First Person Nirvana

There is No Better Time to Enjoy First Person Shooters (FPS)

The last two months have seen a steady supply of FPS style games enter the market.

PC gaming was once the dominant domain for this game design type...no longer. The consoles have come of age and are now featuring the same level of detail in HD LCD or Plasma screens.

Some if not most of the games are using the tried and true formulas, but there are one or two with a unique approach. Next is a short list of games or demos out now that are worth looking into.

Team Fortress 2 (Console and PC)

Team Fortress 2 is an instant classic. This much delayed game has almost joined Duke Nukem Forever on most vaporware lists.

What's amazing about this title is that fact that Valve has included this game as well as other key titles in one box. The Orange Box (PC) has TF2, Half-Life 2, Half-Life2 Episode 1 and 2 as well as Portal. Half of these are more than worth the price of admission. Consoles get less (Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal) but its a still a solid deal.

Now TF2 is an online multi-player title. This is not a story driven title like the other titles mentioned. What's important to note is that TF2 takes game play and visual concepts to a whole new level. The game is the first PC FPS that looks and plays like a Warner Brothers cartoon on roids. The individual taunts are a must see. It's clear the development team did their animation homework.

The character classes are artistically rendered and animated. What's more important is that Valve took the time to balance each character with a unique group of weapons. One thing that gets old in online FPS games is that a certain class ends up dominating online play. Valve has taken the time to not only balance characters but to score each for what they do best. Of course kills are there, but assists are there as well. Medics are no longer the sacrificial lamb. Matched with the Heavy, the two are a very potent force. A very welcome change.

There is no Team Death Match or Death Match here, but TF2 is the first FPS that is above that formula. Interesting enough - it is about TEAM. In most if not all matches I've played online, the team that works together, gets the most wins.

If you're in the market for one, two, or three games for the price of one, it's hard if not impossible to pass up on the Orange Box.


Bioshock (Console and PC)

Bioshock is more original than most as its not cut from the same formula that most FPS titles are produced from. This is one title that actually tells a deeper story that unfolds as the player journeys through the ornate detailed levels.

The writing and voice acting in Bioshock are top notch. Coupled with the open ended combat in which weapons are customized, it doesn't take long before you are taken deep by the plot line. An added benefit is the fact that modifications and their effects will not be the same for two different players. Everyone will make different choices here, and be sure to experience and dispatch enemies differently.

There is also the twist in which you are faced with a moral dilemma. The story branches according to your decisions in how you deal with the Little Sisters. The game is not heavy handed here as it does not judge one way or the other. It simply allows the player to justify and
pursue the path that suits them.

So if you are looking for atmosphere and deep story line this title is one you should look into as it's heads above the rest from many other FPS titles.

Medal of Honor: Airborne (Console and PC )

This is a game that helps bring back the MOH franchise to some form of respectability.
Since the half baked MOH Pacific Assault was unleashed on unsuspecting gamers, no one expected to see the MOH franchise recover. Not so.

With MOH:A, EA manages to actually reinvent the fun of the original series while adding a creative open ended combat style.

Unlike other FPS titles, MOH:A actually lets you decide where you'll take the fight. Each level starts you dropping in chutes with your comrades and you guide yourself to a number of zones behind or withing enemy lines. This feature definitely is a huge step away from the "fighting on rails" detraction most often associated with FPS games.

While the rest of the game is more or less formula, the ability to fight on your terms adds a strategic value that makes this title one to look into.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii )

Of all the games, this is one that needs to be played to appreciate what Nintendo has done with interactivity. This game is a key example of what the Wii controllers can do to reinvent the FPS genre.

As you can imagine, the reticle on screen is controlled by your hand movement. You are hold the weapon in your hand as opposed to pulling on a joystick. It is a seamless experience of hand motion and on screen action.

There are a number of uses of hand motions that mimic real world actions and the game never feels contrived in its use of these motions. Inserting key (push forward), Turn key (rotate wrist). It's amazing how intuitive and straight forward these actions become.

The only thing that I was lost on was the games use of jumping puzzles. This is something not in line with the interactive controllers. Right or wrong, the franchise and the platform (Nintendo) has a long history of gaming in which jumping is key. Being a FPS player since Wolfenstein 3D, the idea of jumping like a Mario Brother felt way out of place.

Beyond that detraction, the game delivers in interaction and visuals that do not disappoint. If Jumping solutions are an essential part in your gaming experience, then Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a game you should look into.


Unreal Tournament 3 (Console and PC Demo)

One of the most hotly anticipated FPS games for 2007 is the long awaited Unreal Tournament 3.
This is one of a few titles that can trace its follow up success based on solid game releases in the past. This does not even cover the fact that the UT3 engine has been licensed by numerous game developers because of its solid pedigree.

Because the game has only recently been released in a limited demo, it's still a little early to call it, but what can be seen so far is solid game play reminiscent of the original UT title from 1999. Epic has really done justice to the franchise by bringing back the play style that launched the title to success.

Visually the demo is too early to call. Although it is clear that there is a graphics and geometry increase, the demo's download size contributes to the lower resolution textures. So game play is the call on this one. This is a demo that is more than worth the download to get a glimpse as to what to expect when the full game is released.