Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (Xbox) Completed for the 4th Time

I've just completed Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil (Xbox) for the 4th time, and I must say it's still a very enjoyable (though somewhat short) experience.

The game's new weapons are all quite useful, and the enemies and bosses present enough of a challenge with the game's creepy atmosphere to keep things fun.

I played through on Veteran (didn't feel like doing Nightmare again), and I noted a few more Commandos this time than the last; nearly double the amount, though it's possible I simply got caught up in surviving before and didn't notice them in the mix.

Both the Hell Time Hunter and Maledict were also quite a challenge, the former being frustratingly so, but it's all in good fun.

I also still swear that the texture quality through a lot (though not all) of the game is higher than in Doom 3 (Xbox). Simply watch the game's intro in-game cinematic; none of the ones from Doom 3 ever looked that crisp. It's too bad they can't be upscaled in Doom 3, especially on the Xbox 360.

My only real gripe with Doom 3: Resurrection of Evil would be the story. Honestly, it makes no sense to me that the UAC would have completely re-opened and re-furbished the Mars Research Facility. Based on all the trailers and ads for the game, I figured that an expeditionary force, mainly composed of Marines, was sent to Mars to investigate the new signal they were picking up from the planet. I expected the facility would have been left ruined and abondoned after the first invasion, and Dr. Elizabeth McNeil would have lead a small research and military force (think like Ripley in Aliens). Most of the Zombies you would have encountered would have been left over corpses reanimated from the original game, so they should have been really decomposed instead of Z-Sec Zombies and the regular bunch. The story that's actually presented, however, feels very contrived and kills some of the atmosphere, but once you get into the gameplay you can kind of push that aside.

I also played through with the in-game Brightness and Contrast reduced to half, which more closely mirrors the darkness of the PC version, and like with Doom 3, it adds greatly to the atmosphere, jumps, and fun.

Anyway, it was still great fun and a solid add-on if you're a fan of Doom 3. I have a feeling that I will ultimately be playing through it again.