What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

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Melek-Ric
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by Melek-Ric »

Jagosaurus wrote:
Ack wrote:
MrPopo wrote:Shadowman and Forsaken 64 both used the memory card for saves. I remember because I rented Shadowman once and had to then run out and buy a memory card because I didn't realize I needed one to save. And Forsaken was the only one I owned that needed a memory card, and the memory card I had was kinda shitty and started dropping the Forsaken save.
Quest64 also used one, if I recall correctly.
GEEZE! Looks like 189 games used the memory card. Doom64 was 1 of 3 w/PW only.
The Rundown
Games with both: 14
Games with internal: 79
Games with memory card: 189
Games with passwords only: 3
Games with no save: 17
Total: 302
Link:

http://s9.zetaboards.com/Nintendo_64_Fo ... 7041206/1/
Whoa, yeah only 3 games. I'm surprised there's more games without a save feature than with a password system. And I am shocked so many more games used the memory pak. Like I mentioned earlier, I rarely had to use the pak or saw my friends do so with their N64. Almost always the slot was empty or had the rumble pak in it. Thanks for the info.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by Jagosaurus »

My bad, looks like Doom is PW & mem card (in a a way). They didn't have a both for PW & mem category.
Doom 64
Using a memory card will create a password bank that can hold 16 passwords and uses 2 pages. Only one password bank can be created on a single memory card.
Yeah, I had no idea there were so many before finding that guide. Main one I remember saving is Turok bc I rented it numerous times lol.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by MrPopo »

My guess would be the lower tier games used the memory card, which is why no one remembers them.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by BoringSupreez »

MrPopo wrote:My guess would be the lower tier games used the memory card, which is why no one remembers them.
Rayman 2 used it, but that's the only really good one I can recall that required it.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by Jagosaurus »

J T wrote:
Jagosaurus wrote:Just bought Dark Watch on PS2. Horror, western FPS... I'm in.

How is this one?
It's fun. There's lots of over-the-top horror and western cliches mashed together. Gameplay-wise, it runs you through different kinds of scenarios to keep things fresh, including 3rd person rail-shooter segments on horseback.
Finally getting around to this one. Having fun with it. I love Westerns & love horror... imagine Jonah Hex (comic... not terrible movie) vampire FPS. Pretty coolso far.

To be honest, those psycho chics in corsets that were the third stage bosses.... kinda creeped me out.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by ExedExes »

After about a year and a better computer to play it on, I finally completed Medal of Honor Pacific Assault. Was it as good as Allied Assault? There were improvements in some areas, but I didn't appreciate the longer loading times and some of the other mechanics. The movie-style presentation, improved enemy AI, nicer graphics, and squad-based gameplay really made it different than the first.

Ghost Recon 2 for Gamecube is almost finished as well. I think I have 2-3 more missions on that.

Coming up in this thread over time:

Another playthrough of Serious Sam: The First Encounter (in progress)
Far Cry (re-attempt)
Far Cry 2 (this will be new, after I finish the first FC)
Medal of Honor Airborne (new computer will be able to handle it, but I need MOH break)

With a better computer, I'm looking for better FPS. Hopefully ones that don't have too much crazy DRM, so I'm going with ones that are relatively modern I can get from GOG for now.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by Ack »

ExedExes wrote:After about a year and a better computer to play it on, I finally completed Medal of Honor Pacific Assault. Was it as good as Allied Assault? There were improvements in some areas, but I didn't appreciate the longer loading times and some of the other mechanics. The movie-style presentation, improved enemy AI, nicer graphics, and squad-based gameplay really made it different than the first.
I really didn't like Pacific Assault. The squad AI felt terrible, and I recall the saving feature being bugged and more than once deleting my medals from levels when I went back to replay them. The game felt like a mess, and while I'm all for using video games as a patriotic outlet, at times PA is sappier than a maple tree.

Whenever you get back to, MOH:Airborne has some definite problems, but I consider it by far the most interesting of the series(and one of the most interesting WWII FPS), and I enjoyed it the most. Also, the first time I played the final level, I thought Flaktürme were made up for some bullshit ridiculous set piece. Not at all.
ExedExes wrote:Ghost Recon 2 for Gamecube is almost finished as well. I think I have 2-3 more missions on that.

Coming up in this thread over time:

Another playthrough of Serious Sam: The First Encounter (in progress)
Far Cry (re-attempt)
Far Cry 2 (this will be new, after I finish the first FC)
Medal of Honor Airborne (new computer will be able to handle it, but I need MOH break)

With a better computer, I'm looking for better FPS. Hopefully ones that don't have too much crazy DRM, so I'm going with ones that are relatively modern I can get from GOG for now.
First, FarCry 2 has pretty much nothing to do with the first one, so you don't have to play them in order.

Second, what do you consider "relatively modern" from GOG? There are some older FPS similar to Wolfenstein 3D, like the Blake Stone games or even the Catacombs trilogy(which predates Wolf3D). There are the late 1990s pseudo Doom clones like Redneck Rampage and the build engine games(Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood). And then you've got the "updated" FPS like Sin Gold, Chaser, Blood 2, Unreal 2, etc. I own or have played most of the FPS on GOG and can recommend a few if you like.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by ExedExes »

Ack wrote:I really didn't like Pacific Assault. The squad AI felt terrible, and I recall the saving feature being bugged and more than once deleting my medals from levels when I went back to replay them. The game felt like a mess, and while I'm all for using video games as a patriotic outlet, at times PA is sappier than a maple tree.

Whenever you get back to, MOH:Airborne has some definite problems, but I consider it by far the most interesting of the series(and one of the most interesting WWII FPS), and I enjoyed it the most. Also, the first time I played the final level, I thought Flaktürme were made up for some bullshit ridiculous set piece. Not at all.
In my report for this game over in the Games Beaten thread, I made mention of the terrible squad AI. Tarawa (the final level) is tough enough without everyone dropping dead in your way as you're trying to snipe the machine gun emplacements all over the place. I was also not a fan of the makeshift command system they tried there either. It never worked right. I ended up having to literally shoot or pistol whip my squadmates because they were blocking me in the tight spaces.

One thing I did find interesting is if you died and fell over, you could 1) either be found by your corpsman and brought back to life or 2) properly killed by any Japanese around you. You don't see that in any other FPS.
Ack wrote:First, FarCry 2 has pretty much nothing to do with the first one, so you don't have to play them in order.

Second, what do you consider "relatively modern" from GOG? There are some older FPS similar to Wolfenstein 3D, like the Blake Stone games or even the Catacombs trilogy(which predates Wolf3D). There are the late 1990s pseudo Doom clones like Redneck Rampage and the build engine games(Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood). And then you've got the "updated" FPS like Sin Gold, Chaser, Blood 2, Unreal 2, etc. I own or have played most of the FPS on GOG and can recommend a few if you like.
I checked out FC2 for 5 minutes just to see what the best graphic detail would be, but do we gotta seriously have product placement and a 5-10 minute intro where NOTHING is done but just riding/driving? It worked for Half-Life, but not here! I am a bit disappointed that this "game" has the Far Cry label on it and has nothing to do with the first game at all, but it still looks like it will be a good time.

Perhaps I should be a little more specific. Besides what is on GOG, I am interested in FPS from 2001 up to maybe 2010 that don't have any crazy DRM or online activation/download or what have you. I'd go ahead and get physical copies of those. I know that limits my choices, but hey. I was interested in Redneck Rampage on GOG because they pack it up with tons of bonuses, and I really need to check out those Build games.

Someone here played Painkiller recently, was that you? I see that's on GOG.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

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Haha, yeah, none of the FarCry games are related, nor are they related to Crysis. The closest you can come to a recurring theme is the idea of an open world. And no, FarCry 2 doesn't have the greatest beginning, though I did appreciate the opportunity to get a glimpse of the size and scope of the world while attempting to understand its story, which twists and turns on itself. Just remember, you're a mercenary from a former colonized nation being sent into an African nation on the brink of war and reeling from post-colonial problems so you can capture quite possibly the ultimate form of capitalist: an arms dealer. Watching the fields burn is also really satisfying, and the game has to take a moment to set in stone the mechanic for keeping you from wandering too far off the map. But once you contract malaria and end up getting your ass handed to you, the game opens up. And it really, really opens up!

Hmm, 2001-2010 eh? Let me offer a few suggestions from GOG's stockpile based around those dates or from your interest in the build engine:
Arma series - Massively tactical and strictly multiplayer I believe. These are still FPS, but they're merging into more realistic military simulations. I don't think this is what you are looking for.

The Ball - If you have played Portal and enjoyed solving puzzles in first person, then The Ball may interest you quite a bit. I enjoyed the time I spent with it back around 2011/2012, and it's not a subgenre we get to see of FPS too often, so I'd say check it out.

Blood - The rights were sold to Monolith, which was later acquired by Time Warner...I have no idea who owns this game anymore. So if you want to play it on a modern machine, well, GOG is about it unless you want to try out some of the weird fan remakes in other game engines. This game is just as ridiculous as the other two build engine games while being less racist than Shadow Warrior(which isn't hard) and less misogynistic than Duke Nukem 3D(also not hard). It does have some hilariously wonderful levels and weapons though.

Blood 2: The Chosen - I recommend skipping this game. It is very different from the original Blood and doesn't have the personality. It also suffers from poor enemy design, generally bland and useless weaponry, and often uninteresting level layouts. Even one of the game's features, the ability to play as the other Chosen, is effectively worthless since there is little difference and it keeps you from seeing cutscenes. The expansion, The Nightmare Levels, isn't much better...though it is still better in my opinion. It should be noted this game is slightly outside of your date range, seeing release in 1998.

Chaser - Chaser is bland, the kind of game that you save for a rainy day when you're through all of the best stuff but don't want to subject yourself to the true crap(see Blood 2). There are some cool set pieces, but these are intermixed with intensely frustrating levels or others that just feel poorly designed. The game has a horrendous nonending, and the shooting doesn't feel great. There are better things to play, but at least this game is relatively cheap.

Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena - The GOG version of this game is THE version to get, as it is the only PC version without the Tages copy protection. It also offers an updated version of the earlier Escape from Butcher Bay game. There's a lot of stealth aspects to this game, but this is definitely one you should look into.

Clive Barker's Undying - While this game is sometimes clunky, I still find it awesome. And if you enjoy a good horror experience, this is definitely one to check it. It's very story-driven and gives the false feeling of providing an open world to explore without actually doing it(after all, it saw release about seven months after Deus Ex). Undying offers an entertaining Lovecraftian story and some frantic combat along with some difficult puzzles, so if that interests you, I'd say check it out.

Daikatana - Ha!

Deus Ex: GOTY Edition - I prefer this on GOG over the Steam version because of the bonus wallpapers, reference card, bonus soundtrack, etc. Considering you've more than likely played this(or at least heard of it), I won't go into it, but if you feel the need to get DE, I'd say go with GOG.

Deus Ex 2: Invisible War - This is the sequel that angered a lot of people because it didn't live up to the first. It's not inspired, but it's not as bad as some folks claim. But it is a shining example of what happenes when a game for PC is then dubbed down for console, so expect a lot of the stuff from DE, but simplified and smaller. That said, there is some solid voice acting and good writing.

Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition - GOG offers things like wallpapers, a manual, and ringtones. Occassionally they offer it for free. Beyond that, there's a superior version available on Steam called Megaton Edition which includes numerous expansions, multiplayer through Steam, achievements, and different releases of Atomic Edition. I believe the Steam Workshop also applies to it, though GOG has also highlighted the Atomic Edition in their own mod spotlight, so...take your pick.

I.G.I. 2: Covert Strike - Eh, I'm not a fan. It's a stealth-based, more tactical FPS that just doesn't click with me. Apparantely the first is better. Online multiplayer does exist, and GOG offers support for setting it up if that interests you.

Iron Storm - To help set that alternate history WWI feel, 4X Studio designed a game which shows the stalemate of trench warfare by making you fight and claw for every last bloody inch of territory you take. More than once I ended up getting popped by a sniper who was beyond the draw distance of the game as I slowly slogged my way through a sea of muddy textures and boring level design. The most interest part for me was the first level. After that, the alternate history WWI thing just fell apart as more and more mobile warfare tech appears to keep fighting because OMG THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX OMG!

Judge Dredd: Dredd Vs. Death - The single player story is ok but occasionally feels hokey as you end up fighting zombies and weird super vampires for half the game. The arcade mode which slowly opens up as you complete more of the story is much more interesting, but a lot of it I found I could ace on the first try. This was a budget release for a reason.

Kingpin: Life of Crime - I hear good things, but this one gives me tech issues, so I haven't gotten to play it. Hopefully I'll be able to work out the kinks and give more thoughts later.

Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD - Not one I've spent a lot of time with, though one that I definitely want to. If you're going to get a version, this one comes with both the HD update and the original for you to try.

Painkiller Black - It was a few years ago, but yes, I own this and have played it through(and the Battle Out of Hell expansion, which is way more vicious). If you haven't played any of the PK games, they're like Serious Sam if SS took itself too seriously but provided some obscenely insane yet brutally awesome weaponry. Expect to fight legions of monsters in a variety of locales while unleashing some incredible firepower, and expect to do all of it whle bunnyhopping at blinding speeds. There's horror, there's comedy, and there's a really dumb story. The Battle Out of Hell expansion adds more too it, and the levels are much creepier and harder, but it didn't feel like it had quite the same charm.

Postal 2: Complete - To say this game is shocking, offensive, vile, and disgusting is to undersell it. This game is just plain gross and not that great once the shock factor wears off. If you're going to play it, understand that it is more of a novelty than anything else. Oh, and the Apocalyptic Weekend expansion is just plain weird at times.

Red Faction - While the shooting isn't the most fun I've ever had, being able to blow my way through a wall is definitely up there. When RF excels at letting me destroy my environment, it really excels, and this game handles Mars and mining way better than the previously mentioned Chaser. The multiplayer can be a lot of fun too. This is one I'd suggest checking out, even if it only provides the illusion of one big planet as you run through its mines.

Red Faction 2 - This one took everything awesome about the first one and then promptly did nothing with it. If Red Faction is Battle Royale, RF2 is BR2. That is pretty much all I feel I need to say.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series - YES! YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! I love this series, I love wandering its open worlds, looting random corpses for guns and potted meats, throwing bolts into anomalies and avoiding ravenous packs of mutant dogs. If you have to pick, go with either Shadow of Chernobyl or Call of Pripyat, but these games are awesome! Just be sure to patch fully(and then seek out the fan patches).

Serious Sam: The Second Encounter - There is no reason to get the First Encounter since The Second Encounter pretty much covers it, expands it, and makes it better while giving us a chainsaw. I love Serious Sam, especially with friends. This is one of my favorite co-op games, on Serious difficulty, with infinite ammo and automatic respawning turned on, just going nuts! Good times!

Shadow Warrior Classic - On GOG, you get the two expansions, but you can get the base game for free on Steam I believe, or you can also get Shadow Warrior Redux on Steam, which includes the same expansions as the GOG version as well as both the OpenGL version and the original DOS version, plus Steam achievements, etc. Heck, for $15 you can get Shadow Warrior Redux and Duke Nukem 3D Megaton Edition on Steam, so if you are cool with Steam, I'd say that's the better deal.

SWAT 3: Tactical Game of the Year Edition - Tactical FPS, similar to Rainbow Six, but focused on the police side of squad-based assaults. The 27 missions in the game do focus on realworld locations, there's realistic ballistics and equipment, and heck, there's even training materials provided by Blackwater. SWAT 4 tends to be praised even more, but this is one of the pinnacles of its subgenre and blurs the line between video game and true simulation.

Thief series - Well...first person stealth games with shooting elements. Anyway, depending on the game, GOG provides reference cards, developer art, and even a making of video, along with the bonus levels of Thief Gold for Thief: The Dark Project. Both Thief and Thief II are considered some of the best games ever made. As for Thief 3...well, again, originally designed for consoles, so the levels are small and there are load screens everywhere, but it's still not a bad game.

Tom Clancy series - Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon are both on GOG, but I'm not a big fan of the TC franchise. If you like tactical FPS and really want to try one of the most influential names in the business, go for it. It'll also give you the squad-based action that I felt MOH:PA failed to deliver on.

Unreal series - I consider Unreal to be absolutely excellent and a great competitor to Half-Life. I consider Unreal Tournament to be one of the finest games for Deathmatch ever, and Unreal Tournament 2004 to be a worthy sequel with new modes and even more ridiculously awesome weaponry. Unreal 2 is unfortunately a weak link. It's not bad, but it's not nearly as good as the rest of the series which bares its name.
I feel like I play way too much FPS right now.

Anyway, for what I didn't include: Redneck Rampage, SiN Gold, System Shock 2, the Blake Stone games, either of the two Rise of the Triads, Shogo, etc., these didn't fall into the proposed decade or use the build engine(or in the case of Blood 2, be a sequel to a build engine game). Some of these games are still worth playing, if you want to go a bit older(in particular SiN and System Shock 2 stand out as more in line with the FPS games of the early 2000s). I'd say check them out.

BONUS:
Descent Series - These are "six degrees of freedom" FPS, so they allow you to move along the Z-coordinate. GOG offers the first two as a bundle, and the third comes with the expansion. They are difficult and intense but much beloved(fans were still making new levels last I checked). Just remember, every enemy is lurking in the corner you don't see, and every level ends with a self-destruct sequence and a race against time. These are totally worth playing.

Warsow - It's modern, it's free, but it feels like there is a delay whenever I pull the trigger. I'm not a fan.
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Re: What single player FPS campaign are you playing?

Post by Stark »

Ack wrote:Haha, yeah, none of the FarCry games are related, nor are they related to Crysis. The closest you can come to a recurring theme is the idea of an open world. And no, FarCry 2 doesn't have the greatest beginning, though I did appreciate the opportunity to get a glimpse of the size and scope of the world while attempting to understand its story, which twists and turns on itself. Just remember, you're a mercenary from a former colonized nation being sent into an African nation on the brink of war and reeling from post-colonial problems so you can capture quite possibly the ultimate form of capitalist: an arms dealer. Watching the fields burn is also really satisfying, and the game has to take a moment to set in stone the mechanic for keeping you from wandering too far off the map. But once you contract malaria and end up getting your ass handed to you, the game opens up. And it really, really opens up!
FarCry is made my Crytek and was mostly a(nother) game to show off the Crytek engine (ie. it's all about the graphics, baby). FarCry 2 is made by Ubisoft and was designed by Clint Hocking, who is famous for making awesome games like Splinter Cell and SC: Chaos Theory. There's a lot to FarCry 2 that make it different than your normal FPS and it is brutal to players that don't "get" the systems that are happening in that game. You should definitely give it a go and I would personally skip FarCry at this point as it doesn't do anything interesting with the FPS-genre.

If you want to know more about the motivations Clint and his crew had with FarCry 2, you should listen to this excellent Tone Control podcast by Steve Gaynor: https://www.idlethumbs.net/tonecontrol/ ... nt-hocking
Last edited by Stark on Wed Mar 05, 2014 5:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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