FPS games with intresting levels

[CRTGAMER]

Unique (or at least unconventional) level environments. So themes like scifi, World war 2, Vietnam War, Urban warfare and Desert warfare (and all other realistic&modern day scenarios) are out.

Did you try Acid Arena yet?

[Erik_Twice]

I was also confused because TF2 has an amazing map design. Well, mostly

[RyaNtheSlayA]

I was also confused because TF2 has an amazing map design. Well, mostly

*cough* SD_Doomsday *cough*

[Erik_Twice]

*cough* SD_Doomsday *cough*

I never got the hate that map gets. It's unusually fastpaced, being a push CTF map and all, but I don't see why it's bad.

Far better than Dustbowl, Gold Rush (AKA Dustbowl 2) and Hoodoo (AKA slighty better Dustbowl) which everyone plays

[RyaNtheSlayA]

*cough* SD_Doomsday *cough*

I never got the hate that map gets. It's unusually fastpaced, being a push CTF map and all, but I don't see why it's bad.

Far better than Dustbowl, Gold Rush (AKA Dustbowl 2) and Hoodoo (AKA slighty better Dustbowl) which everyone plays

I'll give you Dustbowl and Hoodoo, but Gold Rush is great... if a bit (really) overplayed.

[Menegrothx]

Did you try Acid Arena yet?

Yeah. So far the levels haven't been that intresting, Quake-style levels with a crazy acid trip colors, but I havent had time to try out all of the maps yet. I downloaded some extra maps from the internet, they look really cool though. It's a fun, fast paced and free Quake clone so I'm not complaining

[J T]

Are we talking about interesting level design, or interesting/unique level environments?

Unique (or atleast unconventional) level environments. So themes like scifi, World war 2, Vietnam War, Urban warfare and Desert warfare (and all other realistic&modern day scenarios) are out.

Alright, that's what I originally thought. So, Zeno Clash still holds as your best option because it's completely unlike anything. Here's a few more to look into.

Mirror's Edge: though somewhat militaristic, the tyrannical government in this case is not something dark and oppressive, but white and shiny. It's oppressive in its cleanliness and orderliness. This idea hasn't been tackled as much, and despite an interesting introductory premise and brilliantly stylized landscapes consistent with the theme, Mirror's Edge also drops the ball and fails to really get into this interesting premise about the trade-offs between orderly security and messy freedom. But most importantly, this is the only game that translates platforming/parkour into the first person with true skill.

Call of Juarez (series)/Helldorado: Cowboys may be a bit cliche in movies, but they really aren't used in FPS video games very much.

Clive Barker's Jericho: Psychic military group goes into demonic temples between worlds. It feels like some late night horror schlock, but again, fairly underrepresented territory for FPS games.

The Darkness II: Mafia boss possessed with an ultraviolent and demonic "Darkness" that rips his enemies to shreds, punctuated by scenes in the psych ward to keep you questioning whether it's all real or not.

Dear Esther: FP(no)S. Beachside country landscape. Gorgeous caves. This is pure virtual tourism though, not only to the beautiful locales, but also a visit to rummage around in another man's brain as he tries to understand life after "the accident".

The Void: Also no shooting here, like in Dear Esther, but you'll take a trip to a bizarre world between live and death where color is a precious commodity.

[Ack]

I would like to second several of JT's recommendations, though with a couple of caveats:

Dear Esther is arguably not a real video game, per say, so much as an interactive exploration of someone dealing with an accident.

I have only played the first Call of Juarez, and the game itself interested me less than the possibilities it held for the genre. The levels offer a mix of strict linearity, stealth gameplay, "open world" exploration, and the occasional run-for-your-life segment.

Anyway, some more to discuss:

I would again recommend The Ball, as it is more a puzzle game with first person trappings, though there is a gun-styled object for manipulating your only weapon. The setting is a mixture of caverns, South American ruins, and volcanoes.

Iron Storm might interest you, since it is set in an alternate universe around 1965, where World War I has not ended. However, I'd argue that it's never much fun to play.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth is more a survival horror than a first person shooter, though it does eventually go the FPS route. It's set in the 1920s in a small town on the Massachusetts coast called Innsmouth, which if you are familiar with HP Lovecraft, you should already know is FUBAR.

Then you've got these others:

Carnivores series - A dinosaur hunting game.
Catacomb series - Even older than Wolfenstein, this is a fantasy-based FPS in which you are wandering dungeons, wielding magic, and collecting keys.
Ken's Labyrinth - Aliens make you run a labyrinth to rescue your dog, who happens to be the most intelligent being on Earth. Fail, and the aliens will use our planet to fuel their giant jelly furnace.
Redneck Rampage - You have to run through a town in Arkansas to save a prize pig and stop an alien invasion.
Cryostasis - Set aboard a freighter frozen in the arctic, where the player must solve the crews' errors in the past.
Legendary - Mythical creatures attack in modern day. The game is mediocre at best, but the idea is interesting.
Vietcong series - Set during the Vietnam War, though from the American viewpoint.
Medal of Honor: Airborne - I know, you said no WWII FPS, but this one is unique in that you must parachute into each level and complete specific objectives in an open map...to an extent. Die, and you can parachute into a different section of the map or go for skilled landings, such as landing on top of towers, through windows, under arches, etc.
The Ship - You're on a cruise ship from the 1920s, and you've been assigned a target to kill. Good luck. Just remember that another player is hunting you at the same time.
Smokin' Guns - Entirely multiplayer, it's a game set in the Wild West and features gameplay elements meant to feel like a reflection of the times.
Under Ash - The Palestinian equivalent of America's Army, where you wage war against the Israeli army, starting small and eventually moving to acts of sabotage, assassination, and full-on assaults.
Witchaven series - Similar to Hexen in that it's fantasy combat, but the game features weapons which break and wear down over time.

Just a few thoughts on interesting FPS outside the traditional trappings.

[J T]

^ Good choices Ack.

Your mention of The Ship reminded me that Bloody Good Time is another worthwhile mention. You are all desperate actors led by an insane director that is making a movie by having all of the actors actually kill each other with crazy items littered throughout a mansion while they are filmed. You get more points for more dramatic and kooky kills. It's a disturbing premise, but presented in a wacky cartoonish aesthetic. Aside from the strangeness of it all, it also has some really unique FPS gameplay. It's multiplayer only, but a severely overlooked game that should be recognized for its gameplay novelties.

Also, The Heist is like Left4Dead for bank robberies.

[ExedExes]

Vietcong series - Set during the Vietnam War, though from the American viewpoint.

I played that one! Too bad it had a few bugs, but I managed to complete it.