Doom 3 was a cutting-edge first-person shooter in 2004, but the intervening years have dulled its blade somewhat. The monsters and their movements now feel more hokey than horrifying, especially if you’ve faced the twisted nightmares that infest the Dead Space series. You’ll jump out of your skin a few times if you turn out the lights, but you’ll also wonder how anyone ever thought collecting locker and security-clearance codes provided sufficient excitement for the bulk of a 10-hour campaign.

You’ll have to reload after every blast, but the double-barreled shotgun sure packs a wallop.

id’s improved the lighting a bit in Doom 3’s original campaign and its Resurrection of Evil expansion, but shadows remain jarring, hard-edged stencils. Luckily, deep shadows serve the crap-yourself-in-the-dark vibe of the seemingly endless corridors of close-quarters gangways. Moreover, you can actually use a flashlight and a firearm simultaneously in this re-release. (And no, you won’t find a “classic mode” option that lets you use only one of them at a time.)

The included XBLA versions of Doom and Doom II retain their separate Achievements, and Doom 3 fanatics probably won’t mind that its online deathmatches max out at a whopping four players. The star of this show, though, is the new Lost Mission expansion for Doom 3. You’ll tear through its mild terrors and pedestrian repair and retrieval errands in under three hours, but the final 45-minute trek through a bloody, lava-strewn outpost in hell is the prettiest and most entertaining part of the package. It’s not enough to make the BFG Edition feel like a true bargain, but it’s a decent way to scare yourself silly in the middle of the night.

The floating sacks of misery aren’t so bad if you stay light on your feet.

PUBLISHER: Bethesda Softworks  •  DEVELOPER: id Software  •  ESRB: Mature  •  MULTIPLAYER: 4 in split-screen mode (Doom and Doom II only), 4 on Xbox Live (all)  •  ACHIEVEMENTS: Hellish (600G for Doom 3 and add-ons, 200G each for Doom and Doom II)  •  COST: $40  •  RELEASE DATE: October 16, 2012

On Xbox 360

+ New Lost Mission expansion takes you on a creepy trip to hell and back.

+ Improved lighting; no more switching between gun and flashlight; three complete games and three add-ons.

– Dated monsters and level designs; harsh shadows; laughable four-player limit in deathmatch.

? Why are save-games for Doom 3 and its expansions all lumped together?

6.0