It’s been two years since researchers for the UAC opened a gateway to hell and allowed demons through. A lone Marine was all that stood between the demons and a possible spread throughout the universe, beginning with Earth.

A beacon has lured the UAC back to Mars. While those who run the UAC seem focused on profit, perhaps they should have paid more attention in school. For ‘those who do not learn from history are destined to repeat it.’

Welcome to Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil, the expansion for one of the top PC titles of 2004. Nerve, id Software and Activision are behind this title, and what a title it is. RoE is exactly what an expansion pack should be – new weapons, new storyline (well, in a manner of speaking) and more action than one can shake an artifact at. 

The story begins with a signal from a beacon located in the ancient ruins on Mars. As a Marine sent to investigate, you find an artifact that seems a little mysterious and is initially inert. But finding that artifact was not the end of the story; rather, it is the beginning. It seems that the artifact is a product of hell, and hell (in the form of a demon overlord) wants it back. Another portal is opened; the base is awash in hell spawn yet again. This time, though, there is no Sarge to help guide you through, only the voice of Dr. Elizabeth McNeil (one of the first missions is to find her).

RoE begins in the ancient Martian ruins, where players can find the first of three weapons – the grabber. The grabber is a weapon spawned from the physics tool developers used to move objects. This weapon can grab items from shelves, pick up explosive barrels or intercept incoming missiles and/or fireballs and fling them back to the source (with delightfully destructive results). Those annoying small flying skulls are no match for the grabber.

The other weapons are the double-barreled shotgun and the artifact itself. The artifact has three abilities, which are unlocked after you defeat bosses in the game. The first you get is hell time, which slows down everything for a short time – well, everything but you. Then you get berserker and finally an invulnerability power. Of course there is a catch to using the artifact, and that catch being that you have to charge it from the souls of the dead, and it can only hold up to three charges.  

Of course, with shiny new weapons comes terrifying new monsters. One is extremely fast (and hell time helps here, of course), while another launches barrages of rockets at you. The bosses are the hunters and you will really have to be on your toes, and be smart with your weaponry to defeat them.

RoE begins in the Martian ruins, and right away it is evident that the environments will be slightly more diverse than in the original title (which you must own in order to play this title). Rather than just running through level after level of corridor and science station, you will have to explore the ruins, run across the surface and work through the station. Of course, the core elements of the original Doom 3 are intact – mobs, and lots of them, will be in pursuit most of the time. There are not complex puzzles to solve, just a lot of first-person shooter action.  

The game is a visual and audio treat, adding to – not detracting from – the original title.

Resurrection of Evil does not have the most original of storylines, to be sure. It is a serviceable plot that merely takes the concept from Doom 3, twists it slightly, adds some new elements and sends it out again. Is that a problem? Not in the least. The game is about taking up a weapon and blowing the minions of hell into tiny bits. Of course, what fun would that be unless they popped up at you from various areas and scared the pants off you. And that is another element that RoE handles very well. Its base game was an edge-of-the-seat thrill ride and RoE carries that aspect very well.

Let’s make this very simple – if you own Doom 3, you owe it to yourself to own this expansion.

Like Doom 3, this expansion is rated M for blood and gore as well as intense violence.

Gameplay: 9.3
The action is terrific and the game moves so well from one level to the next. The controls are the same as in the original title.

Graphics: 9.5
Simply amazing textures and environments, plenty of gore and solid animation makes this game a visual treat (Ok, the gore is not so much a treat as it is part of the violence that propels this title). The levels are more diverse than in the original.

Sound: 9.1
The game’s sound really carries forth the mood of the game. Turn it up and be prepared to be looking over your shoulder a lot. Eerie, spooky and just downright scary, the sound of this game is very well done.

Difficulty: Hard
This is an expansion that is, thanks to the new mobs, ramps up the challenge, and requires players to work weaponry in concert with each other to succeed. 

Concept: 9.3
The expansion is huge and revisits areas from the original title that players wished to return to. The premise may be essentially the same, but with the new weapons and the mobs, this expansion is very well conceived.

Multiplayer: 8.5
While the modes of multiplayer gaming is rather standard (deathmatches), RoE does add another multiplayer mode with capture the flag. This is all well and good, but not anything that is unique to the gaming world.

Overall: 9.3
This is what an expansion pack should be – not in terms of new weapons or monsters, but in terms of size and adventure. RoE adds to the Doom 3 experience in a wonderful way. Any one who owns the original deserves to treat themselves to the expansion.