ith all the buzz surrounding the PC version of Doom 3, it’s not hard to forget that Vicarious Visions is hard at work on the Xbox version of the title. And, from what we saw at Activision’s recent pre-E3 event, the game is coming along better than expected. Actually, by better than expected, we mean “holy crap, that game looks good!”

But first, there are a few things to clear up. Activision announced that the PC version of the game WILL NOT be present in any form at E3. Instead, the main focus of their E3 presence will be focused on the Xbox version of the game. While it’s a bit odd, considering that the PC version is considered the “original” version of the game, it’s a smart move on Activision’s part, not only building anticipation for the PC version once it is finally playable, but also drawing more attention to the outstanding results that the Xbox build is capable of.

From the start of the demonstration of the game, it became clear pretty quickly that this isn’t your daddy’s Doom. While earlier installments in the series were more about mindless action and mind-boggling numbers of enemies closing in on your position, Doom 3 seems to have a more subdued and slower pace. All of the gameplay we saw took place in small, confined areas that were bathed in darkness, and as a result, the action on screen was slow and methodical. Your character is outfitted with a flashlight which he uses to shed light on small portions of the area he’s in, and by using it, you’ll not only be able to scout out positions in which to travel but also uncover some cleverly hidden power-ups, like more ammunition and body armor. But, for all the slow movement and poking around that we saw, there is still a pretty heavy emphasis on action, which became pretty evident the moment a demon busted out of a nearby wall and starting attacking at a feverish pace.

Activision announced that they wanted to create enemies with a brain all their own and given them the intelligence and cunning to act as real challenges and not simply become gun fodder. Well, the enemies we saw in the game fit this idea to the bill, with one particular baddie being a perfect example. A large dog-like creature hounded the character during one portion of the game, attacking close up with powerful claws and throwing demonic fireballs at a fast pace when the character was beyond his reach. But, instead of simply sitting in one place and throwing fireballs like a mindless drone, the creature sought out the character realistically, which helped add to the overall tension of the moment. Also, enemies (as well as your character), will be able to use elements like lighting and sound to better get a bead on you. One moment had the main character crawling through an air duct just as a zombified Space Marine walked past its exit. If the main character had been moving at a nice pace, the Marine would have heard him and would begin opening fire into the opening of the air duct. But, if the Marine didn’t move and inched along out of the duct, he would be able to get the drop on the enemy from behind. This idea is also translated into the dark areas of the game’s levels, as enemies like zombies will get a bit confused as they try to navigate the darkness and seek out their prey.

While Doom has never really been a game that relied too much on story, Activision announced that they’re taking Doom 3 into new realms of storytelling and will include a pretty expansive plotline that will involve not only your main character but also other characters that have found themselves marooned on the ill-fated space station that you’re stuck on. During the game you’ll run across other characters, like soldiers or research scientists. While we didn’t see any of this interaction in our demo of the game, it’s pretty clear that you’ll be given the task of helping them escape their current predicaments.

But, for all the single player action and demon killing that the game is packed with, there will also be a heavy emphasis on multiplayer. The Xbox version of the game will feature exclusive cooperative gameplay for up to two players via Xbox Live or System Link. Outside of the co-op mode there will also be some standard modes like Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Last Man Standing. These modes will top off at a maximum of four players, which is a big disappointing, but not surprising considering the stunning visuals in the game. In all, there will be five multiplayer maps and the game will also support voice chat. For tech junkies, the game will also support Dolby Digital 6-channel surround sound, as well as 480p.

Visually, the game is shaping up to be the most graphically impressive title on the Xbox. All the visuals, including lighting and shadowing, are rendered in real-time and are actually hard-coded into the graphics processor. As a result, you get a game that not looks great, but stays that way throughout the course of the game. While Activision did comment that some of the areas in the Xbox build will be reduced to allow the visuals to still look good, this ultimately ends up being a positive, since the smaller and more confined areas really create a sense of claustrophobia. Ideally, Activision is shooting to have the game run at 30 frames per second, which the demo we saw ran at. Considering the sheer amount of lighting and shadow rendering that goes in during gameplay, I found it amazing that the game was looking as good as it did. Normal mapping is becoming a mainstay of Xbox games nowadays, and the result is stunning. Enemies not only look great, but their bodies also play well with lighting and shadowing. Environments, while a bit “grey wall” so far, were reasonably impressive and detailed.

Activision really has its hands full, being at the helm of both the PC and Xbox versions of Doom 3. But, from everything that I saw during the demo of the game, they’re handling the pressure just fine. I’ll be interested to see how the game finally comes together, since the amount of the game we saw was pretty limited. But, Activision did a good job of not only impressing everyone at the show, but also a great job of getting everyone excited about what could be the best Xbox game in quite awhile. Fans of bonuses should keep an eye on the game, as the developers are planning on packing the game with some exciting extras and bonuses. While they didn’t divulge exactly what they would be, we did get a hint that they could include the original versions of both Doom and Doom 2. So, all of you out there in the world should make sure your flashlight has fresh batteries, it’s going to be a scary and frightful journey when the game releases.