Previewed: February 25, 2005
Previewed by: Mark Smith

Publisher
Activision

Developer
Nerve Software
id Software

Release Date: April 4, 2005
Genre: FPS
Players: 16
ESRB: Mature

Screenshots (Click Image for Gallery)

GCM recently had the chance to meet with id designers, Matt Hooper and Tim Willis, and play a close-to-final build of Resurrection of Evil, and what we saw was nothing short of amazing.

Resurrection of Evil picks up two years following the events of the original game in a once forgotten and remote UAC research facility on Mars. You once again don the suit of a space marine and unwittingly release more powers of hell when you take possession of a mysterious “artifact”. Then sit back for the wildest and most evil rollercoaster ride of your life as you try to vanquish the forces of hell. Only this time, you have a few new tricks up your sleeve.

First the facts; Resurrection of Evil is an expansion pack, about half the size of the original game. The level design is much more expansive than the first so you aren’t crawling through tight and twisting corridors the entire game. You will often find yourself in mammoth caverns and large open areas, and yes, there are even a few brief excursions outside so bring a few extra canisters of O2.

Half-Life 2 has obviously influenced the team at Nerve as we now have a gravity gun, or “grabber” that we can use to grab and fling objects around. While this is a useful tool in clearing congested passages, tossing a crate, or grabbing a med kit or ammo pack from an otherwise unobtainable location, the designers have gone one step further to make this tool a most formidable weapon.

When used at long range you can actually “intercept” incoming fireballs and fling them right back at the demon that shot it. Ah yes, sweet revenge. And if those flying flaming skulls are taking too many shotgun blasts to kill, just suck them up with the grabber and smash them into the nearest wall. Mastering the grabber is essential for puzzles as well as an early boss battle and is perhaps one of the biggest improvements in the overall gameplay of this expansion.

For those of you lamenting the loss of your beloved double-barrel shotgun in DOOM 3, give a big “Yeehaw” to the boys at Nerve and mount that gun rack on your PC. The devastating twin-barrels of death are back and have never been better or more satisfying.

Of course the biggest gameplay feature has to be the Artifact; you remember that beating heart that you ripped from its shrine and unleashed the forces of hell in the opening movie. Well now you carry this grotesque organ around and when properly charged will allow you to invoke special powers that open up an entire new realm of gameplay.

The Artifact can be infused with three abilities, each earned when you defeat one of the main bosses in the game. “Hell Time” (or “bullet time”) slows down everyone and everything but yourself, allowing you to dodge traps, cover great distances in a short time, not to mention giving you a huge advantage in combat, especially when you are outnumbered. “Berserker” is pretty much what the name implies. You go into a rage mode and do extra damage, and “Invulnerability” is the third and final power and basically gives you a short burst of “god mode”.

Obtaining these abilities is one thing but you must also keep the artifact powered up. The heart can hold up to three charges and is powered by the souls of your fallen enemies, or any corpse you happen to find lying around. Just equip the artifact and stand near the fallen body and watch it dissolve in a very cool Blade effect.

Nerve is also bringing some new denizens of hell to the table with no less than three new hideously deformed demons. The Vulgar, the Bruiser, and the Forgotten are all added to the existing roster of monsters you will be slaying in this expansion, and each creature is just as evil and formidable as their names might imply.

A rich multiplayer component is guaranteed to keep you on Mars long after you have beat back the hounds of hell. With support for both team and versus modes including Deathmatch, Tournament, Team DM, Last Man Standing, and Capture the Flag, there is certainly something here for everyone.

And with nine custom levels plus four more for CTF, you won’t be getting tired anytime soon. These levels are massively complex, full of twisting passages, elevators, and secret places to hide. There is even an invisibility power-up that gives you a Predator-style cloak; not 100% effective but it does give you a slight edge.

Normally, expansion packs offer a few new levels, a modest story, and a few gimmicks to lure you back to the franchise but DOOM 3: Resurrection of Evil is practically a complete game on its own merit. It might be half the size of the original game, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality.

Even the visuals are better despite the fact that no changes have been made to the core engine. The textures are richer and the lighting is better, and yes, the game is slightly brighter than before, and no, there is still no “legitimate” way to mount your flashlight to your weapon.

Resurrection of Evil is the game we were all hoping DOOM 3 was going to be. It just took a few more months to get there.

While we anxiously await the release of this amazing new title, check out our collection of exciting Xbox screenshots and action-packed movie in our Preview Gallery.