Have single-player FPS gone backwards?
TotalBiscuit brings you an exposé on the current state of first person shooters in comparison to older games in the genre.
I strongly agree with him for the most part. The only modern single player FPS that I still enjoy is the Half-Life franchise, I can't really think of anything else I really like as much as I did games like Doom, Duke Nukem 3D and the Quake game. What do you guys think?
I think you just grew up tbh...
Related video: oldie, but goodie
The thread title is incorrect. Games SHOULD go backwards. All this progressive "forward" movement isn't for me.
I like the question he raised about level design vs open world. I recently played Dishonoured and I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much was the level design. It wasn't brilliant, but it was sure of a lot better than anything else I played recently.
The Half Life games were very linear, but they had great level design - mostly manifest in how the story is told through it.
Doubt it. I've seen plenty of anecdotal evidence suggesting that even young people today who haven't grown up with classics like Duke 3D really like it and sometimes even prefer it if they give it a try.I think you just grew up tbh...
I'll never grow up!Originally Posted by HavocXphere
Also agree with Ser_Bunnylot. Dishonored was really good. It had lots of places to explore and "secrets" to find, I don't know if I would classify it as an FPS though, as I spent most of the time sneaking around.
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
I agree. FPS titles nowadays in general are too easy or at least too restrictive compared to shooters of old. The level design was way better back then and there were no -- or at least very few -- cutscenes or other pace-slowing nonsense to interrupt your play. There was also less in the way of gimmicks and hand-holding such as regenerating health or hints that pop up on the screen. I had to laugh at the Quake video. That is spot on. Nowadays you'd have to pay for the shareware episode, instead of it being free, and the rest would be paid DLC. And you'd only have about 2 or 3 of the game's weapons initially too.
In the past, people would say that a game looked like a movie (that was said about Half-Life). Now they look and play like movies, it seems.
This image pretty much says it all:
Duke Nukem 3D will always be the king of shooters for me.
You cite the HL franchise as a good modern shooter franchise; HL2, which strongly dictates the gameplay of Ep1 and Ep2, was released closer to Quake 1 than to the present day.. I'm not sure it qualifies as a modern shooter anymore.Which emphasizes the point of the video, IMO.
You cite the HL franchise as a good modern shooter franchise; HL2, which strongly dictates the gameplay of Ep1 and Ep2, was released closer to Quake 1 than to the present day.. I'm not sure it qualifies as a modern shooter anymore.
Totalbiscuit makes a good point about the level design and generic weapons.
I think the reason why FPS are how they are these days is due to the multi player audience.
FPS is a lot more multiplayer focused these days. Also, it brings along the following:
"Your gun does 0.1 more damage than mine?! Nerf it!!"
"Your rocket launcher can one hit kill?! OP!!"
And the publisher/PR person responds. Why?
Because the criers bring in the money through micro-transactions.
Can you imagine the outcry if someone discovered a rocket launcher in the middle of a multiplayer map?
Want the extra edges, buy a DLC? Everyone is generically equal unless you pay more.
Simply put, secret finds don't bring in cash.
Single player FPS these days still holds some of the level design with secrets. Eugene has mentioned Dishonoured as an example.
The problem is: Most shooters these days are your typical Modernised War Fighters.
Give the player a few maps -- some weapons, and watch them fight to their (virtual) deaths.
Fewer developers are implementing newer and completely different ideas/perspectives to the modern shooter genre.
What, in my opinion, needs to happen is: Make something other developers are too afraid to try out. Newer innovations, fresher ideas.
something that will have consumer in awe. It must have the same impression on the gamer as when franchises began. For instance - first time anyone saw Battlefield 3 gameplay, we were so stunned by how cinematic and good it looked - now it's "Meh". Having said that, Frostbite 3 still looks incredible.
TITANFALL (for me), is one of those games, and Destiny. Definitely something different - and worth a look-see.
I just wish they would take some 3rd person gameplay mechanics and implement them into an FPS. They are kind of getting there with cover based gameplay in FPS's but things like evasive manouvers and more hand to hand combat etc. are really missing in the FPS genre in my opinion.
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