This is a Doom trilogy of games that spans more than a decade. It includes Doom 3 HD, Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, the Doom 3 Lost Mission (8 level pack), Doom 2, Doom 2: No Rest for the Wicked and Ultimate Doom 1. The major focus on this is the HD version of Doom 3. For those of you who don’t know, its an action FPS, but with how dark, slow and gory it is I’d say its more of a survival horror FPS. This version plays better than the original Doom 3, just with the tweaks such as using a gun and a flash light instead of one or the other. The movement speed has been improved, an autosave function is in there too as well along with numerous other things you’ll never notice. Even these small tweaks make the game just seem more fun and less challenging. The downside is no mods like the original Doom 3. Sure people will still complain about how pitch black it can be without a light, the weapons not having an impact and the numerous monster closets, but this is a good game in my opinion.

As a game, Doom 3 has more of a story to it, which it didn’t need. You’re the new guy on Mars and within a level or two of getting acclimated, eventually fit hits the shan and you’ll be battling zombies, mutants and creatures from Hell or Mars. Whichever. The game really stands on its horrific graphics, even after all of these years. While the action is slower than the old Doom games and it does feel like a very straight forward game with far less linear levels than the original, there are places to explore and puzzles to solve.

Since it is Mars, you’ll get to walk the surface of the planet where you’ll need Oxygen to survive. You’ll also experience a really awesome level in Hell, but mostly you’re inside of futuristic bases. With such a long 20 hour game, the metallic walls, dark ambient lighting and pipes all begin to feel the same. Sure there are different colors, med labs, offices, boiler rooms and scenes of blood and mutilation, but its over and over again. A lot of it feels like you’re in a diesel submarine fighting creatures.

You’ll start with a pistol and move on to a machine gun, shotgun and a chaingun. Eventually, you’ll find the rocket launcher, plasma launcher, BFG and grenades. The weapons don’t feel that good or impactful. Shooting a shotgun close range will do far more damage than long range, unlike the original Doom 1 that you could snipe with it. The grenades don’t feel that good to use, because they are their own weapon not some secondary weapon like in most games where you throw it. That makes the grenades feel useless unless you need to drop a grenade to a monster below. Eventually you’ll find ‘the Artifact’ that can be thrown as a bladed weapon, bouncing off of walls and shredding through enemies.

Enemies come in a variety of sizes. Big bulbous cacodemos fly around shooting balls of lightning, mancubus are fat and take a lot of bullets while their dual cannons bellow fireballs. A towering, rocket shooting horn headed cyberdemon. Flying skulls, six legged human head spiders. A boss that is half man half tank and little half baby half insect creatures. It is all beautiful, grotesque horror that debuts each creature with a brief cut scene. That’s something the first game didn’t have. Cut scenes. There are a few story cut scenes, but thankfully they are less and less frequent.

Each of the enemies has a revamp. Enemies are somewhat intelligent, while zombies will just come shambling toward you, smarter enemies will hide and take cover. They’ll eve awkwardly sidestep your bullets. The levels just never really accentuate the enemy intelligence. Most levels are straight forward, so everything will be dead with no chance to flank you or get behind you organically. There are still monster closets, doors that open up behind you and have enemies or some enemies like imps will just teleport in behind you. Some found it annoying.

BFG Edition also comes with the expansion pack Resurrection of Evil for Doom 3. This is a good sized campaign that introduces the double barreled shotgun and a grabber gun, similar to the Half Life gravity gun that will allow you to grab barrels and enemy projectiles to throw at enemies. That’s not the only similarity between the Half Life games, the wall health and Doom 3’s story seems to have been inspired by Half Life 1. The expansion pack also offers more abilities that will allow you to slow time, give invulnerability and give berserk which doubles your weapon power. Each ability will help you deal with the new bosses in the game and traverse the levels.

Now for the big reason Doom 3 fans would get this game, the new expansion / level pack called ‘the Lost Levels.’ Is it worth $20? no. Is it worth $10? Probably not, but there is still a lot of value with the whole package.

Next up are the first two Doom games all the way back from 1994 and 1995. The Ultimate Doom is 4 episodes of Doom 1. The first 3 episodes of 8 – 9 levels each and a bonus episode. Its still every bit as fun as it was back then. Bright, vibrant, you move like a racecar, great enemy variety and weapons. The levels feel open and offer a lot of variety. You’ll collect keys and open doors, pull switches. You can do everything easily and freely. You can snipe with a shotgun or pistol. There is no vertical mouse aim. If you are horizontally aimed at an enemy and shoot, your bullets will go up or down toward the enemy.

Doom 2 is also the same engine as Doom 1, but with more enemy types and 32 levels all in 1 episode. But wait, there’s a bonus episode of 8 levels from 2010 made for X-Box Live. This 8 level pack has great detailed maps with a good challenge for veterans.

On top of that, the original 2 Dooms, there are 20 levels of extra levels, some of which are awesome others…. not so much. While there are mods for Doom 3, for whatever reason, mod support IS NOT IN DOOM 3 BFG. Not sure why, but whatever.

In all, its worth $10, maybe even $20, but wait for a sale. Chances are anyone interested in Doom has already had the first two games. This is a quick cash grab from iD. Everything is still a lot of fun to play especially with Doom 3’s tweaks, but just wait for a sale.