I have a confession to make.  While I?ve benchmarked it and tested it, until the past few days, I haven?t ever sat down and really played Doom 3.  Oh I?d run through the first few minutes of it, but life and a hectic schedule had gotten in the way of me spending much time in the game, and since I didn?t want to spoil my impression, I haven?t even read any of the reviews.  Since Half Life 2 was released this week, I thought it?d make a good time to take the two games head to head and see which came out on top.  I?ve spent a few hours in the beginning of each, playing through the first few levels.  Although I haven?t completed either, I?ve spent enough time in each (I think) to develop a feel for what the later sections of each game will be like.  Given that each has been fairly consistent thus far, it?d take a major shift for my opinion of either to change significantly. There are games that?ve done this (the first half of Jedi Knight II feels like a Star Wars-themed FPS, the post-light-saber-acquisition portion of the game is amazing), but they tend to be the exception rather than the rule.

 Comparing the Hype® Drive:

According to Vivendi, Half Life 2:  ?has surpassed our expectations in every sense ? its high-quality graphics, ground-breaking physics and immersive first-person shooter gameplay set a new standard for PC action games??"Half-Life 2 will go down as one of the best-selling PC titles, and we are thrilled to deliver this ground-breaking title to the worldwide gaming community this fall.”

The PR machine continues:

In 2004, Half-Life 2 will take the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original to new heights of realism and responsiveness. Half-Life 2 opens the door to a world where the player?s presence affects everything around him, from the physical environments to the behaviors ? even the emotions ? of both friends and enemies.

That?s not actually too bad, though the cynical part of me is tempted to distil this into: ?Its pretty and the enemies actually fire back.?  And couldn?t ?ground-breaking physics? be seen as some sort of pun and / or construction simulator?

So how?s Doom 3 sound, in comparison?

A sci-fi horror masterpiece, DOOM 3’s dramatic storyline, pulse-pounding action, incredible graphics, and ground-breaking technology combine to draw you into the most frightening and gripping first-person gaming experience ever created?"DOOM 3 is a videogame experience unlike any before it. From the cinema quality visuals and the incredible 5.1 sound, to the terrifying atmosphere and hyper-realistic environments, the whole game screams ‘interactive horror film!’ Add in the most ferocious line up of demons Hell has ever brought to bear, and you have an experience so intense that you’ll need to keep your heart medicine handy.”

I could be wrong, but I?m thinking John Carmack did *not* write this PR.  Doom 3 easily wins the ?Hype® Drive? portion of the comparison, with incredible use of such words as ?masterpiece?, hyper-realistic?, and even the daring exclamation point.  I?m not sure I want to play a hyper-realistic game (it sounds like a game written from the viewpoint of an overactive eight-year-old). 

Bring on the beta blockers--I’m ready for Doom. 

next >

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• Doom 3: First Impressions, Striking Features. (1 of 5)
• Doom 3: Interaction and Immersion, Initial Verdict. (2 of 5)
• Half Life 2: First Impressions, Striking Features. (3 of 5)
• Half Life 2: Graphics, Models, and Water; Initial Verdict. (4 of 5)
• What've We Learned Today? (5 of 5)