doom-3 posts

Last Friday, we gave our picks for the best PC games of the last decade. But where there's a ying, there's also a yang. While there were plenty of PC game titles that met or even surpassed expectations, there were also games that, while not necessarily all bad, simply didn't live up to the hype.

Big Download has picked 10 PC games that were released in the last decade that, for a variety of reasons, ended up being massive disappointments. They serve as lessons that even the most talented game developers can sometimes create flawed games.

Editor's Note: Steven Wong contributed greatly to this article

Click on the image above to continue reading The Top 10 Most Disappointing PC Games of The Decade (2000-2009).

Developed by the Broken Glass Studios mod team, this is the version 1.0 beta of The Dark Mod for Doom 3.

"The Dark MOD is a total conversion for Doom 3, turning it into a dark and moody stealth game inspired by the Thief series by Looking Glass Studios. We have created a toolset with revamped gameplay, AI, graphics, HUD and weapons to allow fans to create missions in a gothic steampunk universe."

Download The Dark Mod (1.4 GB)

Usually when a video game is adapted into a novel it's usually released around the time the game ships to stores. So it's unusual when a prose novel adaptation is released years after the game itself. However that's exactly what happen for id Software's 2004 first person shooter Doom 3.

In February 2008, author Matthew Costello (who helped id with the storyline for the Doom 3 game) had the first of three projected novels based on Doom 3 released from Simon and Schuster. Now the second novel, Doom 3: Maelstrom, has just been released and is available in paperpack. The storyline has the game's Space Marine hero still on Mars as he discovers "the truth behind the shadowy research taking place within the very facility he is desperately trying to escape." There's no word when the third and final novel in the trilogy will be released.

The last truly frightening movie I ever saw was The Blair Witch Project. Regardless of your particular feelings about that film, it scared the living hell out of me far out of proportion to what I'd been expecting when I went in to see it. Bear in mind that I hadn't seen any trailers promoting it, hadn't been exposed to any of the viral Internet marketing associated with its release, and none of my friends had seen it yet. I was going into it completely cold, the week it opened, expecting nothing more than a Friday the 13th Part 4-level jump-at-you scarefest.

I walked out of the theater numb, and was unable to go near a dark wooded area for weeks afterward. Certain sounds from the movie kept replaying themselves in my head, and even watching television shows or commercials that featured shaky hand-held video evoked that perfect dread. Needless to say, it was one of the most effective horror experiences I've ever had.

I have yet to see a video game affect me the same way.

Every Friday to come, we'll present to you some of the biggest downloads at Big Download. Sometimes they'll be the most popular, sometimes the best rated. Sometimes they'll be our own personal favorites! There's a little of each in today's inaugural round-up. Thanks to the launch of Mass Effect, the huge Ubidays press event, and all the other exciting stuff this past week, there's a lot of great stuff to check out. Here are the Big Downloads!

	Beyond Good & Evil 2 Teaser Trailer Ubisoft dropped the bomb on everyoneat the Ubidays press event: the esteemed Beyond Good & Evil is getting a sequel! Here's the first trailer, our most popular download this week.
	Doom 3 Classic Mod Relive the 90s in the Doom 3 Classic Mod. It's a remake of classic Doom in the more modern Doom 3 engine.
	Prince of Persia Ubidays 2008 Teaser Trailer Also from Ubidays, the Prince of Persia trailer shows off the next installment's colorful, gorgeous visual style.
	Mass Effect Combat Video 3 We can't let this week slip without featuring arguably its biggest release, Mass Effect. Here's a combat video depicting zombies and worse.
	Get a Life Half-Life 2 Mod The Get a Life mod for Half-Life 2 has been popular in the Big Download offices these past few days. It's a full-length single-player affair that has you uncovering the mysteries of the protagonist's past.