Best FPS version 4

[metadigital]

Did you play Half-Life?

 

A lot of the sequel is playing on the in-joke that Gordon doesn't talk and everyone looks to him for answers, when you are just as clueless (and moreso, in fact) than everyone else.

 

It's funny you thought Half-Life 2 had little story, yet you have defended KotOR2 until your fingers bled over your keyboard...  "

Yes, unfortunately I bought and played HL2 to the bitter end.

 

Note that I'm not attacking the setting, the atmosphere, or even the NPCs. Those were fine, better than in most FPSs I have played. I just don't see where the story on HL2 is. You spend the whole game running for your life (for unexplained reasons, too), except for the final part of the game. You don't have clear motivations for what you do other than "run, or the [insert nasty thing here] will shred you". That's not a story. That's map roaming.

 

But perhaps I'm wrong and the game does have a story. If so, I totally missed it. Please be so kind to tell me what the hell it was about.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well, I don't expect to give you any insightful revelation ...

 

The story was just that -- running for your life -- with the added twist whilst everyone expects you to have all the answers (until you get to a point where you can change the environment, rather than reacting to it). But this is a FPS, not a role playing game; mores the pity -- there doesn't need to be a huge premise to build a FPS upon, you just need to have reason to kill everyything that moves!

 

It does strike me (maybe I'm alone here?) as pretty similar to most of K2, though -- certainly up until the Dantooine confrontation, at least. And remember that it isn't a RPG, half of the point of the game is in the multitude of different experiences and ways to extinguish virtual life (airboat, dune buggy, gravity gun).

 

I would have liked to have another chapter after the end of the game (I didn't particularly like the end point being placed where it is), but then again it was best to place it there with a natural climax rather than just ending at an arbitrarily chosen point afterwards ... " Certainly there seemed to be a stronger narrative in the original. Perhpas the developers just assumed everyone has played the first game?

 

Then again, "Aftermath" is about to be released, so I think the developers are gearing up to provide a sort of serial experience -- think Charles Dickens method of entertainment, where Steam equates to the mid-nineteenth century newspaper as a delivery mechanism.

[213374U]

The story was just that -- running for your life -- with the added twist whilst everyone expects you to have all the answers (until you get to a point where you can change the environment, rather than reacting to it). But this is a FPS, not a role playing game; mores the pity -- there doesn't need to be a huge premise to build a FPS upon, you just need to have reason to kill everyything that moves!

I agree that it's a FPS and story is not the focus of the game. But compare it to AVP2, for instance. That game had as much action as any, and it had a greatly woven, involving story. Hell, compare it to HL1, Gordon doesn't say a damn word in that game either, but the story is better. You actually have a goal in that game. You know why and how.

 

My problem with HL2 is that I spent most of the game expecting to be given a little background, a simple explanation of what's going on, or something that would give me a reason to do what the rambling NPCs said I had to do. And that's the only thing that kept me playing. So when I got to the end of the game and finished it I felt like... "So what?"

[metadigital]

I agree that it's a FPS and story is not the focus of the game. But compare it to AVP2, for instance. That game had as much action as any, and it had a greatly woven, involving story. Hell, compare it to HL1, Gordon doesn't say a damn word in that game either, but the story is better. You actually have a goal in that game. You know why and how.

 

My problem with HL2 is that I spent most of the game expecting to be given a little background, a simple explanation of what's going on, or something that would give me a reason to do what the rambling NPCs said I had to do. And that's the only thing that kept me playing. So when I got to the end of the game and finished it I felt like... "So what?"

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

AVP2?

 

Sure, I think that was intentional (having you searching for a reason to be running through the game), although I agree it played on the fan-boys' enthusiasm a little too much and ended on a WTF cliffhanger. (I was half dreading the almost certain fight through Xen I had anticipated ... :"> )

 

Still, I think it ended better than if there was a stream of dialogue. "

[Kaftan Barlast]

AVP2, I remeber my friend Adrian was playing as Alien and we just couldnt find the exit in the final level so he never finished the game

 

 

 

Is there some way to go to 3rd person mode in Hl2 cause I cant drive in 1st person mode, I cant see what Im doing.

[Child of Flame]

AVP2, I remeber my friend Adrian was playing as Alien and we just couldnt find the exit in the final level so he never finished the game

 

 

 

Is there some way to go to 3rd person mode in Hl2 cause I cant drive in 1st person mode, I cant see what Im doing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The one in the steam room with the pumps and stuff where you have to smash the panels?

 

Yeah, that was kinda hard, it was like a maze, there was this little duct though...

 

I liked the multiplayer in AvP2, that was so fun.

[metadigital]

AVP2, I remeber my friend Adrian was playing as Alien and we just couldnt find the exit in the final level so he never finished the game

 

 

 

Is there some way to go to 3rd person mode in Hl2 cause I cant drive in 1st person mode, I cant see what Im doing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Aahhh, AvP2. Gotcha. Yep, there was a story there, but the only difference was that you had a briefing beforehand to explain it all. λ2 was all about stopping the collective. Simple. Same as AvP: kill everything that moves on the way to stopping big baddie. Change of scenery along the way with different weapons, vehicles, allies and enemies.

 

No, it is not possible to change perspective to third person in λ2. All adds to the headlong rush ...

[213374U]

Aahhh, AvP2. Gotcha. Yep, there was a story there, but the only difference was that you had a briefing beforehand to explain it all. λ2 was all about stopping the collective. Simple. Same as AvP: kill everything that moves on the way to stopping big baddie. Change of scenery along the way with different weapons, vehicles, allies and enemies.

Hmm. Briefing, cutscenes, and a story told from three different perspectives. The storytelling was much better than in HL2, if you ask me. But I'm a AVP fanboy... meh.

 

Oh yes, and the netcode sucked, big time.

[Child of Flame]

Aahhh, AvP2. Gotcha. Yep, there was a story there, but the only difference was that you had a briefing beforehand to explain it all. λ2 was all about stopping the collective. Simple. Same as AvP: kill everything that moves on the way to stopping big baddie. Change of scenery along the way with different weapons, vehicles, allies and enemies.

Hmm. Briefing, cutscenes, and a story told from three different perspectives. The storytelling was much better than in HL2, if you ask me. But I'm a AVP fanboy... meh.

 

Oh yes, and the netcode sucked, big time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The storytelling really was better. I loved the fact that it was the same story, but from the eyes of three different races. That was awesome.

 

The Alien was quite possibly the most original FPS character ever too.

[Claws]

People who have not played all the listed games should not be allowed to vote. I dunno how anyone can play SS2 and HL and vote for HL.

[uncdeez]

Duke Nukem 3D.

[Child of Flame]

People who have not played all the listed games should not be allowed to vote. I dunno how anyone can play SS2 and HL and vote for HL.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

I voted for AvP.

 

I am biased.

 

I am a fanboy.

[Baley]

I voted for AvP. 

 

I am biased. 

 

I am a fanboy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I voted Deus Ex on the same criteria

 

My second vote would go to System Shock 2

 

And Serious Sam gets the last seat on the podium

[Yst]

For me, when I consider this question, I am compelled to conclude that to answer it meaningful, I have to change it around and ask, "which FPS best defines the FPS genre's virtues?"

 

That's because I'm mostly an RPG and Adventure gamer and best enjoy games for the depth of their character development, quality of writing and game system mechanics, none of which areas is the FPS genre's chief focus. My vote for "best FPS" on the merits I favour in games in general would in effect have me choose the best FPS on the basis of the RPG genre's goals, which would be pretty silly criteria, in an FPS context. On that basis, from this list, it'd probably be Deus Ex. But that's not because I think Deus Ex is a good FPS. It's because it contains the RPG elements I like in games. So I think it makes sense, instead, for me to judge an FPS on the basis of the areas on which the genre itself focuses, like quality of gameworld physics, personal immersivity, visceral impact, play control and graphical style.

 

On those criteria alone, I think the original Doom best defines for me the virtues of the genre and within this list, Serious Sam is its successor, not Doom 3. Doom 3 is more a survival horror game with rail shooter elements than it is a fast and furious visceral shoot-em-up like Doom, Duke 3D or Serious Sam.

 

Those three, for me, are the ultimate experiences in pure, visceral FPS madness, getting the adrenaline flowing and truly immersing the player and keeping the player immersed in that fury of battle. Other games bring elements of other genres heavily into the mix and make for a better overall experience for me because I'm not chiefly an FPS player, but for the FPS in all its glory, it's Doom (necessarily, played with one of the updated engines and texturepacks available for it).

[metadigital]

People who have not played all the listed games should not be allowed to vote. I dunno how anyone can play SS2 and HL and vote for HL.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

... And people with low intelligence should not be allowed to breed.[/sarcasm]

 

It's a popularity contest, not a quantifiable measure of quality through peer review.

[Musopticon?]

I voted for the Thief Series, but I don't really consider them FPSs at least when compared to the other options in the poll. Thiefs don't really qualify as shooters because the genre definitives; twitch-based action, shooting, gory combat, are lacking from them almost entirely. Still...

[Baley]

Well in theory they should be:

 

First Person Stealth Shooter...which is a subgender of FPS just like Tactical or arcade

[Musopticon?]

First Person Sneaker...as the Looking Glass aptly put it.

[Baley]

Hmm I thought it was First Person Stealth :">

 

Well they were still great games...even 3

[metadigital]

Meh. I found the Thief 3 demo boring. Lots of opportunity to sneak in Deus Ex. :D

[Baley]

Well let's just say that the engine was better implemented in T3 than in Deus Ex2

 

And IMO the story seemed better too

 

Deus Ex is one of my favourite games tho

 

Hmm no votes for Sam yet

[Kaftan Barlast]

Me Kaftan. Me hates sneaking around. ME CRUSH ENEMIES!!

 

 

 

RRAAAAAGH!!!!

[Musopticon?]

[Kaftan Barlast]

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

[Yst]

Hmm no votes for Sam yrt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I would have voted for Sam if I were choosing from the list, but my choice would be Doom with the jdoom engine and texture packs if I had any FPS to choose from, so I voted Other.

[metadigital]

Hmm no votes for Sam yrt

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I would have voted for Sam if I were choosing from the list, but my choice would be Doom with the jdoom engine and texture packs if I had any FPS to choose from, so I voted Other.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Meh. Doom wasn't as good as Quake.

 

The Deus Ex:IW engine is very annoying. I'm trying very hard not to let it bother me, but after λ2 it is very noticeable.

 

As regard to sneaking around, I think it is a little more credible to use stealth as a tactic. I just don't want to be forced to use it all the time.