without dying once was a pain though.
---

LeetCheet posted...

I never really bothered with the DLC in Alien Isolation, but I remember one of them being about the crew from the first Alien movie which is kinda neat.

I got all the Achievements in the Xbox One version. The Achievement when you had to complete the whole game without dying once was a pain though.

Yes, I got the platinum trophy on PS4.
Beating the game without dying and the collectibles were annoying IMO.
---

AllstarSniper32 posted...

There's a difference in being actually scared of something and something like a loud noise just startling you.

well, it translates to 'actually being scared of something' for me. there are also explanations in the game that the feelings of paranoia and being easily startled are a side effect of the evil energies that are present there. it's an unbelievably intense experience if you can immerse yourself in it.

as someone with anxiety problems, in fact I actually find it helpful in a sort of therapeutic way. being that intensely afraid in a controlled way allows you to experience those levels of extreme fear and get used to them or force yourself to work through them.
---