Doom 3 BFG

[UnscathedFlyingObject]

They just worked on Rage in which you press the stick once and then you don't have to keep it pressed to keep running. How could they mess it up on this game immediately after? Also, more annoying still is that I heard the game pauses the action to autosave and there's no dynamic shadows. WTF. I was looking forward to this game, but now, I'm not so sure. I'm just gonna wait until we get all the facts straight for this port.

Edit: I'm talking about Doom 3, of course.

[shmuppyLove]

Also, more annoying still is that I heard the game pauses the action to autosave

Yes there is a brief pause at the checkpoints while it saves. Since the original game had no such 'feature', you have no idea where these checkpoints are, so it can be a bit jarring.

[Ruldra]

I'm just gonna wait until we get all the facts straight for this port.

From what I could gather from other forums (they're just opinions from other people, didn't check these facts myself):

- Long loading times (installing the game on the 360 HD might reduce them, but then you won't be able to play Doom I and II. PS3 has no option to install the game)
- 10-15 seconds mandatory autosaves
- Game is now so bright you don't even need the flashlight. Also, flashlight doesn't cast a shadow anymore
- Game uses compressed textures so they have lower quality

I probably missed some other stuff, but the general consensus is that the original Doom 3 is superior to BFG edition in every way. Some compromises had to be made to make the game run at 60fps on consoles.

And while I'm at it:

- Doom I and II's medikits now have a pill icon in the front instead of the usual red cross. Copyright from the Red Cross Organization
- Doom II's Wolfenstein level was censored. Nazi flags and pics of Hitler were all removed. SS soldiers are now regular zombies

At this point, I don't know. Having all 3 games in one disc is convenient, but I can play each one of them whenever I want on PC and they don't have the flaws of BFG edition. Might skip this one.

[Ruldra]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp3TgYmq8ck

Footage of the PS3 version. I really don't see a lot of the previous complaints here, game still looks really dark.

[shmuppyLove]

- Game is now so bright you don't even need the flashlight. Also, flashlight doesn't cast a shadow anymore

I still find I need the flashlight in dark areas. But yes, it does not cast shadows. There still appear to be dynamic shadows from the environment lighting though. Odd.

- Doom I and II's medikits now have a pill icon in the front instead of the usual red cross. Copyright from the Red Cross Organization

I noticed this too and thought I was crazy. Too funny.

[njiska]

I probably missed some other stuff, but the general consensus is that the original Doom 3 is superior to BFG edition in every way. Some compromises had to be made to make the game run at 60fps on consoles.

Has anyone commented on the PC release yet? It's the one I'm most curious about. Maybe I'll get lucky and Digital Foundry will write something.

- Doom I and II's medikits now have a pill icon in the front instead of the usual red cross. Copyright from the Red Cross Organization

These weren't censored on the XBLA release, correct? Copyright at it's gayest and least useful.

- Doom II's Wolfenstein level was censored. Nazi flags and pics of Hitler were all removed. SS soldiers are now regular zombies

Outside of Germany this change is positively baffling. I don't see the logic behind it as all it achieves is destroying the point of those two great levels. Pretty confident the XBLA release is unchanged.

[BIL]

Wolf3D's Nazi iconography has always been on thin ice even in the US, it seems. The screenshots on the back of the mid-90s' glorious CD-ROM big box release have really obvious, ugly censorings.

-Wolf3D Fan X! ^_~

[trap15]

Wolf3D's levels are entirely composed of swastikas. I'm not kidding.

[BIL]

Ugh... I just remembered DOOM's E1M3 (edit: I mean E1M4 ^_~) swastika got chopped out of all later revisions pretty early on too.

Bury bad stuff from the past so it goes away! -_-

[njiska]

This is why people really need to lighten the fuck up. I have a right to be offended damn it!

Also, holy hell Trap, that's just awesome is what that is.

Edit: Hey DF did write something: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... fg-edition

[shmuppyLove]

I've been commenting on the PC version.

[Mortificator]

These weren't censored on the XBLA release, correct? Copyright at it's gayest and least useful.

No, they were changed to show little red & white pills for XBLA. And it's not copyright, but still quite homosexual.

[Ruldra]

Full analysis by Digital Foundry: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digit ... n-face-off

Looks like I might get this after all.

[Ed Oscuro]

BFG edition sounds nasty and bad on PC.

Looks nasty compared to the modding community texture work too - check out the wall textures in the second of these. I'm reminded how much I hate the stupid "Mixom" logos everywhere, too.

Ep6 Level 3

I think there's a similar level a few maps before the infamous Aardwolf maze. I was maxing score on every level up to that point, but there's no way I was seriously gonna try it for that one.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Glad to hear "HD consoles" got their slice of 60 fps. Didn't expect it after the infamous Quake IV port. Not that consoles needed Quake (or could do it justice for that matter), but every 60 fps console game is a sign that not all hope is lost.

[Ed Oscuro]

I went and installed DOOM III again. Got killed at the first infamous dropping floor (you want that armor, bitches? You're gonna pay for it!) on Vet. Sheesh, the game's textures do look blurry now. I guess it's reasonable though.

Main reason was really so I could check out The Dark Mod, which has already taken close to 9 hours to download.

[Jonathan Ingram]

How do Doom 1 and 2 from BFG edition stack up against Ultimate Doom for PSX? I still play that one from time to time when I`m in the mood for some console Doom action. Might get this version if it`s better(but only if it reuses the music from the PSX version).

[Ed Oscuro]

Might get this version if it`s better(but only if it reuses the music from the PSX version).

Of course it doesn't. It's more or less straight-up 35FPS ports of the original PC releases. If you want to play DOOM, I'm sure there's some way of playing them on PC with the PSX music, which would be far and away the better option. Just had a listen - the PSX DOOM music is fairly interesting, reminds me of DOOM 64's music. Pretty cool and a nice break from the 3DO or original tunes.

[Limbrooke]

Might get this version if it`s better(but only if it reuses the music from the PSX version).

Of course it doesn't. It's more or less straight-up 35FPS ports of the original PC releases. If you want to play DOOM, I'm sure there's some way of playing them on PC with the PSX music, which would be far and away the better option. Just had a listen - the PSX DOOM music is fairly interesting, reminds me of DOOM 64's music. Pretty cool and a nice break from the 3DO or original tunes.

Heard of the PSXTC? http://www.doomworld.com/vb/wads-mods/5 ... -released/
It has all the links for Doom, Final Doom TCs, and the music. I've mostly spent time in Doom and it's nice and authentic plus all the perks of GZDoom.

[Jonathan Ingram]

If you want to play DOOM, I'm sure there's some way of playing them on PC with the PSX music, which would be far and away the better option.

I have PSX Doom for PC, but I was hoping for something similar on consoles too. It`s a little bit disappointing how bare-bones these official re-releases are. No map packs, no soundtrack selection, no nothing.

[Ed Oscuro]

Welcome to the era of re-releases! One or two of the versions has some tearing in those ports, too, from what I read earlier (either PC and 360 or PS3).

[The Coop]

I thought about getting this game, as I have and still occasionally play the original PC release. But since they dropped support for Windows XP, and cranked up the system requirements for unknown reasons, I passed. I can play the original DOS Doom games in DOSBox just fine, and with the mods available for Doom 3 on the PC, it looks basically every bit as good as the BFG re-release (better in ways actually). Plus, I'm not spending $30 to repurchase a game that I still own, especially when it comes off as more of a downgrade with extra missions.

So yeah, maybe when the BFG edition hits the bargain bin for $5, I'll pick it up. Until then, it's not worth the price.



And for the record, when I bought my P4 3.0 GHz PC back in 2004, I had an AGP Radeon 9800 Pro, and could run the game on Medium settings at 1024x768 just fine (a little choppy in spots if I put it on high settings). So why this re-release needs so much more power is puzzling.

[ZellSF]

Classic Doom PC port specific fun:

1: it uses the same controls as Doom 3. Classic keyboard controls? Not an option. If you use a gamepad you need to hold down L3 to run. There is no always run option. Obviously there's no full mouselook to go with the WASD controls either.

2: Nightmare difficulty no longer has fast monsters and fast projectiles. They seriously toned down the challenge of the hardest difficulty level.

Doom 3 stuff:

1: FOV is extremely limited.
2: Unskippable cutscenes (and publisher logos when starting the game).
3: Texture filtering and proper v-sync must be forced through graphic driver, no proper in-game controls for it. The same applies for decent anti-aliasing controls. Obviously this is only a problem with the PC port.
4: Just a personal complaint: the UI fonts are terrible.
5: Another personal complaint, I see that other people are fine with this port's performance and I know my 5770 isn't a fantastic card, but I was still hoping for consistent 60 FPS at 720p.

Long loading times (installing the game on the 360 HD might reduce them, but then you won't be able to play Doom I and II

This is wrong, you can still play them from the dashboard, you can't just launch them from the in-game launcher.

PC--Veteran.

Consoles--Something lower since you might be fighting with the controls.

I would go straight for veteran and never look back, I'm only in the intro areas yet but the game seems to feed you practically unlimited ammo... in a game where ammo preservation was a huge part of the challenge.

Playing it entirely with a gamepad and it's much, much less of a challenge than the original Xbox release was on veteran. Of course, again, I haven't gotten far into the game yet.

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, after my sinking floor debacle earlier, I replayed the area (noticing the SHOTGUN lying next to the armor, which I didn't need, this time) and beyond. Almost nothing is touching me. Kind of interesting how a leaping imp (~.5 seconds of can't see shit if it hits you) will just scurry to the side if you level a blast where it would normally jump...at least, it seemed to do this intelligently once. Not sure if shooting or just aiming in that direction matters. Super weak enemies and plenty of cover. Lots of monster closets. I even remembered to save a guy running past on a catwalk earlier. Playing Veteran, of course. One thing I've noticed is that the extremely generous item caches (armor shards, armor, ammo, different types of medkits, and wall-mounted health dispensers ala Half-Life) provoke me into far too much backtracking, but even when being really liberal with the backtracking and soaking up huge items, there still isn't anything like an item crunch. I've gotten it under control now and I'm just pushing forward. Strangely, armor seems to stay high, over 100, whereas it's my health that gets cut in half. Could be that I'm losing more health to the Z-secs than I am to the demons (probably true), although you would expect bullets to take more off the armor than imp fireballs. One of the reviewers mentioned that the gunplay seemed unimpressive and monotonous...I have to agree, it's not holding up that well.

You know what really pisses me off? All the game-referenced websites, like Martian Buddy, have been taken down and now redirect (a few might not, like a wyzard one apparently referenced in an email, maybe ua-corp as well, plus some of the non-interactive panels ingame reference some .org, and also Mixom.co.jp does not have anything) to Bethesda's DOOM site. What a fucking waste.

On the plus side, The Dark Project seems OK so far. Not amazing, and I fear that however nice the basics are they've put in place, it can't compare to the original without something to fight for (i.e. a story arc, like that found in the original games). Still worth messing with. One more hidden health potion and I'm completely done with training. Their lockpicking minigame is a fresh concept, too, I believe.

ZellSF: Some of those issues are fixable via INI edits or the console (FOV and resolution have been easily edited since PC patch 1.31, at the latest; possibly earlier, although this is of course new code partly).

[TransatlanticFoe]

I'm sure it doesn't need the system requirements put on it. I have, supposedly, the bare minimum card in the ATI 5750. Which runs Crysis smoothly on high settings (a little sluggish on ultra high) and nothing else makes it break into a sweat. This sure as hell doesn't either.

This was £11, contains the expansion pack, new missions and Doom I & II. I call that a bargain but haven't played the original Doom 3 to compare against. Last I played of Doom and Doom II were on the GBA.

It's been years since I played Doom on PC... the music on the SNES version is better, WTF is with that?

[Ed Oscuro]

This was £11

That sounds like a deal to me. They've been charging multiples of that over here.

It's been years since I played Doom on PC... the music on the SNES version is better, WTF is with that?

DOOM's music varies wildly depending on the MIDI hardware used. Some people like it on OPL, some like it on something else. No idea what they're using in place of MIDI there.