Getting back together with old friends is such a joyous occasion. The warm feelings, the familiar faces; it makes everyone feel all warm and fuzzy. But when your old friends are a shotgun, a chainsaw, and millions of demon hellspawn itching to send you to an untimely grave, it just makes you happy to come out on the other side alive!

This was the feeling all of us gamers (okay, all of us seasoned gamers) got from the first two Doom installments, and we're expecting a whole lot more from Doom 3, id Software's upcoming FPS release. Anyone just expecting a rehash of the old plotlines (were there any?) and 3D versions of the same old monsters is in for a big disappointment. id Software is pulling out all the stops to make this game as scary as can be, so turn out the lights and prepare to get high on adrenaline when the first monsters start coming your way.

Doom 3 has been every gamer's pipe dream probably for most of the ten year hiatus that id Software has taken from the Doom franchise. We heard many rumors, but nothing was substantiated and we kept stringing ourselves along in the hope that we would soon be thrust back into our world of FPS paradise. But it was not to be, and we forgot about Doom for awhile, turning our attentions to other "important" issues of the 1990s, like, say, the browser wars.

Then, around the year 2000, we started to hear our friends at id talk about a possible third installment. They talked about improving technologies, rewritten engines, and improved networkability, working us into a frenzy all over again. Then we had release delays, production delays, lunch delays, and every other kind of delay. When would we finally see a third Doom? It looks like we finally have our answer, and gamers couldn't be happier.

id hasn't been forthcoming with betas or demos, and even the official website just says "Full Experience Coming Soon" along with some ominous sound effects. What has been told to the public is that this game will be high on suspense and surprise. Creative, minimal lighting will create a claustrophobic effect, enhancing the feeling of impending terror. After all, if you feel like the walls are closing in, any nasty monsters are going to be up close and personal, aren't they?

The lighting is also going to affect multiplayer play as well. Shadows are done extremely well in the game, and can give away your position if you're not careful. Players will need to carefully go over each level looking for light sources in order to avoid being detected while camp... I mean hiding. Battles in single player look to be fast-paced and frantic. Many players will probably resort to "spray and pray" tactics at times simply because they can't see where the nasty teeth are coming from.

The story of the game looks to be of the tried-and-true variety. Humans establish a base on Mars, and they engage in questionable experimentation that ends up opening a dimensional gate to all sorts of hellish nasties. I personally hate it when that happens, don't you? All that aside, ghostly spirits are now flitting about the Mars base turning every man they see into a ghoulish zombie.

It's not clear why our hero is not affected, but he's now battling all the people that were turned undead along with other monsters that came through the gate, like four-legged cyber walkers, mutant spiders and other giant demon beasties. Doom Guy (he's never been named, so this is what people call the hero) comes ready to tango with an assortment of weapons like a combat shotgun, machine gun, plasma rifle and rocket launcher. These are all old standbys from the old games, and there is no word on any totally new weapons yet.

As for multiplayer, reports are that Doom3 will only support up to a four-player deathmatch. This may seem small, but remember that the game is being made primarily for single player, and most effort is going into making that aspect of the game shine. One aspect that will affect how people play multiplayer is the new method id uses for hit accuracy. The use of a per-pixel system to record hits rather than the old method of drawing a box around the player will make it possible for shots that would have been hits before, like between a player's arm and body, to now be properly registered as misses. Also different is the way the player interacts with the environment.

For example, when you want to turn on a light, you can no longer simply walk up to a light switch and mash a 'use' key. Now, when you walk up to the switch, the game senses this and lowers your weapon, and only then can you hit the primary fire button to activate the switch. This will make using elevators and such a much less attractive option because the time when your weapon is lowered will be the perfect time for the enemy to attack. Maybe you don't really need to get that health pack after all.

Folks, this is the next Doom. It's going to be hot. Get your copy soon and reunite with all your old friends again. Won't that make you feel warm and fuzzy?