When Doom 3 released in August 2004, I skipped it due to several reviews I read about the game "not feeling like Doom" Boy, was I mistaken. Both the BFG and original (1.3) editions are here, and, dare I say it, Doom 3 has become my favorite game of the series. And yes, Doom 3 absolutely feels like Doom. Biggest criticisms of the original game are: 1) The flashlight can't be equipped at the same time as a weapon 2) Shotgun feels somewhat underpowered (this is not entirely true) 3) "Cheap" enemy attacks, e.g., the Imp's leap 4) Annoying enemies, such as trites and cherubs 5) Excessive screen jostling when hit Critics of the BFG edition say that it has too much ammo, is generally too easy, and that the shoulder lamp was poorly executed. I completely disagree. Despite all these criticisms, Doom 3's "scare factor" is what makes it so good. Also, the game's open approach to modding makes it possible to modify scripts and definition files to allow us to address issues such as the shotgun spread, screen jar/kick amplitude, etc. Note that modifying these files, while fun, can also upset the game's balance. As for running Doom 3, the BFG edition plays on just about anything relatively modern in Windows 7 x64 and newer. The original (v1.3) edition from GOG plays on Windows XP, and supports Creative's EAX. If you want to play the original version on period-correct hardware, then, in my experience, Doom 3 (original) plays well with: - Pentium 4 (Prescott 2.8 GHz) or better - Creative X-Fi or Audigy2 PCI sound card. I'm using an X-Fi Elite Pro, and it sounds incredible - A decent ATI Radeon x800-series or nVIDIA GeForce 6800-series GPU with 256 MB of VRAM - 2 GB of system RAM. A Core 2 or early Core i5/i7 build with an available PCI slot (for a Creative X-Fi or Audigy2 sound card) and an nVIDIA 9600GT or better makes the v1.3 GOG release (non-BFG edition) of Doom 3 run like butter.
This implements the classic late '80s/early '90s game manual copy protection method. GOG, please dig up the user manual and include it. Othewise, please remove this product from the sture and refund everyone who bought it. Tested in Windows XP, 7 and 10, all with the same results.
Yes, the game has been in "early access" for some time now; however, I would encourage everyone to please be patient. Software development is not easy, particularly in light of constantly changing technologies. The content this game offers is nothing short of mind-blowing, and I am constantly impressed by its level of nostalgaic '90s combat, which is unlike any modern FPS. For anyone who purchased the game in early access, I assure you we are all in for one spectacular treat. Please give the development team the time they need to produce an outstanding product. For those who have yet to purchase the product, I can guarantee that, even in its early access phase, the game is phenomenal, and is absolutely worth every penny.
This game stretches the ancient "Build" engine to its maximum extents, enhancing nearly every aspect of what we liked about older "Build" games while ditching most of what we didn't like. The game's maps flow in a similar manner to the first Unreal games (maps load continously). While it uses the same old formula of finding blue/green/red access cards, the intent of the game was clearly to "keep it '90s," and this approach makes this game worth every penny. You can see elements of the eDuke32 ehancements to the engine (such as correct perspective projection so that panning up/down does not result in badly warping geometry). The developer also tried to keep it as retro looking as possible with the use of sprites and voxel (3D pixel) art instead of polygonal 3D models wherever possible. I really enjoy the pop-culture references from 20+ years ago that are scattered throughout the maps and by Bombshell's one-liners. If you were a fan of games built on this engine from the 1990s (Duke Nukem 3D, Blood, Shadow Warrior, Redneck Rampage, etc), then you really should pick this one up. Once you start playing, it pulls you in, and is very hard to stop playing. This is, quite possibly, the best "Build" game. The best part of the game has to be the cyber-punk retro 1990s maps that are both huge, and model believable locations, such as shopping malls, downtown areas, office buildings, etc. The chunky, pixelated textures, voxel art, and colored lighting effects are visually charming to anyone who remembers the transition from MS-DOS gaming to Windows 95 and early 3D acceleration with 3DFX Voodoo cards. My two criticisms are the shotgun's alt-fire (should just be a right-click to launch a grenade), and the spider demons, which chew health points very quickly. Thankfully, in most cases, we have enough space to prioritize the spiders. Big thanks to the YouTube channel "LGR" for getting word of this game out there. This is how I (and many others) found out about it.
There aren't many words to describe just how truly phenomenal this game is. If you are a fan of the first 3 Descent games, and are "on the fence" about whether or not you should pick this one up, do yourself a favor and buy this game. With the exception of some interesting new game mechanics (e.g., upgrade/super upgrade points) this one is, in every way, a true sequel to Descent 1, 2 and 3. It is almost unfair to call it a "spiritual successor." Matt, Mike, Dan and their team have outdone themselves again, staying true to critical elements of the game that worked so well for the first three games: simple game play, superb graphics, and top-notch music. The game follows a nearly identical formula from the first 2 games: Go through each mine, destroy the bots (robots are called "autonomous operators" in this game), knock out each mine's reactor, and get out. There are a few missions involving boss operators (just like Descent 1/2), but there are also a few missions that add truly interesting, organic alien worlds and teleportation devices (I won't go into details here so as not to spoil anything). As you destroy each mine (by "overloading" their reactors--hence the name of the game), the story continues to unfold, and the player picks up clues (in various audio recordings) along the journey. "Upgrade/Super Upgrade Points," a new mechanic for Descent players, rewards the player for exploration. While I do occasionally miss just flying over weapon power-ups, the varied upgrade levels of the weapons make the upgrade points well worth their search. The weapons in this game are the best I have ever seen, and watching the robots spin and explode in an enormously satisfying symphony of fiery debris and particle effects is nothing short of absolute gaming bliss. The game also runs extremely well on low end CPUs when paired with a decent GPU (e.g., Athlon II X4/GeForce GTX 1060). The game is an absolute must buy, especially for fans of Descent 1, 2, and 3.
This is a VERY nicely polished space shooter from LucasArts in the same genre as the Rogue Squadron series. In my experience, this is best played with a mouse/keyboard combination, because mouse aiming is much more precise. Have a ThinkPad? This is perfect, because if you didn't carry a mouse with you, the pointing stick becomes your "flight control stick" and it is extremely precise. Due to its age, this game will not be without technical problems for some of us. For Windows 10 systems, you may experience some pretty serious graphical glitches (flickering cutscenes, terrible frame rate, etc). If you have this problem, visit www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=47772&p=630628 and grab the modified d3d8.dll from there, drop it into your "star wars starfightergame" folder (be sure it goes in the game folder, and not in the primary folder), and that *should* solve all graphical issues, and the frame rate will be liquid smooth (also, turn OFF all compatibility options). Graphically, the game is beautiful. Space combat is very fast and fun, and mouse control is spot on. Gamepads *do* work fine, although game pad triggers, which are typically used for rolling, are somehow reversed (my controller is a Logitech F310, set to XInput mode). All controls are otherwise fully customizable in the launcher menu. The game is 100% recommended, worth your money, and definitely worth your time.
Somehow I missed this one. This is a truly fantastic racer from 1999, and I can remember its release coinciding with the showing of Episode 1 in theaters. LucasArts had also released X-Wing Alliance, so, of course, I was more interested in testing my then-new gaming rig (which I built prior to entering my freshman year of college) that way. I had heard of Episode 1 racer, but had never given it much thought. I bought it here based on LGR's recent review of the game, and I must say that Clint's review was spot on, and I am thoroughly impressed. This game works great in Windows 10, particularly on old hardware (in my case, a Thinkpad T60 with DirectX 9-era ATI graphics from 12 years ago), and a Logitech F310 game pad (make sure to set the game pad to "XInput mode." Yes, I'm aware the game was written for DirectInput, but Win 10 handles it, and the game recognizes all of the buttons and axes). Highly recommended.
Purchased the game when it originally launched in 1999, and words simply cannot describe the incredible job done by LucasArts. The storyline is engaging and keeps your attention, and, best of all, if you were familiar with the original DOS titles and X-Wing vs. TIE fighter, the controls did not change much. Unfortunately, X-Wing Alliance was the last space combat game of the series, and there has been no replacement to date. The GoG version is an outstanding reproduction which allows the game to run on modern systems, and the X-Wing Alliance Upgrade package is highly recommended for those with decent hardware. On older systems with older video cards (especially integrated solutions, such as the Intel 855 GM or Intel 915), you will need to remove the direct3D 11 files (ddraw.dll, ddraw.cfg, etc) from the game directory as the direct draw swap chain error will occur on hardware which does not support DX11. Make sure you have a joystick plugged in, or the launcher does nothing. I tested this version on a ThinkPad R50e (Intel 855GM), ThinkPad x41 Tablet (Intel 915GM) in Windows 7, and it worked perfectly.
