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I was just thinking about this - the FPS market appears at the moment to be rather stagnant. I can't think of a significant change to the formula since the mouselook. The only PC single-player FPS I would choose to play at the moment is Half-Life, and even that wasn't much of a revolution except in the removal of cutscenes. FPS developers of Valve's imagination and quality are thin on the ground. Comparisons are Bungie, Epic, 3D Realms and arguably Id, but they've all been committed to long-term projects we've yet to see the fruit of on the PC.
What about Deus Ex, I hear you ask.
Deus Ex is an RPG before all else - the FPS elements of the game are poor. Max Payne is not an FPS, but close enough to merit comparison - I, however, would not call it great. Bullet time is neither particularly original, nor is it engaging. Serious Sam is good, but not a step forwards at all. BF 1942 is multi-player, JK2 is a competition to see how often you can remember to quicksave, with some occasional but eventually repetitive lightsaber fun (which would be rendered tedious in first-person). The only game that comes close is MOH:AA. Not at all revolutionary, is it? Choosing between it and Half-Life is very subjective, depending chiefly on how much you care about realism and what kind of storyline you like. Now surely not everybody's forgotten NOLF? Not a revolution perhaps, but it has lashings of innovation. Like the gadgets. Lipstick grenades, in three flavours, a stick-on camera disabler, among others. Training areas, pre-mission teaching you how to use them.
And of course, an unrivalled sense of humour. Like I say, not a revolution, but a mighty fine game. I think AvP should at least get a mention, for atmosphere, for the three radically different playing experiences, and for plenty of cool moments. Really captured the feel of the films. I'm not saying it approaches HLs greatness, but it's a bloody good game. Haven't played the second one, though.
Nothing since Half Life has been of the same quality, but 'stagnant' is a bit hard on MoH:AA, RTCW and Max Payne - all slickly made and fun games. I was just making a point out of cynicism. My theory is that there is a huge cycle:
It starts off slowly paced, games get better very slowly (Doom 1, 2 Quake etc) and then the curve increases, and the games get better much quicker, at the end of the cycle was HL, then we started slowing down again. My theory of this cycle has only just come to mind recently, because games are starting to get better, quicker again, starting with maybe MoH:AA and SOF2 and now UT2003, soon there will be another boost, just like there was with HL, and I predict Unreal 2 will be that game! There are obvious periods of stagnation, although I reckon this applies only to single-player FPSs - and the period between H-L and MOH:AA was one of these. Bear in mind that the FPS is rather young, and it will take a while to notice any clear trends. Valve, 3D Realms, Id, Monolith and Epic never produce predictable copies of previous titles but, while they're all working on things, lesser known developers like 2015 or Gray Matter inevitably will in order to get a success under their belts.
MoH is in patches awful. It's way too short. The AI is too strong, often poor. That sniping level - arggh. Okay, so it looked amazing, but it was severely lacking a game behind it. Personally, I far more enjoyed Wolfy just because it's just straight from the iD school of thought, and I grew up with countless LAN games of Quake and all that. People like dynamics.
Dynamics are good to a degree but you get a much better game by going down a linear track. Both HL and MoH: AA used a linear path and script sequences. Scripting is the goodness of gaming. This is true with the exception of Halo, but eventually scripted games like Half-Life will become extinct as developers make freeform games more and more dynamic. Halo is a step in this direction, and already surpasses the best scripted gaming has to offer.
"Welcome to the real world, where games that you have mentioned seem good are now pure cack."
Thanks for reading,
Flux.
What about Deus Ex, I hear you ask.
Deus Ex is an RPG before all else - the FPS elements of the game are poor. Max Payne is not an FPS, but close enough to merit comparison - I, however, would not call it great. Bullet time is neither particularly original, nor is it engaging. Serious Sam is good, but not a step forwards at all. BF 1942 is multi-player, JK2 is a competition to see how often you can remember to quicksave, with some occasional but eventually repetitive lightsaber fun (which would be rendered tedious in first-person). The only game that comes close is MOH:AA. Not at all revolutionary, is it? Choosing between it and Half-Life is very subjective, depending chiefly on how much you care about realism and what kind of storyline you like. Now surely not everybody's forgotten NOLF? Not a revolution perhaps, but it has lashings of innovation. Like the gadgets. Lipstick grenades, in three flavours, a stick-on camera disabler, among others. Training areas, pre-mission teaching you how to use them.
And of course, an unrivalled sense of humour. Like I say, not a revolution, but a mighty fine game. I think AvP should at least get a mention, for atmosphere, for the three radically different playing experiences, and for plenty of cool moments. Really captured the feel of the films. I'm not saying it approaches HLs greatness, but it's a bloody good game. Haven't played the second one, though.
Nothing since Half Life has been of the same quality, but 'stagnant' is a bit hard on MoH:AA, RTCW and Max Payne - all slickly made and fun games. I was just making a point out of cynicism. My theory is that there is a huge cycle:
It starts off slowly paced, games get better very slowly (Doom 1, 2 Quake etc) and then the curve increases, and the games get better much quicker, at the end of the cycle was HL, then we started slowing down again. My theory of this cycle has only just come to mind recently, because games are starting to get better, quicker again, starting with maybe MoH:AA and SOF2 and now UT2003, soon there will be another boost, just like there was with HL, and I predict Unreal 2 will be that game! There are obvious periods of stagnation, although I reckon this applies only to single-player FPSs - and the period between H-L and MOH:AA was one of these. Bear in mind that the FPS is rather young, and it will take a while to notice any clear trends. Valve, 3D Realms, Id, Monolith and Epic never produce predictable copies of previous titles but, while they're all working on things, lesser known developers like 2015 or Gray Matter inevitably will in order to get a success under their belts.
MoH is in patches awful. It's way too short. The AI is too strong, often poor. That sniping level - arggh. Okay, so it looked amazing, but it was severely lacking a game behind it. Personally, I far more enjoyed Wolfy just because it's just straight from the iD school of thought, and I grew up with countless LAN games of Quake and all that. People like dynamics.
Dynamics are good to a degree but you get a much better game by going down a linear track. Both HL and MoH: AA used a linear path and script sequences. Scripting is the goodness of gaming. This is true with the exception of Halo, but eventually scripted games like Half-Life will become extinct as developers make freeform games more and more dynamic. Halo is a step in this direction, and already surpasses the best scripted gaming has to offer.
"Welcome to the real world, where games that you have mentioned seem good are now pure cack."
Thanks for reading,
Flux.
Half life sold out though. The prices plummeted badly after a month or so. It was a great game but MoH is a fantastic game, I also liked return to castle wolfenstein.
Just you wait until Metroid Prime, then you'll see what a FPS/Adventure REALLY is!
Grix Thraves wrote:
> Excellent post. Can't really comment at all. :0)
*Faints*
That's truly an honour, getting that kind of comment from a Notable. Cheers Grix :D
And to the others, thanks! :)
> Excellent post. Can't really comment at all. :0)
*Faints*
That's truly an honour, getting that kind of comment from a Notable. Cheers Grix :D
And to the others, thanks! :)
AJ will not be pleased.
Be afraid...be very afraid.
Be afraid...be very afraid.
Deus Ex wasn't too bad for FPS, and I would say overall it's a much better experience than Half-Life, but you're probably right over the actual shooting elements of the game.
Tactical Ops is excellent, it just doesn't have a single player mode.
And this is for AJ...
Red Faction. :D
Tactical Ops is excellent, it just doesn't have a single player mode.
And this is for AJ...
Red Faction. :D
Good post.
Another reason why MOH:Frontline isn't so good is because it isn't a multiplayer, and everyone knows that a true FPS needs a multiplayer section.
Another reason why MOH:Frontline isn't so good is because it isn't a multiplayer, and everyone knows that a true FPS needs a multiplayer section.
I think TimeSplitters 2 was un-like Half-life to warrant attention.
Also, XIII looks promising to say the least.
Also, XIII looks promising to say the least.
Excellent post. Can't really comment at all. :0)
I was just thinking about this - the FPS market appears at the moment to be rather stagnant. I can't think of a significant change to the formula since the mouselook. The only PC single-player FPS I would choose to play at the moment is Half-Life, and even that wasn't much of a revolution except in the removal of cutscenes. FPS developers of Valve's imagination and quality are thin on the ground. Comparisons are Bungie, Epic, 3D Realms and arguably Id, but they've all been committed to long-term projects we've yet to see the fruit of on the PC.
What about Deus Ex, I hear you ask.
Deus Ex is an RPG before all else - the FPS elements of the game are poor. Max Payne is not an FPS, but close enough to merit comparison - I, however, would not call it great. Bullet time is neither particularly original, nor is it engaging. Serious Sam is good, but not a step forwards at all. BF 1942 is multi-player, JK2 is a competition to see how often you can remember to quicksave, with some occasional but eventually repetitive lightsaber fun (which would be rendered tedious in first-person). The only game that comes close is MOH:AA. Not at all revolutionary, is it? Choosing between it and Half-Life is very subjective, depending chiefly on how much you care about realism and what kind of storyline you like. Now surely not everybody's forgotten NOLF? Not a revolution perhaps, but it has lashings of innovation. Like the gadgets. Lipstick grenades, in three flavours, a stick-on camera disabler, among others. Training areas, pre-mission teaching you how to use them.
And of course, an unrivalled sense of humour. Like I say, not a revolution, but a mighty fine game. I think AvP should at least get a mention, for atmosphere, for the three radically different playing experiences, and for plenty of cool moments. Really captured the feel of the films. I'm not saying it approaches HLs greatness, but it's a bloody good game. Haven't played the second one, though.
Nothing since Half Life has been of the same quality, but 'stagnant' is a bit hard on MoH:AA, RTCW and Max Payne - all slickly made and fun games. I was just making a point out of cynicism. My theory is that there is a huge cycle:
It starts off slowly paced, games get better very slowly (Doom 1, 2 Quake etc) and then the curve increases, and the games get better much quicker, at the end of the cycle was HL, then we started slowing down again. My theory of this cycle has only just come to mind recently, because games are starting to get better, quicker again, starting with maybe MoH:AA and SOF2 and now UT2003, soon there will be another boost, just like there was with HL, and I predict Unreal 2 will be that game! There are obvious periods of stagnation, although I reckon this applies only to single-player FPSs - and the period between H-L and MOH:AA was one of these. Bear in mind that the FPS is rather young, and it will take a while to notice any clear trends. Valve, 3D Realms, Id, Monolith and Epic never produce predictable copies of previous titles but, while they're all working on things, lesser known developers like 2015 or Gray Matter inevitably will in order to get a success under their belts.
MoH is in patches awful. It's way too short. The AI is too strong, often poor. That sniping level - arggh. Okay, so it looked amazing, but it was severely lacking a game behind it. Personally, I far more enjoyed Wolfy just because it's just straight from the iD school of thought, and I grew up with countless LAN games of Quake and all that. People like dynamics.
Dynamics are good to a degree but you get a much better game by going down a linear track. Both HL and MoH: AA used a linear path and script sequences. Scripting is the goodness of gaming. This is true with the exception of Halo, but eventually scripted games like Half-Life will become extinct as developers make freeform games more and more dynamic. Halo is a step in this direction, and already surpasses the best scripted gaming has to offer.
"Welcome to the real world, where games that you have mentioned seem good are now pure cack."
Thanks for reading,
Flux.
What about Deus Ex, I hear you ask.
Deus Ex is an RPG before all else - the FPS elements of the game are poor. Max Payne is not an FPS, but close enough to merit comparison - I, however, would not call it great. Bullet time is neither particularly original, nor is it engaging. Serious Sam is good, but not a step forwards at all. BF 1942 is multi-player, JK2 is a competition to see how often you can remember to quicksave, with some occasional but eventually repetitive lightsaber fun (which would be rendered tedious in first-person). The only game that comes close is MOH:AA. Not at all revolutionary, is it? Choosing between it and Half-Life is very subjective, depending chiefly on how much you care about realism and what kind of storyline you like. Now surely not everybody's forgotten NOLF? Not a revolution perhaps, but it has lashings of innovation. Like the gadgets. Lipstick grenades, in three flavours, a stick-on camera disabler, among others. Training areas, pre-mission teaching you how to use them.
And of course, an unrivalled sense of humour. Like I say, not a revolution, but a mighty fine game. I think AvP should at least get a mention, for atmosphere, for the three radically different playing experiences, and for plenty of cool moments. Really captured the feel of the films. I'm not saying it approaches HLs greatness, but it's a bloody good game. Haven't played the second one, though.
Nothing since Half Life has been of the same quality, but 'stagnant' is a bit hard on MoH:AA, RTCW and Max Payne - all slickly made and fun games. I was just making a point out of cynicism. My theory is that there is a huge cycle:
It starts off slowly paced, games get better very slowly (Doom 1, 2 Quake etc) and then the curve increases, and the games get better much quicker, at the end of the cycle was HL, then we started slowing down again. My theory of this cycle has only just come to mind recently, because games are starting to get better, quicker again, starting with maybe MoH:AA and SOF2 and now UT2003, soon there will be another boost, just like there was with HL, and I predict Unreal 2 will be that game! There are obvious periods of stagnation, although I reckon this applies only to single-player FPSs - and the period between H-L and MOH:AA was one of these. Bear in mind that the FPS is rather young, and it will take a while to notice any clear trends. Valve, 3D Realms, Id, Monolith and Epic never produce predictable copies of previous titles but, while they're all working on things, lesser known developers like 2015 or Gray Matter inevitably will in order to get a success under their belts.
MoH is in patches awful. It's way too short. The AI is too strong, often poor. That sniping level - arggh. Okay, so it looked amazing, but it was severely lacking a game behind it. Personally, I far more enjoyed Wolfy just because it's just straight from the iD school of thought, and I grew up with countless LAN games of Quake and all that. People like dynamics.
Dynamics are good to a degree but you get a much better game by going down a linear track. Both HL and MoH: AA used a linear path and script sequences. Scripting is the goodness of gaming. This is true with the exception of Halo, but eventually scripted games like Half-Life will become extinct as developers make freeform games more and more dynamic. Halo is a step in this direction, and already surpasses the best scripted gaming has to offer.
"Welcome to the real world, where games that you have mentioned seem good are now pure cack."
Thanks for reading,
Flux.