MarkEightThree.com | Blogging About Everything Media

Being the Nintendo fanboy that I was, purchasing a Gamecube on launch
day was a given for me. Of course, looking back now, it was probably
the stupidest choice I could’ve made. As a result of choosing the
purple lunchbox [I got a black one actually] as my console of choice,
I missed out on a lot of great console games. I eventually picked up a
PS2 and played some of it’s more well known titles, but the Xbox was a
stranger to me, aside from a few rare plays at friend’s houses.

When I picked up the Xbox 360, one of the first things that crossed my
mind was that I would now be able to give myself a home-schooled
history lesson on all the great original Xbox hits. Catching up on the
Halo series was a no brainer, but it was another first-person shooter that
intrigued me even more.

Growing up, there was a five-year period between owning an NES and
SNES where all I did was play computer games. I started off playing
crappy shareware titles like Hugo’s House of Horrors, but once DOOM
arrived, everything changed. I’m sure if my parents had known I was
playing a game where I could blow demons and aliens to pulp with a
rocket they would have objected, but they had no idea. I’d lock myself
away on the family computer and spend hours navigating the pixilated
hallways of Phobos. Hell, I even remember the God code [IDDQD] to this
day.

It’s hard to put into terms just how popular DOOM was back in its day.
I’m not sure if you could say it was more popular than Grand Theft
Auto, but it was certainly in that level. Everyone I knew played DOOM,
from school friends to cousins and even neighbours [which
coincidentally, was everyone I knew seeing as how I was about 12]. It
was on every computer gaming magazine cover and on every screen in
computer stores.

A few years ago when I saw that they were updating the franchise with
gorgeous graphics, I was anticipating it’s release. That was, up until the point I learned it was only going to be on Xbox and tech-nerd PCs
that I couldn’t afford. So, my interest slowly waned to the point
where I couldn’t really give a shit about it.

Last night, I picked it up for $20 at Blockbuster and finally got to
see what I was missing out on. Id has really done an amazing job at
updating the franchise and giving the near-dead DOOM title a kick in
the ass. Levels are extremely atmospheric, probably the best I’ve seen
in a game. Having to choose between brandishing either my flashlight
or shotgun when entering a pitch-black room gives me the legit
willies, in a way no game since Resident Evil 2 on the PSone has
accomplished.

When it comes to storylines, DOOM has never reached levels of
Pulitzer-prize winning writing, but it’s never had to. DOOM is all
about the imagery, and DOOM3 continues this. Id makes an attempt at
story through the tons of voice samples and videos you’ll come across
in the game, but they tend to hinder the game much more than benefit
it. All the small touches are a testament however, to the amount of
effort and love that was put into this game by the crew at Id.

I’ve plunked down a few hours into the game already and I don’t plan
on stopping ’till I see the final credits of this great action
thriller. I’ve even put aside Gears of War for the time being so I can
battle my way through DOOM3. I haven’t been able to activate God mode
though, which is a real bummer [despite my love of DOOM, I suck
hardcore at it].

Since I’m all DOOM-crazy at the moment, I’ve even whipped out my copy
of DOOM II for the Game Boy Micro. Although the pack does leave a bit
to be desired, I’m still amazed that a PC game, which was so
revolutionary ten years ago, can now be played in the palm of my hands
on a screen the size of three Chiclets. The controls are decent and it
has God mode [I wasn't joking about sucking], so I’ve got nothing to
complain about. I can’t wait to meet up with enemies like the Mancubus
and Arch-vile again.

Gears of War. Just the name alone evokes images of battling in beautifully rendered courtyards and taking a chainsaw to bitch aliens.   I’d heard rumblings about Gears of Warfor months [maybe even years, who knows] but never paid attention since I didn’t plan on picking up an Xbox 360. But after coming across a video review of the title on IGN.com, my interest in the game suddenly stirred. The visuals alone made me take a second glance and the game play sounded like something that was truly evocative of the abilities of next-gen consoles.  

Skip ahead a week or two and I suddenly own both the 360 and Gears of War. Excited is an understatement when in comes to how happy I was unwrapping this game. Yet even though I was a fourteen-year-old schoolgirl in the presence of this game, Gears of War didn’t touch the disc tray of my Xbox until I had tried out all of the other titles that came bundled with my 360, and I had some time to relax after a hectic week. So what was it that made me reluctant to load it up and start some fragging? I was scared. No, not afraid of the ugly-as-sin aliens or the chilling atmosphere of the game; Scared because I knew this game would eat me alive. Encompass every minute of my day, make me call in sick to work, neglect my schoolwork and forget my girlfriend. But that’s what great games are supposed to do.  

A full 27 hours after I got my 360, I finally grew the balls to play some Gears of War…and was subsequently blown away. Nearly every aspect of this game is incredible, from the graphics that look better than most animated CG films to the audio which lends an enormous amount to the experience. You’ll breathe a sigh of relief after you’ve just shot a drone in the head and you hear a slight guitar twang in the background, indicating the area is secure. This game reportedly cost $10 million dollars to make, and it clearly shows.  

My expectations of this game were easily crushed underneath the foot of my new Super Mario, Marcus Fenix. Unfortunately, because I had put off playing the game for so long, I only had about 2-3 hours of playtime before I had to head out. But man, did I have Gears of War on my mind all night long. Naturally of course, the trailer for the game featuring “Mad World” by Gary Jules played no less than 35,000 times while I was watching TV at my girlfriend’s house, making me long for the beautiful grumbling of Marcus Fenix’s chainsaw bayonet even more.  It seems with every console one game sticks out to me and ingrains itself in my memory for life. I think Gears of War might just be that game. Either that, or the love affair will be over in a week and I’ll be posting about another game. But until then, I leave you with the brilliance of this: