Doom 3 VR in the test

"Welcome to Mars! First time?" No, definitely not. Back in 2005, we had the pleasure of being sent to the research facility of the Union Aerospace Corporation as a freshly graduated marine - at that time still on the Xbox, which had been released about three years earlier and for which Vicarious Visions had developed a slightly slimmed-down version of the PC version by id Software that had been released a year earlier. In 2012, Bethesda upgraded the original version, which was already eight years old at the time, for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The revised VR version, including the multilingual soundtrack, is also based on this "BFG Edition". Even then, the ravages of time had noticeably affected the former graphic spectacle, for which many gamers had upgraded their hardware in 2004. Angular figures, bulky animations and mediocre textures were, however, compensated for by the unique and, it can be said in advance, still impressive light dramaturgy.

The dear colleagues. We had somehow imagined a friendlier reception at our new workplace.

The current release was preceded by an unofficial mod for the Oculus Quest system, which id Software thought was such a good idea that they started working on a version for PSVR, which has now been published by Bethesda. In addition to the main game, the VR edition includes the expansions "Resurrection of Evil" and "The Lost Mission", all of which have been specially reworked for PSVR technology. Okay, strictly speaking, neither id nor Bethesda had to convince anyone of the VR technology, after all, both have long been among the most notorious VR repeat offenders. "Doom VFR", "Fallout 4 VR", "Skyrim VR" and "Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot" are proof enough and suggest that both parties know what they are doing.

Déjà vu on Mars

So put on your glasses and get into the carnage! On Mars we get a rather grumpy welcome at first. No wonder, given the claustrophobic research station, in whose windowless corridors, criss-crossed with all kinds of tubes and hoses, you keep getting lost. What architect from hell would think up something like this? Our mission is to search for a scientist in this maze. And then - who would have guessed? - There is an accident, and the person we have just found goes straight for us in zombie style. All the other humanoid bipeds either become victims rather quickly or turn into undead as well. In short, the situation has not become any more comfortable, but we have to make the best of it and survive on our own. More or less pointlessly, we run from here to there, climb ladders or jump over chasms, and time and again locks cannot be opened because we don't have the right access card in our combat gear. But you are guaranteed to find it a grenade throwing distance or two or three burst zombie heads away. Alternative routes or solutions? Anyone expecting such things is mistaken about the game.

The dear colleagues. We had somehow imagined a friendlier reception at our new workplace.

Predictable Unpredictable

"Doom 3" may be getting on in years. The human (or better: formerly human) colleagues are still conspicuous by a certain hip stiffness. Well, if you have to live in steel tubes on Mars for years ... But who cares? Because the Martian spectacle is otherwise made for an official VR trip. Even during the initial body scan, when the red beams glide over our virtual bodies, we are completely immersed in the wonderful world of "Doom 3". While it billows, clangs and screeches out of the headset, all kinds of lights flicker around us. Smoke and fire pour out of leaky pipes, and at any moment a figure of terror can break free from the dark shadows over there. If we shine the torch into a dark shaft, an alien will reliably jump out of it and straight into the barrel of our gun. It's all so wonderfully predictable and unpredictable, just like in a ghost train, and just like there, the well-known phenomenon works: if you know exactly that you're about to be scared, you'll be scared all the more. The skulls, which in places jet through the air like ghosts, also make quite an impression via VR glasses. As far as the illusion is concerned, only the occasional cutscenes, in which we step out of our corpse, are somewhat disturbing.

There are only a few interactive elements in the game world. The puzzle elements à la "Find the access card" are not particularly ambitious either.

It has to be said quite clearly: The spectacle wears itself out noticeably in the course of the 16 to 18 hours of play, despite the many showpieces. The VR version has this in common with the original: it is more of a marathon than a roller coaster and at some point becomes a test of patience. You look in vain for a story worthy of the name, and at some point you hardly like seeing the same sparsely lit shoebox rooms with flickering monitors on the walls. The one or other longer excursion into the open air, as in Sony's VR baller... "Farpoint" to take a deep breath would certainly have been beneficial here. After all, if you're already on Mars, you want to go for a walk, don't you? But to be honest: hardly anyone will play for more than two or three hours at a stretch. The setting is too claustrophobic for that, and all the droning and whirring can be quite stressful in the long run. The contemplative excursions into strange worlds, such as those found in the still criminally underestimated "No Man's Sky This is light years away from what you can do here. Nevertheless, it is always fun to go for a spin, and the fact that you can save at any time is a great advantage. This is highly recommended, because the automatic save points are very far apart.

Keep smiling: The gate to hell opens at the UAC station.

Choice of weapon

Apropos "Farpoint"It is very pleasing that input via the VR Aim controller is also supported, which should please all those who purchased the good item in the bundle with Sony's shooter. The aim controller works perfectly well with "Doom 3 VR", even if it feels a little strange in places. For example, when the handgun is jerked upwards after each shot, what we see and what we have in our hands don't really feel congruent. If you don't want to spend 100 francs on a target controller, you can also have fun with a normal gamepad - especially since you don't look quite as silly in front of the screen as you do with the white plastic handle complete with flashing light pompom at the tip. But let's not fool ourselves: As a VR fan, you have to be a bit unpretentious. Nevertheless, we switched to the classic DualShock 4 after a while in the test. Ultimately, however, this is simply a matter of taste.

Among other things, Bethesda has tweaked the design of the weapons. They now all look smart, provide additional information and can be examined from all sides.

With the Smartwatch into the tubes of hell

In terms of gameplay, it should have become clear that the VR version of "Doom 3" also lacks some variety in the long run. Textures, shaders and sound effects, on the other hand, have been refreshed, which has a positive effect on the overall atmosphere. Despite all the love for the original, not much more can be achieved. In terms of gameplay, there are also a few sensible VR adaptations, such as the lamp on the weapon barrels, which was sorely missed in the original Xbox version, or the option of using motion control to aim precisely, peek around corners and fire blindly from cover. The "Aim Assist" can be switched on or off in the settings if required. Also helpful is the 180-degree quick turn function, which is needed practically all the time, since attacks from above and behind are part of the norm on Mars. The rotation is set to "snap" by default. I don't know who needs that, in our opinion you should change it to fluid motion in the VR settings from the beginning, as that gives a much more natural impression. The indicators on the weapons tell you when it's time to reload. The state of armour and health can be read on a practical smartwatch on the wrist.