Doom 3 (Xbox)

The bits of the game that are not creepy are just plain scary, and the game's programmers expertly underplay the shocks. If there was a huge snarling monster behind EVERY door it wouldn't be scary at all. But just like a good horror film, this game builds up the tension and leaves you dangling, and then lets you go with a huge sigh a relief. And then at other times it pounces out from the most unexpected and innocuous corner and shouts 'Boo' with a huge mouthful of razor-sharp teeth. Brilliant! This game rivals Code Veronica (Resident Evil) for genuine jumps in a game. Perhaps ELSPA should develop a rating system for the frequency and intensity of yelps and vertical take-offs the game will induce in the player?

The game's graphics are nothing short of astonishing, and easily outclass Halo 2, particularly the character animation. The only down side is that the levels are a bit small, and too much of the combat is corridor and room based. A change of scenery would have been welcome.

The gameplay is simple two-thumbstick FPS blasting, with few puzzles to get in the way. Most of the levels involve finding the key card or code that will get you through the door to find your way to the next level. On the way, kill everything that moves. If you can't see anything that moves, use your torch, but not for long, 'cause you can't use your torch and shoot at the same time! Oh for a miner's helmet...

Overall, Doom 2 has reeks of quality like an over heated charnel house reeks of the putrid black stench of death (this game is obviously affecting me a bit too much). True, it's not the most complex or thought provoking game in the world, but it provides no-frills old-school blasting gameplay with such confidence and rock-solid quality that you won't care.

One really excellent feature of the game is the way the joy-pad works. It has fantastic control, with feeling and precision way better than on any other FPS I've played on any console. It's also quite a long game, with roughly 40 levels to get through. Some may say it's cheating, but I like the way I can save the game whenever I want without having to reach a checkpoint - hurrah!

I reckon this game looks even better than Chronicles of Riddick, is more fun to play than Halo 2 and is scarier than Silent Hill. Perhaps it's not as strategic as Brothers in Arms, but the simple blasting action, attention to detail, claustrophobic shock horror and sublime graphics make this a top game for me.

Yesterday I rented this and have spent countless hours since playing the online co-op play over Xbox Live with a friend. It is quite simply one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had. Not only has the gameplay been superbly ported to the Xbox (this is a 700MHZ CPU with a GeForce 3, let's not forget - an equivalent PC would struggle) but it's also been significantly adapted. In the online coop, there are no cutscenes and there are no side missions, and there is no intro sequence - what is left is a killer run-and-gun storyline which never lets off the tension, with harder and more numerous enemies to dispatch with your partner.

Xbox Live has been the making of this game for me. If you're able to play it over Live then it's an experience not to miss out on - hearing the tortured screams of your friend alongside your own is a unique pleasure!

I remember playing the first Resident Evil with the lights turned off and was genuinely scared at points. This game has that same effect - if you play this game at night and take everything in, the atmosphere will get to you.

Because of the atmosphere you may find it difficult to play for long periods, you may want to switch it off after reaching the next area, just so you can have a breather or do something a bit more light hearted.

This game is a great FPS with great graphics and sound effects (listen to the screams!), playability is good and it has a good lifespan. All in all a great game - just be careful who you buy this for.

The graphics on this game are nothing short of breath taking. As for the gameplay it is straight forward blast everything in sight with some simple tasks to perform. Very fast paced game indeed.

I found this game highly addictive. The save system is excellent, you can save the game at any point to ensure progress.

As for the atmosphere....I found myself twitching, cowering, not wanting to venture into those dark corners!! If horror is your thing you'll love this game, it is seriously scary. There is a wide range of nasty demonic foes to blast into pieces.

Word of warning as another reviewer has previously said, this game is not one for young children.