Just started playing Doom3 again after a long while.

Just started playing Doom3 again after a long while. Damn this game is frightening. I was in the infirmary and that body gets up off the operating table and comes towards you... Holy Shit!

http://oi47.tinypic.com/ipblgy.jpg This restroom. How desperate would you have to be to take a dump in here? I hope Doom4 has some horror scare aspects as well as good old Doom 2 gameplay on offer. There is scope for some scary dark areas even in a fullbright level. Just watch I am Legend for an example.

I never found that zombie scary, but I found it a bit unsettling I will admit. Something about zombies in hospitals, and the fact that he ran at you rather than walked. Running zombies are fucking scary actually.

I have a hard time being scared by games because I immediately realize that the threat is not real and Doom 3 was never scary to begin with. It was very atmospheric but not scary.

I have a hard time being scared by games because I immediately realize that the threat is not real

Ummm... more like you stop thinking about threat and start thinking that "it's just not real". JUST LIKE KIDS DO.

...

As for that part it was the first piece of Doom 3 that i saw. I loaded someone's save in a computer club, i had machine gun, opened that door, and then that zombie jump-scared the hell out of me. After so many scares like that in video games (FEAR, Dead Space, Cryostasis etc) i don't even blink, just shoot the hell out of such pranksters with "Oh, hi".

For me Doom 3 was a little frightening at first but after a while the "scariness" gets repetitive. You know around every corner something will be coming out at you or near you or behind you, etc.

Raptomex said:

For me Doom 3 was a little frightening at first but after a while the "scariness" gets repetitive. You know around every corner something will be coming out at you or near you or behind you, etc.

Yes, It was scary in the beginning but on the third or fourth level I was already like "Oh, look, another sudden teleportation! Let me get closer so my shotgun will kill this thing in one shot before it has much time to react". I was 13 or 14 years old at the time, blown away by the awesomely realistic graphics - but kinda repetitive gameplay tricks. I had to play it on 640x480 on medium because my PC was crap. haha

Only time I EVER got jump-scared by Doom 3 was when the screen turned all red when I looked in a mirror and an imp spawned behind me. The game just isn't scary, in fact, it's rather cheesy feeling due to cliche feel of all the horror elements. Kinda laughable actually. "MY BABY" look bitch i really dont care about your baby this isnt scary at all so shut up

I sorta wished they would have elaborated on that Baby thing. Just a random thing thrown in there with no relation to anything. Playing it when it came out, I did get scared for a bit, but after the first Hell visit I got used to everything.

I find Doom 3 restrooms eerie because when you get near a toilet you start to hear a peculiar breathing that's like coming from the hole. Also I believe they're dry like Maes' john.

For such an unscary game, people sure spend a lot of time justifying how it didn't scare them.

Coopersville said:

For such an unscary game, people sure spend a lot of time justifying how it didn't scare them.

It's called "criticism". If you're assuming that people are trying to 'compensate' or whatever when they're actually scared, they're not, and you're wrong. The fact is, it relies on jump scares, and its attempts at being scary when suddenly cutting the lights and randomly locking doors with creepy voices just fall flat. Pretty much because it's entirely scripted, and obvious at that, not to mention that they suck as horror elements anyway, due to feeling rather cheesy and cliche. I guess that makes it kinda closer to the classic games, given that its horror wasn't all that great either. Then again, the difference is that classic Doom wasn't really trying to be scary, whereas Doom 3 was trying too hard.

I think it's pretty damn hard to actually scare or creep out gamers that were raised on games like Doom and Mortal Kombat and have been following the trend of gory games ever since. I've noticed that non-gamer types, or non-FPS gamers typically WILL be scared when sitting down and playing a game like Doom 3 for the first time. I never thought Doom 3 was scary, but I've always thought the atmosphere was done pretty well.


In any case, the first several levels of Doom 3 actually had some pretty good varied atmospheric elements and scare tactics, IMO. The demon skin and hell flames in the mirror bathroom in Mars City, the Imp jumping at the window trying to get the player, the morgue zombie, the burning zombie, the ghost skulls, the introduction to the Pinky, etc. All of that takes place in the first several levels of the game. After the player gets through the Alpha labs and kills the Vagary, the game sort of levels off in terms of variation in scare tactics and atmosphere. The Delta levels and Hell start to ramp it up again, but after that, it's basically just monsters teleporting in for the rest of the game.

I think the last time I jumped while playing a game was while playing Silent Hill 3. That department store level with the mannequins to be specific. It doesn't happen often, but it happens. Same applies to horror movies; 95% of them have zero effect on me but I admit to jumping out of my skin while watching Paranormal Activity (not a testament to it being a good film - it's cheap and clichéd and shallow - but it fulfilled it's intention of making the audience jump as far as I'm concerned).

...So yeah, Doom 3. Eerie atmosphere even if I didn't find it at all scary. Horror is as subjective as comedy and I don't believe it's possible to make something that is universally scary.

The last game that actually scared me was The Walking Dead. Not because of the zombies but because of the fucked up shit going on. Episode 2 is REALLY fucked up.

Ah yes, Cry of Fear was really good too and it is just a mod.

Sodaholic said:

It's called "criticism". If you're assuming that people are trying to 'compensate' or whatever when they're actually scared, they're not, and you're wrong

So I guess Doom 3's main criticism is that it's not scary? Not scary compared to what, classic Doom? I didn't know/think either were trying to be.

I just started too.. I don't know how many times I've played it through or partially through, probably more than 5. So far I've found 4 new "secrets" as I've been looking at all the displays etc. I finally found out how to shut down the fire/gas leak at the place where the first imp appears. Then I also found out there was some stuff in the crane in "the dungeon", but I found these in noclip mode after the crane had become broken. Maybe that's 6 new secrets then..

Doom 3 was creepy at times. I've started playing through the BFG version as my second playthrough of the game and while sitting in a dark room with headphones on max, it can still get creepy. I doubt anyone would deny that in the right setting.

I remember Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines had two scary levels. One set in an old haunted house and a second one in an abandoned asylum.

The mod "They Hunger" for Half-Life was great as well. The beginning was really creepy, before it, just like Doom 3, settled into a more balanced game pace.

Doom3 has a very convincing atmosphere which is great. But you never really feel vulnerable enough to be truly scared in the game. Great scary games like System Shock and Silent Hill has got you so vulnerable, that you dread each encounter before they even happen.

But it's not really Doom3's mission to be scary. Even if it sometimes tries to.

I get scared easily by horror games, but Doom 3 is more like a Rambo\Contra game than horror, it's too much fun and macho to be scary. Something like DeadSpace or Silent Hill creeps my balls off though.

I'm past the halfway mark right now, game is shitty up until now. If you find Doom 3 boring just stick it out, they stop using all the crappy soldiers and bring out all the cool monsters about 4-5 hours in.

You also get tons of ammo for the plasma rifle and rocket launcher which are balls fun compared to the piece of crap shotgun.

I've killed every stupid scientist so far, hopefully the game rewards my hard work.

I actually never thought the game was scary. It might have been a bit startling when an imp just jumps at you from opening a door, but I don't see what people find so scary about Doom 3.

i was scared the first time i play it. Headphones (high volume), at night, no lights, alone in my home....

A pity it that didnt last.

I've played through Doom 3 several times since 2007 (at least 8 or so, I think). After my second playthrough, I had sort of memorized the scares and during my third playthrough the game didn't scare me at all. Then again, I don't blame people who find Doom 3 scary after having not played it in ages.