First Person Shooters: The Thread

[Spark Of Spirit]

It's no secret that this, the seventh (or eighth, depending on who you are) console generation of gaming, is all about the First Person Shooter. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I do think there are a lot of problems with the genre that nobody seems willing to fix such as heavy (and I mean HEAVY) scripting, limited weapons, overemphasis on plots that would get laughed out of the theater, and the dumbing down of AI opponents.

Now, while I could probably just spend the whole thread attacking this genre, I'm not going to. I instead want to focus on the best FPS games I've played this gen and focus on what they did right and what others should follow after for the genre.


GoldenEye



Now, I'm sure everyone rolled their eyes when they saw this game being revealed. GoldenEye was one of the first "movie shooters", so everyone figured this would dumb down everything that made the original game great and make it into another COD clone. But, it didn't turn out that way. In my opinion, GoldenEye is the right way to do a movie shooter. There are scripted segments (usually not gameplay related, however), there are cutscenes, and some QTEs (which thankfully aren't abundant), and the game feels like you're playing a movie. However, GoldenEye overcomes a lot of the problems movie shooters tend to have despite being one. Variety of weapons (you can carry three and your phone, so it basically means you can carry 4 items total), optional encounters (you can wait and bide your time and stealthly approach situations or bypass them, in a recent playthrough I sniped out an entire enemy room before they noticed I was there by sniping smartly), varied objectives and locations, and despite having rechargeable health it isn't much of an issue because you don't have much of it and you will die fast if you suck too much (it's only really noticeable between encounters, not so much during firefights as it takes long to recharge)... Basically, it's a great FPS and it probably has one of the best single player campaigns this gen. There is most likely a HD port coming out, so if you don't have a Wii, I suggest giving it a go on the system of your choice.


Left 4 Dead



I'm basically lumping both games in here even if I do prefer the second one, but this is one of the best things to happen to the genre this gen. Left 4 Dead is part survival horror and part shooter (the second game has more emphasis on survival with melee weapons and defib units and such) with an emphasis on co-op that has yet to be matched with me and my friends. Since enemy spawns are completely random in this game, you have to rely on your reflexes and your teammates as there is no memorization apart from level layouts (which are also thankfully varied and interesting enough to help replays) leads to what is probably my most played game this gen. The AI for allies could be better, though.


Halo Reach



Remember Halo? It's back! In proper form! I already talked about this extensively in the Halo thread, so I'll try to keep it brief. Remember all those great things from Halo 1 that Bungie never brought to the sequels (or nerfed tremendously?)... All that is back here and it's better than ever. The game that essentially started the modern shooter boom manages to finally remember what people loved about the original that even the ripoffs and sequels didn't, and it is easily one of the best FPS games this gen.


BioShock



Another weird series to discuss, I find the second game is probably better on a technical level (better pacing, level design, and weapons/powers), but the original is probably the better experience of the two. When people complain about consoles being the reason FPSes are dumbed down (with linear level design, limited weapons, and scripted to oblivion) I sort of scratch my head as I remember this game. BioShock has pretty much everything the best PC shooters do in their campaigns, freedom and choice, just on a gamepad. If anything, this games existence should prove that it's the developers that hold the genre back and not the systems the games appear on. That said, download the patch and turn off vita-chambers... You will be sucked in.


F.E.A.R.



This game is all about being tense. If my nerves weren't already completely shot, I probably would have fought my way through this all the way. But as it is, the game signifies what I felt like when I played games like DOOM and the like as a kid. It made me feel tense and wondering what would happen next. The weapons are powerful and the enemy is smart, the level design is carefully crafted and the developer wants you to suffer. It's pretty much how I imagined what this genre would turn into as I got older, and I couldn't be happier.


I obviously didn't include games like Mirror's Edge, Metroid Prime trilogy, or Condemned, because I don't consider them FPS games, but I do think they're great, too. So, those are what I consider the top 5 FPS games this gen. How about you guys?

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I agree with you completely. Its not the genre that I have a problem with, but how much most games in the genre are lacking in creativity and any real sense of freedom. I HATE how scripted most FPS games are these days. I don't care how cinematic it looks if it forces me to do the same shit every time and makes fake challenge with its harder difficulty settings. I want to be able to take alternate paths, tackle objectives in different orders, deal with challenging enemy AI, and come up with different strategies to tackle difficulty situations.

I'm really glad that Halo: Reach made your top 5. Its also easily one of my favorite FPS games of this generation and probably one of my personal favorite games of the generation (not a top 10, but still one of the best I've played this generation, regardless). Its EVERYTHING that most other "popular" FPS games aren't doing. I have literally come up with dozens of alternate strategies while playing the game on Legendary that each work to different effect. And I have to say, this is the one of the only Halo games that's actually FUN to play on Legendary by myself because its difficulty relies completely on forcing the player to come up with clever strategies rather than the CoD Veteran method of just making enemies ridiculous accurate and forcing you to rely on luck more than skill and wit.

As for F.E.A.R., I agree with your thoughts on it but I don't personally count it as a game of this generation since it was released before the launch of the XBOX360, and I suppose you can call it a technicality of mine but I separate the generations by the console releases rather than anything by the PC, which is why I personally think of this gen starting with the X360's release. That said, I disagree with most people about F.E.A.R. 2 and think its an exceptional game. Easily one of my favorite FPSs of this generation (granted that I haven't played F.3.A.R. yet, so I can't comment on that one).

BioShock is the best example to me of how to do an atmospheric FPS game. Mechanically its a good game but barely above average. What makes it stand out so much is how unique it feels and how it really emphasizes the element of exploration and using your own ability to your strategic advantage. Sure, you can just blow through the game like a regular shooter just spamming your guns, but its so much more fun if you utilize your weapons and abilities in unique and creative ways. Easily one of the best FPS games of this generation.

As for L4D, I respect the game and its concept, but couldn't get into the 1st one, personally. I love what I've played of the 2nd game, however.

I still haven't gotten a chance to play the new Goldeneye, but whenever I do manage to get a Wii its one of the first 10 games that I'll get (which....still won't be for quite a long while, unfortunately).

I think that what so many shooters from this generation are doing wrong are that they are trying to overemphasize what they think makes a game "look" impressive rather than what makes it feel impressive to play through. Call of Duty just overemphasizes scripted moments and forces you to play the game the way the developers envision, rather than allowing the player to experiment with the game for themselves and play it in their own way. I don't mind games like that being around, but to me the major fault is that there are way too many CoD clones that just try to do what it does (and to even lesser effect) because developers are more interested in following what's popular as opposed to what's truly good. That's just my take on the genre's biggest problem anyways.

[Foggle]

F.E.A.R. 2 is an excellent FPS that falls a bit short of the original but still manages to be fun and exciting throughout. I really liked F.E.A.R. 3 at first, but after letting it sink in for awhile, I'm not sure I actually think it's that good of a game. It's fun enough... but it doesn't hold a candle to either of Monolith's offerings (or even TimeGate's first) in terms of mechanics, level design, or story. Many other F.E.A.R. fans agree; it takes awhile to see it as mediocre, but most do eventually. F.E.A.R. 1, of course, is my favorite FPS of all time.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

From what I've heard, F.3.A.R. is a fine game mechanically, but in terms of its overall design its pretty uninspired and feels like a standard shooter (a "good" standard shooter, as some fans seem to emphasize, but standard nonetheless). The general consensus on the game seems to be that its decent but not really very good (though at the same time far from being a bad game, as well).

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

Alright, here are my top 10 personal favorite FPS games:

10. Medal of Honor: Frontline (the only war game that I ever personally cared for)
9. Half-Life 2 (including the episode sequels)
8. BioShock
7. DOOM 3 (after replaying it, its actually pretty underrated, as its mechanically better than the average FPS and is just as atmospheric as BioShock is)
6. F.E.A.R. 2
5. Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath (hey, it counts as far as I'm concerned)
4. DOOM
3. Halo: Combat Evolved/Halo: Reach
2. TimeSplitters 2
1. F.E.A.R.

Keep in mind that I have yet to play games like DOOM 2, Duke Nukem 3D, and System Shock, which is why I didn't rank any of those. I'll give honorable mentions to both Goldeneye or Perfect Dark, but to be honest I was never a big fan of either of those 2 games.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Yeah, I kind of cheated with F.E.A.R, but I let it slide because it was that good. Most people are conflicted over which L4D is better, so I just sort of umbrella'd them.

It should be noted, I don't really like pure versus deathmatch in games so that's why they didn't come into play here. I only like two things; one player campaign and a co-op mode in my FPS games. The latter is the only type of mutliplayer I really like (even if its a team vs team thing), just because I prefer the unpredictability of working with others towards a common goal.

By the way, EK. GoldenEye might be getting a 360/PS3 port, so you may want to keep an eye out. As far as a single player campaigns go, it's probably more fun than any COD game for sure.

As for Medal Of Honor, I think all the games up to Frontline are pretty good, but Airborne was a bit of a gem. Being able to choose your starting point gave the game a lot of unpredictability and strategy, and the fact that enemies can come from anywhere make it a fun shooter. I'm really disappointed that instead of a true sequel we got a COD clone reboot.

Timesplitters 4 better be revealed soon and it better not be turned into a movie shooter. The original trilogy still has more content than almost every shooter released this gen.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

I like versus death-matches just fine, when the game is skill based enough to actually be fun while not being overly complex to pick up and play. That said, I'm not really big on them, either, so they never hold my attention or interest for far too long. That's why I base how much I like a shooter purely on the quality and content of its campaign mode.

To be honest, I don't really care for Halo: Reach's multiplayer. I actually liked 2 and 3 better in that regard. That said, I still think Reach is a far superior game to those 2 because its campaign mode is just so much more robust. It allows you to play through each level the way you want to, for the most part, and even though its linear there are tons of open environments allowing you to experiment with different strategies and approach objectives in different ways. Sure, its still on the short side, but considering that I managed to replay it 5 times over without ever getting bored, whereas I wasn't even able to get more than half way through any CoD game period, kind of shows how good its actual content is in the game itself.

For me, the ideal shooter campaign is something that can allow for both freedom, strategy, and increased skill level (demonstrated by how much faster you can complete a level when you're good at it). It feels really rewarding to blow through a level and take minimum damage, and not have to spam ammo to kill enemies. I think that's what most FPS games don't focus enough on, though. Like I said before, I don't mind all the CoD games and their clones out there, but they just aren't for me. I sincerely wish there were more games that deviated from those sorts of games in order for a more fresh experience, personally.

[Eddy]

You guys pretty much hit the nail on the head with my beef with FPS. It's not the genre itself, but the lack of innovation. For every BioShock, there are five Call of Duties. That said, there are still plenty of games in the genre I love. Aside from the ones already mentioned like BioShock 1 and 2, Half-Life 2, etc. I also want to chime in and add...


Borderlands
A game that's far from perfect and has little more to it than "go here and kill a bunch of guys" and yet it manages to be so damn fun. To get the fullest enjoyment from it you really need to play the co-op with some friends but when you do it's a blast. It's up there with the most fun I've had with my 360, easily. I can't wait for Borderlands 2.


DOOM/DOOM II
The classic FPS game that really laid the foundation for the genre. Just about every gamer grew up playing DOOM and it's amazing at just how well the games manage to hold up. Action packed levels with great layouts and secrets galore, grotesque monsters lurking around every corner, awesome weapons, and let's not for the badass soundtrack. You might want to take your time beating the first stage of the original DOOM just because the soundtrack is that good.

[Spark Of Spirit]

As someone who just played through DOOM II, I agree. The level design is just crazy in that game. One of my favorite things in the game is how all the hidden weapons and items in the levels that reward you for exploring the level.

Borderlands needs randomized dungeons and a raised level cap to 99 in the sequel. If it had those two things, I'd still be playing it right now.

[gunswordfist]

I don't think I've played 5 this gen. I only have Bulletstorm and Condemned 2. Well I do have Killzone 2 and I think this Aliens game is a FPS but I don't have a PS3.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Some footage of the HD version of GoldenEye.

Note that every single glimpse of combat in that video could have been approached differently (Yes, even that vent part). That's why it's IMO, such a great FPS.

Eurocom needs to make more Bond games.

[Foggle]

Here's my full review of F.3.A.R. now that I've given it some time to settle. This post is loooooong, so be warned, but I think fans of the series should read it, especially if they haven't played the new one yet:

F.E.A.R. 3 is a good game, but it's not a F.E.A.R. game. Sure, you can slow down time, Alma's in it, and the AI is excellent, but at it's core, it's Gears of War in first person. It ticks the boxes for most of the series' basic components, but it doesn't do anything in a way that a fan would probably want. The key mechanics, setting, and story have almost nothing to do with the franchise, and it feels more like a cheap knock-off or a quick cash-grab than a true sequel.

Let's get the story out of the way first. To put things bluntly, it makes no fucking sense. F.E.A.R. 3 (henceforth referred to as "Extraction Point 2") begins nine months after Project Origin with the Point Man (the original game's silent protagonist) held captive by Armacham in Mexico. Making no reference whatsoever to F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn, Paxton Fettel returns as a ghost capable of directly killing people. It's actually less sensible than TimeGate's "explanation" in the expansion packs. Anyway, Jin is apparently the only other F.E.A.R. team member now (and is also about 10 years younger than she was the last time we saw her), so ol' Pointy and his bro go on a road trip back to Fairport to rescue her (how is it still standing after a humongous explosion and nine months of insane pregnancy-induced tremors? good question). Betters and Holiday are never seen, heard from, or mentioned. Aristide, Manny, and Stokes aren't either, for that matter.

There are no answering machine messages or intel documents. Instead, there are lame cutscenes in which little of merit happens and Beckett is basically declared useless by the new writers. The story is, in a word, insulting, with the ending being the worst part regardless of which one you get. Oh, and the entire game has about as many attempted scares/creepy parts as the F.E.A.R. 2 demo. Yeah.

The gameplay is great! But it's not F.E.A.R. Aside from being a shooter where you can slow down time, it plays almost nothing like the previous entries in the series. For instance, you have a two-weapon limit and regenerating health now. There's also a cover system, which is completely necessary, because the enemies are very smart and know how to bring the pain. Again, it's fun, but it's not what I want from a F.E.A.R game. This isn't so much an evolution or a downgrade from previous titles as it is one that's completely different in style and execution. This can most easily be seen in the fact that every time you get three headshots in a row or stay in cover for 60 seconds, you get a pop-up at the bottom of the screen telling you how many points you earned, which go toward unlocking shit. That's right, you don't search for reflex boosters in this game, you get them from an arcade-style points system. In fact, Extraction Point 2: Electric Boogaloo has no exploration at all; the linear levels are further compounded by the aforementioned lack of answering machines and intel documents. Sure, there's the occasional alternate path, but that doesn't really do anything except net you extra points for absorbing the essence of corpses.

The actual shooting feels satisfying for the most part, though, and the return of explosive contact grenades is definitely welcome. The mech levels are less hilariously awesome than the ones in Project Origin, but they're much better designed and are good for more than just stupid fun this time around. Unfortunately, you have to unlock your melee kicks, and they've been gimped slightly. The roundhouse has been removed entirely, leaving you with only a very poorly animated bicycle kick and the ever-useful slide kick. It's worth noting that it is impossible to do a fresh run of the game on the PC, as I could not find an option to reset my unlockables anywhere on the menu and the level-up progress is tied to your Steam account (all copies run through Steam). Xbox and PS3 gamers can simply make a new user profile if they'd like, however.

The first two F.E.A.R.s were corridor shooters, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, they were the best corridor shooters of all time! In Perseus Mandate: The Next Generation, on the other hand, you'll be hard-pressed to find any corridors at all outside of the first interval. The open environments are fun to fight in, sure, but the tense feeling of running and gunning through an abandoned office building or a creepy hospital you got in Monolith's games is gone when you're fighting in a slum or suburb ripped straight out of Modern Warfare 2. Occasionally uninspired level design wouldn't be such a problem if there were more than 8 stages, especially when one of them features no combat outside of a terrible boss battle. People tell me that I play shooters too quickly to enjoy them (an outright lie, I might add), but Extraction Point: The College Years is 4 and a half hours long, and that's being generous, seeing as how adding up all the average completion times the game gives you at the end of each level offers up a total slightly less than that. No, Day 1, being able to play the game as Fettel once you've finished it once as Point Man doesn't make your game any longer.

Phase Casters aside (which are pretty much F.E.A.R. 2's Remnants but actually difficult to fight), the new enemy types suck. No one wants to spend an entire level shooting zombies in a series that's always been strong in firefights with human enemies. The new mutants are basically larger versions of the second game's Abominations (because those were so much fun to fight, right?) and appear maybe two or three times throughout the entire campaign. The game also features no Replicas, which is kind of silly, but not a problem.

Until you realize what it means.

Give up? It means there are no cloaking Assassins. That's right, the coolest and scariest enemies in the entire series don't even appear in 2 Extractions 2 Points. I remember my first encounter with them in the original game... I damn near pissed myself. And who could forget Snake Fist's death scene in Project Origin? Fucking classic. But no, the Assassins are entirely absent.

The worst part about For A Few Extractions More? At first, you'll love it. You'll think you got your money's worth. You won't realize that you're never getting that $50 back until it's set in for a bit. It's at this point you'll understand that this isn't F.E.A.R., this is merely an imitation. It's not a bad game. You'll have fun. But unless this is your first foray into the series, wait until it's $15 on Steam or Amazon before you pick it up, because it'll leave a bad taste in your mouth if you love the first two games as much as I do.

Some footage of the HD version of GoldenEye.

Note that every single glimpse of combat in that video could have been approached differently (Yes, even that vent part). That's why it's IMO, such a great FPS.

You're going to love Deus Ex.

Looks awesome, btw.

[ToonFaithful]

Know you guys are going to hate me for this(or already have..) but god damn, I cannot wait for Battlefield 3. Can't wait for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 either. Yes, I said it. The full name. Not MW3, definitely not Modern Warfare 3. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but sure damn is to me. Bringing back the old red dot sights from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare got my attention.

But enough hyping, thought it was nice of "them" to enhance the Spec Ops game-play experience. Rather than having the same mode from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2(Get used to it, I will be doing this for a while.), Sledgehammer Games improves Spec Ops with purchasing weapons, calling in squads, and AC-130s.

I'm still going straight to campaign when I buy it, but I can't wait to play on Spec Ops Survival mode. Multi-player is looking good(the 5-second preview at the end of the Spec Ops trailer), stacking kill-streaks are back and it seems like Infinity Ward is focusing on game-play rather than graphics. That's a plus. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Battlefield 3, Bioshock: Infinite, Batman: Arkham City, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, and some XBLA titles to choose from for Christmas are on my wishlist. 

[Foggle]

You're not alone. I have Battlefield 3 pre-ordered for PC. I've been waiting so long for the return of jets and 64-player MP, man, you don't even know!

[Spark Of Spirit]

The Sledgehammer CoD game was canceled

Shock, gasp, surprise.