10 Classic FPS games that have been the pride and joy of PC gamers
First person shooters have been the pride and joy of PC gamers ever since Wolfenstein 3-D was available in floppy disks. The FPS genre survived an attack on it by clueless politicians and managed to come back stronger than ever. Here are ten of the classic FPS titles that helped to define the genre as we know it today.
I often look back at my childhood and think about the games that defined it. Aside from the hundreds of hours I spent playing games like X-Com and Monkey Island 2, the games I remember the most are the old FPS games. This article is reflection of the first person shooters that lead up to today's Calls of Duty, Killzones and Halos.
Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is the game that started it all. It may not be the most popular FPS, but it was a historic milestone for the genre. Developed by a little known studio called id Software, Wolfenstein 3D was a game that singlehandedly pioneered the first person shooter.
The premise was simple--you're a Polish-American prisoner of war who breaks out of a German prison called Wolfenstein, leaving hundreds of dead Nazis in your wake. Eventually, you go on to battle Adolf Hitler (who happens to be in a robot suit) to bring an end to the second world war.
It's crazy, but Wolfenstein 3D epitomizes the early days of gaming.
Doom & Doom II
Although there were a number of games between the release of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, Doom was the first to become a household name, and not just in the homes of gamers. I recall hearing the game referenced by Fox Mulder in an early X-Files episode. The game was even given an homage in one of its later episodes which had a Chinese character who resembled pro-gamer Thresh.
In Doom, you play a nameless Space Marine who wakes up aboard a space station orbiting Mars's moon of Deimos, where all your fellow soldiers have turned into undead, gun-wielding monstrosities. Demons, too, have invaded the base. In typical space marine fashion, you must take the fight to them and find a way to get back to Earth.
In the second game, Doom II: Hell on Earth, it would appear that your descent to the planet is days late, as the demons who first appeared in space have since invaded earth. To make things personal, they even killed your pet rabbit. The only thing you can do is answer their actions with bullets. Lots of them.
Hexen II
Not to be confused with "hexane" (not that you would do that, but Apple's autocorrect certainly did), Hexen II was the third game in the Heretic/Hexen series by Raven Software. Developed on id Software's Quake engine, Hexen II allowed you to play four distinct classes (Paladin, Crusader, Assassin, Necromancer). It even featured a rudimentary RPG system in a medieval fantasy world.
The best part about the game was its online mode, called HexenWorld (like QuakeWorld) which featured something called Siege, a game where two opposing teams filled with different classes took on the role of attackers or defenders of a keep. It was a lot like the original TeamFortress or Onslaught mode in the Battlefield games.
Aaaah, Quake 1... THE legend!
The game with the best ambience ever (thanks to Mr. Trent Reznor) and the very first FPS to use a full 3D architecture in its maps (rooms couldn't be piled up before). I still reinstall it from time to time...
@coaten: Deus Ex was a great game, but wasn't genre-defining: its ancestor System Shock 2 was the game which did that.
coaten|Posted :
1 year ago
You missed Deus Ex.
MrCrumley|Posted :
1 year ago
Where's "No One Lives Forever"? It had a depth that put other RPGs to shame.
Gondring|Posted :
1 year ago
"It's crazy, but Wolfenstein 3D epitomizes the early days of gaming."
This is funny, considering Castle Wolfenstein came out 11 years before Wolfenstein 3D.
Unimpressed|Posted :
1 year ago
No Unreal?
Yes, some great games but to miss including Unreal gives a clear impression that this selection was compiled by one individual with limited game play to boot......certainly not a basis for a top 10 classic FPS list.
Gonosu|Posted :
1 year ago
Great article, completly forgot about Hexen II until I read it again here, great game.
Shadow Warrior definetly belongs here imo as a Duke Fan. Redneck Rampage was totaly fun but definetly not at the same level than Duke or Shadow Warrior.
Unreal should be on the list, the very first unreal, when you come out of the ship, see some kind of monster eating something before running away. Coming out the ship, facing a magnificent planet and graphic we've never seen before then en route for a epic battle versus aliens. great great game and really challenged the market graphic wise.
Boogie1468|Posted :
1 year ago
What about Redneck Rampage? It was a real hhot!
Alex|Posted :
1 year ago
Quake 3 Arena wouldn't have been in there because Quake already was.
Also, the fact that Unreal is missing is pretty major, yeah, but I always thought UT2000 was much much better. More Doom/Quake-like than its predecessor.
Aside from that, great list.
|Posted :
1 year ago
http://ta.gg/4wt
Acid|Posted :
1 year ago
Good list, but some factual errors are present. In addition to the ones listed all ready about id Software. Rise of the Triad didn't use the Build engine. It used a highly modified Wolf 3D engine. The first game to use the engine was either TekWar or Witchaven (damn release date speculation). Of course Duke Nukem 3D was the best.
Marathon can't really be classed as a classic PC series of games, seeing as most of them weren't even released on PC; only the second one was. That's why it wasn't on the list.
And they're right, Unreal probably should have been on the list, instead of Shadow Warrior. I mean, if that game is here, then you could just as well have had Blood... or Redneck Rampage.
Aaaah, Quake 1... THE legend!
The game with the best ambience ever (thanks to Mr. Trent Reznor) and the very first FPS to use a full 3D architecture in its maps (rooms couldn't be piled up before). I still reinstall it from time to time...
@coaten: Deus Ex was a great game, but wasn't genre-defining: its ancestor System Shock 2 was the game which did that.
You missed Deus Ex.
Where's "No One Lives Forever"? It had a depth that put other RPGs to shame.
"It's crazy, but Wolfenstein 3D epitomizes the early days of gaming."
This is funny, considering Castle Wolfenstein came out 11 years before Wolfenstein 3D.
No Unreal?
Yes, some great games but to miss including Unreal gives a clear impression that this selection was compiled by one individual with limited game play to boot......certainly not a basis for a top 10 classic FPS list.
Great article, completly forgot about Hexen II until I read it again here, great game.
Shadow Warrior definetly belongs here imo as a Duke Fan. Redneck Rampage was totaly fun but definetly not at the same level than Duke or Shadow Warrior.
Unreal should be on the list, the very first unreal, when you come out of the ship, see some kind of monster eating something before running away. Coming out the ship, facing a magnificent planet and graphic we've never seen before then en route for a epic battle versus aliens. great great game and really challenged the market graphic wise.
What about Redneck Rampage? It was a real hhot!
Quake 3 Arena wouldn't have been in there because Quake already was.
Also, the fact that Unreal is missing is pretty major, yeah, but I always thought UT2000 was much much better. More Doom/Quake-like than its predecessor.
Aside from that, great list.
http://ta.gg/4wt
Good list, but some factual errors are present. In addition to the ones listed all ready about id Software. Rise of the Triad didn't use the Build engine. It used a highly modified Wolf 3D engine. The first game to use the engine was either TekWar or Witchaven (damn release date speculation). Of course Duke Nukem 3D was the best.
Marathon can't really be classed as a classic PC series of games, seeing as most of them weren't even released on PC; only the second one was. That's why it wasn't on the list.
And they're right, Unreal probably should have been on the list, instead of Shadow Warrior. I mean, if that game is here, then you could just as well have had Blood... or Redneck Rampage.