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[JaseC]

Within the last several years. Not really all that recent, but certainly more recent than consoles.

It began with Modern Warfare 2, didn't it? In any case, I meant "recent" within the context of this generation. I'll edit my post to make that clearer.

 

[RedSwirl]

Because PC games are generally $10 cheaper than their console counterparts. New-release PC games being $60 (Edit: err, I mean priced identically to console games) is a recent phenomenon.

And ZeniMax developers (which include id) are among those who price new release PC games in line with console. I just paid $59.99 for Dishonored on PC (from the same publisher). And the $10 difference usually only happens for games that are $60 on console. Though, I guess I just haven't bought a new release id game yet. I only paid $23 for RAGE right after that came out.

It began with Modern Warfare 2, didn't it?

I believe so.

 

[Reiko]

$30 is the PC RRP, so I assume you meant to ask why it's $20, and the answer to that is current owners of Doom 3 get a 33% discount. The store page mentions you can save said amount if you buy the BFG Edition "now", which implies the offer is limited, but there's no indication of when it will end.

Edit: Beaten by seconds./QUOTE]

No. I meant $30. Why is it $30 on PC (I don't already own DOOM 3 and never played it) but $40 on consoles?



Why stop at Crysis 1? Why not all three games? And instead of 60fps they'd probably go for having all the graphical features finally enabled on console.

Oh definitely. But my mind would be blown for a 60fps console experience like on the PC.

 

[brumx]

This game should only be played with headphones and by yourself at night.

 

[Raptomex]

Oh. $40 on console. That explains why I paid $30.

 

[JaseC]

And ZeniMax developers (which include id) are among those who price new release PC games in line with console. I just paid $59.99 for Dishonored on PC (from the same publisher). And the $10 difference usually only happens for games that are $60 on console. Though, I guess I just haven't bought a new release id game yet. I only paid $23 for RAGE right after that came out.

True. If I had to hazard a guess, Bethesda went against its own grain because the package is a budget re-release of a few old games and as such expectations are not overly high.

 

[JimmyRustler]

Just came home and played the 360 version a bit. I fucking LOVE it already. I feel like the 18 year old lad I was back in 04 when I played this the first time. Keep in mind that I haven't played this game for years.

Just quick notes:

- 360 version runs smooth as butter. Carmack delivered the 60 frames as he promised.
- The game is nowhere near as bright as it's made out to be. You still need the flashlight constantly - and I don't really mind it being mounted.
- Friggin love the shotgun already as they implemented controller vibration each time you shoot. id just knows how to put a shotgun in a game.
- 3D..... is nice, but not my thing. Or maybe it's just that the resolution is horrible once you switch it on. Played Halo Anni in 3D as well but can't remember it haven't a resolution this bad.

Will go to the gym now. Can't waitto come home and play this shit again.

 

[Ocaso]

Here is a comparison between the Xbox version and the 360 version. Game has not aged well, lol. But should still be some old school fun. Especially for those who missed the content that the PC version had, plus there are the extra missions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0XiKptpqZE

PS3 footage here as well. Seems solid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxq4KVW-naw

Xbox version doesn't look all that bad by comparison. It's interesting that the Xbox version was already somewhat brighter than the PC version, and now this version is even brighter than that. Talk about compromising your artistic vision. BFG looks like the entire game is being played with an exaggeratedly low gamma by comparison.

I know I'll still give this a playthrough eventually, if only for to play through in stereo 3D, but thus far it looks as though this missed the mark on being the definitive product I'd hoped it would be.

 

[ironcreed]

Controller Online gave it a 6/10.

http://thecontrolleronline.com/2012/10/doom-3-bfg-edition-review/

"If you’re going to re-release a game from your back catalog you’re supposed to deliver a better package than the original. If you aren’t going to do that, you should at least make sure the new version is of the same, or ideally higher, quality than the original. iD Software did neither of these things with the Doom 3 BFG Edition release and what you’re left with is a package that would be much better if you simply purchased the originals individually. Doom 3 is still a great game, but I really recommend finding a copy of the original PC version and sticking with the copies of Doom and Doom 2 you may already have, or can easily purchase, on your Xbox 360 or PS3."

Would still like to play it for the old school vibe and content I missed. Just not sure I want to for $40.00.

 

[dark10x]

Xbox version doesn't look all that bad by comparison. It's interesting that the Xbox version was already somewhat brighter than the PC version, and now this version is even brighter than that. Talk about compromising your artistic vision. BFG looks like the entire game is being played with an exaggeratedly low gamma by comparison.

I think you're wayyy off base with that comment.

I've reiterated this time and again: Doom 3 was MADE for CRT monitors. It's that simple. The huge swathes of empty black space can look great on a CRT monitor but look like shit on an LCD (and even many plasmas). You wind up seeing more "gray" backlight than you do actual black space. The artistic vision was compromised by the displays people are using today.

Adjusting the brightness levels and lighting to look better with modern displays is a great decision.

 

[Reiko]

Xbox version doesn't look all that bad by comparison. It's interesting that the Xbox version was already somewhat brighter than the PC version, and now this version is even brighter than that. Talk about compromising your artistic vision. BFG looks like the entire game is being played with an exaggeratedly low gamma by comparison.

I know I'll still give this a playthrough eventually, if only for to play through in stereo 3D, but thus far it looks as though this missed the mark on being the definitive product I'd hoped it would be.

I want to say something... While it looked cool in the original PC version... The lighting made no kind of sense. I mean who in the hell works in those kind of lighting conditions? No wonder that place later goes to shit.

But still... Darker lighting for the sake of scary gameplay... I get it. It just looks stupid during the beginning of the game. If the power went out it would be acceptable later on.

 

[randomwab]

Is it true that there's no option to play it with the flashlight like Doom 3 original? You're stuck with the shoulder mounted light? I was one of the few who actually liked switching between them in the game.

 

[dark10x]

Is it true that there's no option to play it with the flashlight like Doom 3 original? You're stuck with the shoulder mounted light? I was one of the few who actually liked switching between them in the game.

It is a shame that this was removed. I actually think that a better solution would simply to have been to make the flashlight melee attack stronger. With the right balance you could still have been effective without constantly switching back and forth.

 

[MedIC86]

Ugh the screen tearing is really bad, even with v-sync enabled (at least on my system)

 

[papersleeves]

It is a shame that this was removed. I actually think that a better solution would simply to have been to make the flashlight melee attack stronger. With the right balance you could still have been effective without constantly switching back and forth.

Let's be honest. A simple flashlight option letting you choose between the mounted flashlight or the old fashioned flashlight would've been the best possible option. Giving people options is always the best option.

 

[Xander51]

Let`s be honest. A simply flashlight option letting you choose between the mounted flashlight or the old fashioned flashlight would've been the best possible option. Give people options is always the best option.

Yup. Totally baffled as to why this wasn't done, considering that this aims to be the definitive Doom collection.

 

[cyberheater]

So I take it the PC version is out on the 19th then. I thought it was the 16th?

 

[plagiarize]

So I take it the PC version is out on the 19th then. I thought it was the 16th?

eh? In the USA its out on steam right now. I grabbed it earlier for $20. I'm at work so no impressions yet.

 

[Starbuck2907]

Yup. Totally baffled as to why this wasn't done, considering that this aims to be the definitive Doom collection.

The game is scarier without the flashlight mod. The lack simultaneous flashlight with gun creates more tension.

I see it this way. Playing with the flashlight mod, you basically are playing an action/shooter. But, playing in a dark room with the sound up, without the flashlight mod, the game is much, much scarier, and feels totally different. Without the flashlight, the game is much less "run and gun", and it forces you to go slower and soak up more of the atmosphere.

So, there is a very good reason that the flashlight mod was not included in the original game design. They should have included it here, as an option, but it does totally change the way the game feels and plays. IMO, you miss out on some of the best parts of the game, the creepiness, the long moments in the dark just hearing crazy sounds, etc, if you decided to use that mod.

I'm sure people will play it the way that they want, and that some will find playing without the mod annoying, but it really does drastically change the way the game feels and plays. The mod helps from an action perspective, but it hurts from a mood/fear perspective, which is really what the game is meant to be about. Whether you should use the mod or not really depends upon what you expect from the game.

 

[Valkyr47]

The options screens are pretty sparse, so unless I'm dumb and missed it, nope it's not there.

Also, the new flashlight is just kind of hilariously jammed through the shoulder of the character model when you look at him in a mirror. It looks like they spent all of 8 seconds adding it. It looks like the old 3D model for the flashlight, and the back end of it kind of juts out of the back of the guy.

Seriously?

lol

 

[Deleted member 102362]

Yup. Totally baffled as to why this wasn't done, considering that this aims to be the definitive Doom collection.

While we're at it, how can this be called "definitive" if it's missing Master Levels for Doom II and Final Doom, both of which are on Steam?

 

[Ocaso]

I think you're wayyy off base with that comment.

I've reiterated this time and again: Doom 3 was MADE for CRT monitors. It's that simple. The huge swathes of empty black space can look great on a CRT monitor but look like shit on an LCD (and even many plasmas). You wind up seeing more "gray" backlight than you do actual black space. The artistic vision was compromised by the displays people are using today.

Adjusting the brightness levels and lighting to look better with modern displays is a great decision.

I don't think the display type has anything to do with it. Even if they weren't the standard they are now, LCD displays weren't exactly a rarity in 2004 and id must have known that some people would be playing the game on an LCD when developing it. What's more, black levels today are far, far better than they were 8 years ago, meaning any need to brighten it up that may have existed in the past is far less necessary now. But to the point, this is about what darkness meant for the gameplay. Doom 3 was all about the interplay between light and dark, between choosing to illuminate where you were going while defenseless or choosing to be armed but in darkness. This dichotomy gave rise to the heightened tension the developers often stated in interviews they were aiming for. It doesn't matter if you were looking at a patch of true black or ugly gray, the key thing was that those areas of little to no visibility were always potential threats. People might not have liked that, but I for one think they succeeded at their goal. Doom 3 was one hell of an awesomely tense ride. Not having played through the BFG edition I can't say to what degree that still is or is not present, but the videos suggest this element of the game will be extremely diminished. I think that's a damn shame.

No, this is not about making the game look better for new displays. Like the shoulder-mounted flashlight, this is about silencing longstanding criticisms that perhaps always missed the point.

 

[dark10x]

The game is scarier without the flashlight mod. The lack simultaneous flashlight with gun creates more tension.

I see it this way. Playing with the flashlight mod, you basically are playing an action/shooter. But, playing in a dark room with the sound up, without the flashlight mod, the game is much, much scarier, and feels totally different. Without the flashlight, the game is much less "run and gun", and it forces you to go slower and soak up more of the atmosphere.

So, there is a very good reason that the flashlight mod was not included in the original game design. They should have included it here, as an option, but it does totally change the way the game feels and plays. IMO, you miss out on some of the best parts of the game, the creepiness, the long moments in the dark just hearing crazy sounds, etc, if you decided to use that mod.

Honestly, I felt that all of this was spoiled by the fact that the game is limited by the "action bubble" around the player. The fact that all enemies are aware of the player at all times makes it infinitely less scary. There are no patrolling enemies, enemies can't lose track of your, and enemy locations are always obvious. If the game had taken a different approach to its encounters then I would agree that the darkness could have improved experience, but in the end, it IS just an action shooter without any of the tension they wanted to deliver. As a result, the darkness simply gets in the way of the action.

One need only consider the enemy behavior and placement in a game like System Shock 2 if you want to know what could have been. Those moments when you're hiding from enemies or know there is an enemy wandering the hallways are the most tense. Doom 3 has none of that. As I noted earlier, the original Doom 3 E3 2002 demo actually DID feature this sort of behavior and, although it was all scripted, it hinted at something greater. The final game failed to deliver anything of this.

Take a look at this (the original E3 demo)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXzJ0wFj-ag

Notice how different the encounters play out in that footage?

I don't think the display type has anything to do with it. Even if they weren't the standard they are now, LCD displays weren't exactly a rarity in 2004 and id must have known that some people would be playing the game on an LCD when developing it. What's more, black levels today are far, far better than they were 8 years ago, meaning any need to brighten it up that may have existed in the past is far less necessary now.

Yes, black levels in flat panels are better but they still aren't anywhere near what CRTs could display.

No, this is not about making the game look better for new displays.

Regardless of their intentions this is one of the positive side effects.

Seriously, though, look at this footage...does this really look "too bright" to you? It's not washed out and there is still plenty of darkness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp3TgYmq8ck&feature=player_detailpage#t=56s

 

[Sullichin]

I agree with Starbuck2907, I liked vanilla Doom 3 where you had to switch between using your gun and the flashlight. Is this not an option in BFG Edition?

 

[papersleeves]

I have my 360 version copy in my hand as we speak. Still have a whole afternoon of work until I can finally play the damn thing. HHHHNNGGG

 

[sp3000]

What a terrible port. It looks marginally better than the Xbox version. 8 years and they can't even be bothered to make the same effort as modders

 

[dark10x]

What a terrible port. It looks marginally better than the Xbox version. 8 years and they can't even be bothered to make the same effort as modders

I'm getting sick of reading this.

It's not a terrible port. It's a fantastic port of the original game with some minor tweaks.

The fact that it does not include mods doesn't make it a bad port. They wanted 60 fps on consoles which would have been impossible with something like Sikkmod anyways.

 

[AgentOtaku]

The game is scarier without the flashlight mod. The lack simultaneous flashlight with gun creates more tension.

I see it this way. Playing with the flashlight mod, you basically are playing an action/shooter. But, playing in a dark room with the sound up, without the flashlight mod, the game is much, much scarier, and feels totally different. Without the flashlight, the game is much less "run and gun", and it forces you to go slower and soak up more of the atmosphere.

So, there is a very good reason that the flashlight mod was not included in the original game design. They should have included it here, as an option, but it does totally change the way the game feels and plays. IMO, you miss out on some of the best parts of the game, the creepiness, the long moments in the dark just hearing crazy sounds, etc, if you decided to use that mod.

I'm sure people will play it the way that they want, and that some will find playing without the mod annoying, but it really does drastically change the way the game feels and plays. The mod helps from an action perspective, but it hurts from a mood/fear perspective, which is really what the game is meant to be about. Whether you should use the mod or not really depends upon what you expect from the game.

Totally agree and wish there was an option to toggle the original way =/

 

[AgentOtaku]

What a terrible port. It looks marginally better than the Xbox version. 8 years and they can't even be bothered to make the same effort as modders

fucking lol

 

[cyberheater]

eh? In the USA its out on steam right now. I grabbed it earlier for $20. I'm at work so no impressions yet.

Not in the UK yet. How do I get around this?

 

[Grief.exe]

I want to see xbox 360 BFG edition compared against PC Doom 4 with Sikkmod.

I've been looking to pick up Doom 4 for a little while now on Steam, but it never seems to go on sale for a reasonable price. Its never apart of an individual sale, just a group pack and the cheapest it will be individually is 50% off.
Most likely because Id and Bethesda knew that the BFG edition was being released.

 

[Genesis Knight]

Geez, I didn't remember how great the original Xbox version looked.

 

[Nizz]

I'm getting sick of reading this.

It's not a terrible port. It's a fantastic port of the original game with some minor tweaks.

The fact that it does not include mods doesn't make it a bad port. They wanted 60 fps on consoles which would have been impossible with something like Sikkmod anyways.

True. I'm glad someone like Carmack continually pushes for 60fps in the console versions of their games.

 

[Ocaso]

Honestly, I felt that all of this was spoiled by the fact that the game is limited by the "action bubble" around the player. The fact that all enemies are aware of the player at all times makes it infinitely less scary. There are no patrolling enemies, enemies can't lose track of your, and enemy locations are always obvious. If the game had taken a different approach to its encounters then I would agree that the darkness could have improved experience, but in the end, it IS just an action shooter without any of the tension they wanted to deliver. As a result, the darkness simply gets in the way of the action.

One need only consider the enemy behavior and placement in a game like System Shock 2 if you want to know what could have been. Those moments when you're hiding from enemies or know there is an enemy wandering the hallways are the most tense. Doom 3 has none of that. As I noted earlier, the original Doom 3 E3 2002 demo actually DID feature this sort of behavior and, although it was all scripted, it hinted at something greater. The final game failed to deliver anything of this.

It didn't fail to deliver any of it, it failed to deliver patrolling enemies. Enemy locations aren't always obvious. In fact they're often random, and not every shadow hides an enemy, which is the point. It's the anticipation to the encounter that builds tension, not the encounter itself. Obviously this tends to diminish on multiple playthroughs, but we can't fault id for that, can we? What's more, with the firepower in Doom 3, I guarantee no one would be hiding from enemies. It's just not that type of game.

I've not played System Shock 2 but what you're describing sounds a lot like Thief, which was also incredibly tense, but in a different way from Doom 3. There's nothing particularly wrong with what id did in their approach to tension. It's different, but with the caveat that it relies on the darkenss, as per their intent.

Regardless of their intentions this is one of the positive side effects.

Seriously, though, look at this footage...does this really look "too bright" to you? It's not washed out and there is still plenty of darkness.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rp3TgYmq8ck&feature=player_detailpage#t=56s

No, it honestly doesn't look too bright, but those are new levels. What I've seen of the old levels does look washed out. But again, I may be judging it prematurely. Maybe the people playing it do have incorrect gamma settings. I'll wait until I play it myself to judge and I'll almost certainly still purchase this eventually. I'm just far less excited about it now than before.

Edit: Er, maybe that's not a new level. I honestly can't remember it, but it does look pretty good if it's an old level, which suggests the videos I'd seen before simply have borked settings. Hope that's the case.

 

[Grief.exe]

Geez, I didn't remember how great the original Xbox version looked.

It did look great, but I kind of see it as how sad things have gotten. Consoles have held back visual fidelity to such a degree that there hasn't been much in the way of innovation.

 

[dark10x]

Geez, I didn't remember how great the original Xbox version looked.

Hmmm, it's not as good as you'd think based on that video.

The textures are much more heavily compressed and lower in resolution across the board with some nasty artifacts present on many surfaces. It's also missing some of the lighting, features poly count reductions, and massive level changes. The entire introduction is replaced with a pre-rendered video up until the front desk, for instance, and nearly all of the outdoor areas and larger maps were removed or changed. It's impressive for the hardware but it's nowhere NEAR the quality of the BFG console release.

I should note that THIS video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0XiKptpqZE

Is fucking worthless. There is SOME real XBOX footage in there later in the video (and it looks MUCH worse), but MOST of that footage comes from the pre-rendered introduction sequence that was captured from the PC version. The 360 footage is all realtime.

No, it honestly doesn't look too bright, but those are new levels. What I've seen of the old levels does look washed out.

No it's not. That's straight from the Enpro Facility in the original game. Nothing new about it.

There's nothing particularly wrong with what id did in their approach to tension.

The only thing that is really wrong with it is that it failed to add ANY tension to the game for myself. I LOVE Doom 3, but it didn't provide any sense of fear or terror like I had hoped. It's very "Dead Space" in the sense that it WANTS to be scary but fails to do so. Of course, fear is so subjective that it's not easy to see how we could disagree.

Consoles have held back visual fidelity to such a degree that there hasn't been much in the way of innovation.

That's hardly true.

 

[Berek Halfhand]

I'm glad I waited on the 360 version. Didn't know it was $20 on steam if you already had it in your library. Couldn't pass it up.

 

[cyberheater]

Guys. Is there anyway to purchase and activate the US version because the Eurozone version isn't out for a few days yet?

 

[snoopeasystreet]

It's pretty hilarious that there's probably going to be a remove duct tape mod now.

 

[Grief.exe]

Guys. Is there anyway to purchase and activate the US version because the Eurozone version isn't out for a few days yet?

Probably through VPN over Steam. Trick Steam into believing that you are on a US account and it should automatically unlock.

I've never done this before, and there are potential bans involved.

 

[Fleshfeast]

Anyone else having trouble getting the 33% discount on Steam for already owning Doom 3? A friend is wanting to buy it, and owns D3 and RoE on Steam, but it's still showing up as $30 when he ads it to his cart.

 

[cyberheater]

Probably through VPN over Steam. Trick Steam into believing that you are on a US account and it should automatically unlock.

I've never done this before, and there are potential bans involved.

I'm going to try it later so that my download throttle doesn't kick in.

 

[Berek Halfhand]

Anyone else having trouble getting the 33% discount on Steam for already owning Doom 3? A friend is wanting to buy it, and owns D3 and RoE on Steam, but it's still showing up as $30 when he ads it to his cart.

No problem here. It was 19.99 in my cart.

 

[GrayFoxPL]

Preordered.

 

[Krappadizzle]

I think you're wayyy off base with that comment.

I've reiterated this time and again: Doom 3 was MADE for CRT monitors. It's that simple. The huge swathes of empty black space can look great on a CRT monitor but look like shit on an LCD (and even many plasmas). You wind up seeing more "gray" backlight than you do actual black space. The artistic vision was compromised by the displays people are using today.

Adjusting the brightness levels and lighting to look better with modern displays is a great decision.

Why are you consistently making excuses for iD? I've been with them since day 1. Doom and Wolfenstein(moreso Doom) was one of the most influential games I played as a kid, and was obsessed with it. I loved it.

But times are different.

I'm not saying this is a bad port or conversion or what have you. It's just that this is a poor "ultimate" edition. There really isn't a great excuse to remove features, change POV, make playing the original games in the series harder than it should be, etc. If it couldn't be done(which it obviously can) it shouldn't have been. It screams laziness.

I will pick this up, on steam, at less than $5.00. But I won't pay for a gimped ultimate edition.

That said, I still can't wait to read some first time players impressions, as Doom 3 was incredible on release and was fun as hell.

 

[Ocaso]

I should note that THIS video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0XiKptpqZE

Is fucking worthless. There is SOME real XBOX footage in there later in the video (and it looks MUCH worse), but MOST of that footage comes from the pre-rendered introduction sequence that was captured from the PC version. The 360 footage is all realtime.

What makes you think the Xbox intro is pre-rendered? Not saying that it isn't, but I don't see any difference in quality compared to what the game later renders in real time.

No it's not. That's straight from the Enpro Facility in the original game. Nothing new about it.

Acknowledged (edited it into the original post above). Looks good.

 

[Raptomex]

I want to say something... While it looked cool in the original PC version... The lighting made no kind of sense. I mean who in the hell works in those kind of lighting conditions? No wonder that place later goes to shit.

But still... Darker lighting for the sake of scary gameplay... I get it. It just looks stupid during the beginning of the game. If the power went out it would be acceptable later on.

That made me laugh.

 

[dark10x]

What makes you think the Xbox intro is pre-rendered? Not saying that it isn't, but I don't see any difference in quality compared to what the game later renders in real time.

Well, one the real system, the compression artifacts are obvious.

Furthermore, you'll notice that the intro on XBOX (in that video) has its gamma cranked up. This was a common flub on original XBOX games (videos with high gamma settings that appear washed out).

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

Well, one the real system, the compression artifacts are obvious.

Furthermore, you'll notice that the intro on XBOX (in that video) has its gamma cranked up. This was a common flub on original XBOX games (videos with high gamma settings that appear washed out).

I have Doom 3 on the Xbox and I can confirm this; the intro is indeed video. That being said I was blown away at how a quality port they did to make in work on the Xbox, a smooth experience, which was a far cry from Half-Life 2 on Xbox (which I also owned and beat) which was the direct opposite.

 

[Clay Davis]

Here is a comparison between the Xbox version and the 360 version. Game has not aged well, lol. But should still be some old school fun. Especially for those who missed the content that the PC version had, plus there are the extra missions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0XiKptpqZE

PS3 footage here as well. Seems solid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hxq4KVW-naw

very impressed by how good it looks. definitely buying this on friday, hopefully game will have it for the reduced price and won't be charging 40 quid.