E3 2003: Halo 2 and Doom 3 Report Special @ Gaming Target

Written by Nick Doukas on May 21, 2003

Special: Out of hundreds of games, two titles stand poised to change the way we look at interactivityЕ

Well, E3 2003 has come and gone, and where was I? Stuck in the office while my fellow GT editors were living it up in Los Angeles. Hanging with booth babes (you did hook up with booth babes, right guys?) going to all of the cool industry parties, and most importantly, seeing the software that will shape the next 12 months of gaming. There were so many incredible new titles featured this year, that it absolutely boggles the mind. However, just because I wasn't there, doesn't mean I didn't get to see a few little nuggets of my own. Read on for impressions of two of the most highly anticipated games since MGS2.

To say Doom 3 looks absolutely mind blowing would be doing the game a grave disservice. Yes, it's that good. Announced just after a surprise appearance at the Microsoft press conference, Doom 3 is headed to the Xbox with all of the visual glory of its PC counterpart intact. At least that's what John Romero's promising, and as the man who, along with partner John Carmack, revolutionized gaming with the original Doom in 1993, I'm inclined to believe him.

The gameplay footage is astonishing. An establishing shot draws the eye to an industrial research facility of some sort. Inhabiting a huge mesa on a dusty red planet, it spans a huge area of land. Once drawn inside, we're treated to some of the most stunning visuals yet seen in this generation. Every surface is layered in textures and incredibly realistic looking, while the real time lighting and shadow effects lend shocking authenticity to the proceedings. As the lab complex is taken over by monsters, the amazing physics of the game take center stage. Doors ripped off by huge and horrendous imps bend and fold convincingly, and the random destructible environments react accordingly when taking damage. The fiends inhabiting the base are incredible, pushing the boundaries of photo-realism, and it's all in-game. Shotguns, assault rifles, and a myriad of other heavy weaponry tear into some of the most disturbing creatures ever imagined, and I personally witnessed some incredible close-quarters battles that were virtually inconceivable as being actual gameplay. Yet it was. Doom 3 will push the standards of interactive entertainment as we know it. Look for lots more on D3 for Xbox here at GT in the coming months. We'll keep you posted with every bit of information we can get our grubby little mitts on.

УCovenant ground forces own this city. We'll have to deal with them before we can kill that cruiser.Ф Ц Cortana, Halo 2

E3 2003 also saw the debut of the full, 8 minute in-game demo of Halo 2. Gamers everywhere were disappointed that H2 was pushed back to 2004, but after seeing actual gameplay, there's little doubt as to whether it will be worth the wait. Sporting the production values of a Hollywood action blockbuster, the demo opens with the Master Chief riding in a drop-ship with some fellow marines to EarthCity, which is currently under siege by overwhelming Covenant forces. As the ship lands, the signature camera wipe switches to real time gameplay, and puts the Chief into a battle of unimaginable scale. Marines' tear-ass around defending the perimeter, and the chaos of warfare erupts all around. The Chief proceeds to follow a soldier to the front lines, where all hell breaks loose. It's simply breathtaking to witness. The graphics are much improved, and the character models of all the marines are stunningly detailed and articulate. Little touches like a corpsman calling the time of death on a downed marine, and passing fellow soldiers manning a stationary gun (which the Chief can do as well, laying absolute waste to a platoon of Grunts in one section) lend amazing atmosphere to the game. MC's new scoped assault rifle is an incredible weapon, and he now has the ability to handle a different gun in each hand. Jumping into the back of a Warthog as an AI marine takes the wheel, the Chief hunts down Covenant assault ships with blasts from the Hog's mounted rail-gun, in a sequence that has to be seen to be believed. Overall, Halo 2 is shaping up to be even better than I'd hoped (if that's even possible), and looks to be a groundbreaking title when it releases in 2004.

Final Thoughts -

Well there you have it. Two games that, for my money, are going to represent the epitome of immersive gameplay in the coming 18 months. From the insane visuals, to the high production values and over the top attention to detail, Doom 3 and Halo 2 look to redefine the limitations of in-game graphics and play mechanics, as well as shatter our conceptions of action/adventure gaming as we currently know it. Add the fact that the online component for both games will be the absolute pinnacle of the Xbox Live experience, and you have two guaranteed blockbusters that appear to be poised to light the industry on fire. Look for more on both titles in the near future here at Gaming Target, and at least make an attempt to be reasonably patient, ok? To borrow a phrase from Tom Petty: УThe waiting is the hardest partЕ.Ф