Any good FPSs out there

[A Nerd]

I've been looking for a good FPS for PC. Not console. I haven't played a console since the Nintendo Entertainment System and don't plan on buying one anytime soon. I don't like them too linear. I like an attention to detail; bullet holes, shell casings, no dissapearing bodies, etc. An entertaining SP campaign, don't think I will buy solely for MP. I enjoyed Deus ex, max paine, mafia and...I can't think of anymore but the oringinal Wolfenstien 3D was great, 'Ava, mien lieben.' Just wondering if there were any out there that met my criteria. I tried Far Cry but didn't like it and WWII FPSs are a dime a dozen. Are there any or am I relegated to playing only my TW collection?

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

You should get the Orange Box. It includes:

Half-Life 2 - a classic FPS (and OB includes Half-Life 2 Episodes 1 & 2 which are also great, particularly 2). It's single player (though I think OB includes Half Life Deathmatch which is multiplayer) and pretty much meets your criteria.
Portal - a short first person puzzle game with extreme black humor. Probably the best game in the Orange Box and maybe one of the best games of all time, if it wasn't so short (first run through will take 4-6 hours, afterward you can beat it in 1-3 hours).
Team Fortress 2 - a multiplayer-only FPS with excellent attention to detail but not realistic like you want. It's stylized a little like a 60's cartoon and is a ton of fun.

On top of that, it's $30, which makes it one of the best game bargains of all time.

http://orange.half-life2.com/

[A Nerd]

Thanks for the reply, portal sounds interesting. I forgot to mention though, I loathe boss battles. I'm terrible at them and find them far too tedious and difficult.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

HL2 (and the Episodes) doesn't have any boss battles that I remember, though they do have some larger set pieces towards the end.

I can't discuss Portal's ending because I don't want to spoil anything, but while the end does ratchet up the difficulty it's not tedious at all (and it's still mostly puzzle and not FPS boss battle style).

[A Nerd]

I have heard good things about HL2...for some reason I was under the impression that it had alot of boss battles...

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

There are a few encounters that could be considered maybe "mini-bosses" but really I don't really consider them to be classic annoying boss battles.

[Scienter]

Portal is a lot of fun! I haven't finished it yet, but STALKER is very enjoyable too. It's more of an RPG/FPS hybrid, but the FPS aspect of it is pretty challenging (IMO) because you have to employ some serious tactics instead of just running in and shooting everything. Getting shot in STALKER is bad news because it impacts your ability to move (and aim) instead of just being blips on a health bar. You also don't regenerate health, and first aid kits are hard to find and expensive if you need to buy them.

[Secura]

Portal is a fantastic game and I'd readily suggest it; while it's short (I think my first playthrough was between the 3-4 hour marks), it's alot of fun and there's alot more within The Orange Box package that will appeal.

[Subotan]

Everyone should get the Orange Box. I do not know a single person who i have recommended it to who has regretted it.

[A Nerd]

STALKER sounds very deus-exie, I loved that game! All of them sound good actually, its going to be hard to choose!

[Fragony]

STALKER is a must play if you like your games hard as nails. Heard some excellent things about Metro 2035 and Crystasis, supposedly cater the same crowd.

[TinCow]

STALKER sounds very deus-exie, I loved that game! All of them sound good actually, its going to be hard to choose!

If you get STALKER, I highly recommend that you installed the STALKER Complete mod (http://www.moddb.com/mods/stalker-complete-2009/news/stalker-complete-2009-release) before you play it the first time. It keeps the basic gameplay (which other mods don't do) and fixes a ton of bugs and other annoyances that detracted from the original game. STALKER is a really great series, but it's had technical problems holding it back. Only the third game (Call of Pripyat) is really of 'finished' quality OOB. I actually recommend that you play the first game with the Complete mod, then skip right to the third game. Don't bother with the second (it's a prequel anyway and not a continuous part of the storyline).

If the above discourages you, let me say that STALKER is one of the best FPS experiences I've ever had. A great original setting, very challenging gameplay, and lots of good rewards.

[Reenk Roink]

I just recently bought Bioshock. I had never payed attention to the hype, nor had that much time to play games, but now that things are winding down I've played a bit and it is really fun, if somewhat overwhelming at first with the amount of information.

It's not really a traditional FPS, more like a FPS/RPG hybrid but because of that, it meets all your stated criteria (the bullet shells, and bodies are all perfect too).

Definitely worth a look because you can get it for cheap now. :yes:

[A Nerd]

STALKER from what I've heard thru this thread is sounding more and more appealling. I saw a preview for I think it was Bioshock 3 in PC Gamer, looked interesting. Probably would be better to start the series from the beginning. I might even be able to buy more than one with the prices lower due to their past releases! Hooray!

[Jolt]

Well, Half Life 2 Ep. 2 has some sort of "boss" battles if you can call them that:

- The Antlion Queen in the caves
- The Combine mine dropship
- The ambush in the house (The final and biggest one)
- The final battle

But these aren't your ordinary boss battles where you have a huge monster that kills you easily and which simply won't die unless you do a dozen things.

[Veho Nex]

If you get STALKER Shadow of Chernobyl I definitely recommend getting the Stalker complete 2012 (http://www.moddb.com/mods/stalker-complete-2009) mod. If you want immersion that mod does it for you. I've had it sitting on my computer for almost a year and I havent touched it, I just started playing it a few days ago and I must say that it sets the bar for Survival FPS... Just wish there was a Zombie outbreak mod for it.

[A Nerd]

I'm leaning toward STALKER now, the mod would probably be a good addition to it as well. I haven't searched any webpages related to the game as of yet though. What is the premise? Do you fight men or hordes of mutants? If the game is good, can I look forward to sequels?

[Veho Nex]

I'm leaning toward STALKER now, the mod would probably be a good addition to it as well. I haven't searched any webpages related to the game as of yet though. What is the premise? Do you fight men or hordes of mutants? If the game is good, can I look forward to sequels?

Well thats whats great about stalker, is that there is already a prequel, Clear Sky, and sequel, Call of Pripyat.

As to what you fight, its a mix. The mutants are tough to kill though 2 or so shots to the head will do them in, while you got zombies which go down pretty quickly but they shoot back, idk why. Then there are factions and bandits vying for control over The Zone. So you could be walking along doing some random mission for some random person and come across two factions duking it out. The fire fights get really intense and sometimes you get lucky enough to watch one of your guys go up to a wounded enemy, say something dirty in Ukrainian to him then give him a one way ticket to the head. Like so... (http://www.xfire.com/video/28cff7/)

[Beskar]

I never got into Stalker as when THQ took over the studio, they pretty much ripped out everything that appealed to me in the game originally, so from then on, perhaps I purposefully avoided it as I already been disappointed by it. However, I did get it for £1 a while ago, and with that Stalker complete mod, it seems like it might be nice to hook up to it again.

[Veho Nex]

I never got into stalker when I first bought it a long time ago, it wasn't until I was recommended that mod by a friend, that I went back to it and really liked it. Though I must say it is definitely one of the harder games I've played, but it is also one of the scariest.

[A Nerd]

That video was pretty neat! Just the attention to detail I like to see! Any conversational, ie. Deus Exie type sequences and/or levels? Even so, I'll definately be looking into ordering this game soon! How is the weapons roster?

[Kekvit Irae]

I'm not going to recommend STALKER since everyone else has already (and yes, it's a great game series), so instead I suggest the Thief series if you enjoyed the stealth aspect of Deus Ex. It's over a decade old, but so is Deus Ex, and you wont find a finer stealth FPS anywhere.

[Madoushi]

I've been looking for a good FPS for PC. Not console. I haven't played a console since the Nintendo Entertainment System and don't plan on buying one anytime soon. I don't like them too linear. I like an attention to detail; bullet holes, shell casings, no dissapearing bodies, etc. An entertaining SP campaign, don't think I will buy solely for MP. I enjoyed Deus ex, max paine, mafia and...I can't think of anymore but the oringinal Wolfenstien 3D was great, 'Ava, mien lieben.' Just wondering if there were any out there that met my criteria. I tried Far Cry but didn't like it and WWII FPSs are a dime a dozen. Are there any or am I relegated to playing only my TW collection?

Sounds like you want something that doesn't exist. :)

For realistic damage and physics, there's Bad Company 2. But that's basically a multiplayer game. The singleplayer is crap. Lots of people have reccomended HL2. I guess that's your best bet. I didn't like that one much at all, and am still waiting for a good Deus Ex style game (although even Deus Ex wasn't all that good, just innovative)

[A Nerd]

The thief series was fun, but I've played all three of them. I gave up on thief three when I couldn't find some blood to solve a puzzle, but enjoyed it up to that point. Deus Ex may not have had all of the criteria that I desire but it made up for it in charm! (and innovation!)

[Kekvit Irae]

If you like realism, why not go for the Tom Clancy series? Rainbow Six 1-3, Ghost Recon, and Sum Of All Fears are excellent realistic shooters. Although they pretty much threw realism out the window with more arcade-style games like GR: Advanced Warfighter and RS: Vegas.

And, of course, my favorite... Operation Flashpoint. ArmA and ArmA 2 as well, if you liked OpF.

[al Roumi]

And, of course, my favorite... Operation Flashpoint. ArmA and ArmA 2 as well, if you liked OpF.

Is Op. Flashpoint that good? I was interested in getting it a few months ago but found only mixed reviews...

[Fragony]

Yes it's very very good. You get mixed reviews because it was quite buggy when it was released, and the tech wasn't ready for such a demanding game, and multiplayer was laggy. All these issues got resolved over time with the expansions. It also has a great weather and full day/night system, and making your own missions in the sandbox is a blast, want 20 tanks battling it out? Just put them there and watch. The single player is great as well, nobody who played will forget a *certain* mission. Yes that one. On top of the campaign there are also a lot of custom scenarios you can play from the go. Simply put OPF is the best in his kind, hard as nails, full of features, you don't get better value.

[al Roumi]

Yes it's very very good. You get mixed reviews because it was quite buggy when it was released, and the tech wasn't ready for such a demanding game, and multiplayer was laggy. All these issues got resolved over time with the expansions. It also has a great weather and full day/night system, and making your own missions in the sandbox is a blast, want 20 tanks battling it out? Just put them there and watch. The single player is great as well, nobody who played will forget a *certain* mission. Yes that one. On top of the campaign there are also a lot of custom scenarios you can play from the go. Simply put OPF is the best in his kind, hard as nails, full of features, you don't get better value.

Thanks Frags, it's great to get an Orgahs view.

How tactical is Op F? Is the multiplayer class based in any way (similar to Battlefield or ETW)? Are the servers still busy enough?

[Fragony]

Very tactical. I haven't played it for a while, but I heard it still has a small but rabid (as well as friendly) fanbase, these guys have been playing it for years so multiplayer might be hard to get into. Not sure about classes been a while, some server do allow you to customize equipment, bring mortars or a RPG for example, but you could count these on a single hand when I was still playing.

[al Roumi]

:bow:

[A Nerd]

Operation Flashpoint was an excellent game. One of my favorites. Very realistic and the squad based missions are a blast. The mission editor is very comprehensive and specific (even better if you understand scripting), and there are alot of easy to install mods out there for said editor. Get the expansion packs too, though they might all be bundled together now for the game is quite old. I played ArmA some, not as much as operation flashpoint, but I would start at the beginning.

I don't particularly care for the Tom Clancy series. The enemies aim was too good (though the last one I played was quite old). The micro-management of your team and the plotting of courses of your team and perhaps other teams was also slightly over my head. I guess I just wanted a shoot-em-up and not all the planning. Perhaps another look is in order though.

[Kekvit Irae]

I don't particularly care for the Tom Clancy series. The enemies aim was too good (though the last one I played was quite old). The micro-management of your team and the plotting of courses of your team and perhaps other teams was also slightly over my head. I guess I just wanted a shoot-em-up and not all the planning. Perhaps another look is in order though.

Except for some missions that require a sniper, Rainbow Six doesn't require pre-stage planning. It's just there to your AI teams waypoints. I usually either A) don't bother with them at all and just go in with a single squad armed with silenced weapons, or B) use the pre-defined plan.

[edyzmedieval]

Day of Defeat: Source. It's something like 8 euros, and it's ******* amazing. I play it since 2006 and I never get bored of it.

[A Nerd]

In an older version of Rainbow Six I let a second squad go on their own, got a message of some sort, and they all got killed, all for in a row. They same thing happened to me and my squad not too long after. I don't really understand the best ways to move around those buildings and clear rooms. Funny thing, in that screen where it lists potential team members to join your squads, after about 2 levels they were all KIA. I soon gave up, though it still did evoke a chuckle!

[Kekvit Irae]

In an older version of Rainbow Six I let a second squad go on their own, got a message of some sort, and they all got killed, all for in a row. They same thing happened to me and my squad not too long after. I don't really understand the best ways to move around those buildings and clear rooms. Funny thing, in that screen where it lists potential team members to join your squads, after about 2 levels they were all KIA. I soon gave up, though it still did evoke a chuckle!

The friendly AI is pretty hit or miss. More often than not, it's miss. This is especially true if you use non-silenced weapons, as virtually everyone on the map will be alerted. It takes only one tango you didn't see behind you to wipe your entire team. One way of making sure they don't die is to have them camp in a dead end or a well-used hallway. If they are on the move, their accuracy and reaction time drops significantly.

[A Nerd]

I thought the enemy AI didn't move. So a camping team would do nothing more than stand there, hence, why use that team in the first place? I don't remember what type of weapon they were using, I thought they were silenced. It seemed the friendly AI team would move into a room without a flashbang and without peeking around a corner, and one by one get picked off. I and my team play that way too! :)

[Kekvit Irae]

Enemy AI moves, especially when alerted to movement sounds (hence why I use light armor and not heavy) and gunfire.

If realism is your thing, try SWAT 4. You can take a look at Spoony's hilarious Let's Play videos (http://spoonyexperiment.com/category/lets-play/swat-4/) to see how it differs from Rainbow Six.

[A Nerd]

I'll check out that link later. You mentioned that you play ArmA, is that game just harder than operation flashpoint. I played one mission where you have to defend a base and all the men on my side run around like chickens with their heads cut off, they don't return fire, and quickly get killed. I continue the defense, the enemy goes quiet, I get no mission updates (the mission description is that you have to drive someone somewhere yet at the start you defened a base...?), then out of nowhere I get hit by some 'invisible sniper'. I stopped playing after that. Also, there seems to be too many one-man special ops missions and I prefer the squad-based ones. I'd try ArmA again, but something keeps me from doing that.

[Madoushi]

The original Operation Flashpoint was one of the most realistic, moddable FPS of all time.

The game came included with a programmer-level mission editor, and through the community you can find models for almost any vehicle or weapon.
However, the graphics and gameplay are terribly dated.

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising updated the graphics, physics and gameplay, but as far as I know, is not very moddable and basically is just another 'me-too' realistic military shooter.

I've never played the Arma games, I've heard very mixed things about them. A lot of my old OpFlash friends seem to prefer outdated OpFlash to the Arma titles.
I keep meaning to grab ArmA2 from EB, but they won't budge from the $50 pricetag.. :(

[Beskar]

Stalker has really gone crazy on me.

I installed it, got the complete 2009 mod working with realistic weapons. Since it was my first time, I went on Novice. At first the game was being crazy graphic wise, it seems that this computer hated the lighting options, so i put them on static and now no problems at all.

Anyway, got past the guy, up to where the bandits at the house, doing the mission. You had the option of using the help or going in alone. Since it was on Novice, I thought "I should be able to do this alone", sneaked up to the house and ended up in a firefight. All my shots either missed or do no damage, I was finding this weird. So I ended up running right up to one of the guys, close and personal style but I seemed to have died in a couple of shots.

Then tried the game again, now for whatever reason, the guy at the beginning doesn't talk to me at all, and no option to talk to him.

(re-installed and it is still the case. Looks like I just have to remove the entire game now)

Damn game. >_>

[Fragony]

OPF looks terrific, textures aren't sharp and plants are sprites but when it all comes together it's almost photorealistic. Like Thief it has this distinct look that grows on you, when you consider the scope of the game you just got to admire the looks.