Reviews - Nicognition

Overthinked Doom^3 is a brilliant mod. It slightly shifts some of the mechanics of normal gameplay--for instance, if you reload, any remaining ammunition in the magazine you just dropped stays in that magazine. It's gone. Already, you have to start thinking about your reloads--when do I drop this mag? Can I still use it? Is it worth losing half a magazine to put a full one in for this next firefight? Oh, and you have to load the shells into the shotgun, one by one. As in, you hit R eight times.

The crosshair is gone. You have two to three options for most of the weapons, as far as aiming is concerned. You can aim down the sights--CoD style for those who are more acquainted with the concept. There's also a laser sight. Aiming down the sights has its own benefits--and the laser sight has its. Once again, you've got to start thinking: do I need the zoom and focus of the ADS, or do I need the larger FOV that the laser sights give me?

It also seems that hitboxes have changed--headshots do seem to mean something. Not EVERYTHING, but I've noticed that a shotgun blast to the head and upper torso will take out an imp. A mid-torso blast won't. Sometimes, the endurance of the zombies is a little alarming; I swear the on-fire galloping ones are damn near invincible. Four shotgun blasts. Four.

The key word in each of the points that I've made is THINKING. You have to constantly strategize around your ammo, the lighting, the exact location of that medkit you passed eight minutes ago. You've got to pay attention to the cues as to what's coming next--and figure out a way to pwn and not have to traipse back to that medkit after the firefight is over. The damage dealt by your enemies is not very forgiving. So don't let them damage you. You're smarter than they are. The best weapon, the best stance, the best position, keep this magazine or drop it, laser sight or iron sights or no sights at all, a grenade might be easier--and here they come. And you win. Because you're thinking.

This mod is fantastic because it forces you to think that way. And, by thinking that way, you're rewarded with moment after crowning moment of awesomeness. Play it. Savor it. Overthink it. ;)