Top 10 FPS Single Player Games
#7: Aliens vs Predator 2 (2001) You're a marine and you have a pulse rife - you know what to do next! Games that are based directly or even indirectly on popular movies or comics don't have a particularly good track record. There have been some real "gems" - gamers of old will remember E.T. well, whereas more recent efforts such as Enter The Matrix and the current Transformers: The Game remind us all the some people in the development world just never learn. Thus when word came out that Rebellion were making an Aliens vs. Predator game, loosely based around the separate movies and comics, fans were both excited and concerned about what was to come. Fortunately, it was such a success that it spawned an expansion pack, Gold Edition and this, the obligatory sequel. The trio of playable roles were reprised, with different characters, but this time, the separate games were entwined around the same plot; this not only ensured a healthy amount of replayability, it also gave the whole game much more consistency and structure than its predecessor. The simple graphics belie the sense of strength and weakness that each organism possesses - Marine's have firepower but little strength; Aliens have speed but no armour; Predators can go invisible but are restricted by rules of combat. This series deserves - nay, demands - another title! Somebody, somewhere, make it now.
#6: Far Cry (2004)
At times, you'll be just a wee bit too busy to admire the scenery in Far Cry!
If there's a game in this Top 10 list to make you go "Ooooh - that's nice!", then Far Cry is the definitive choice. Sporting outdoor environments that holiday brochures would kill for, the expansive vistas look as fresh today as they did 3 years ago, and on release, the impact of the graphics was strong enough to dent the expectations of the likes of Half Life 2. The foliage is more than just a rendering equivalent of a brolly girl - one can use it successfully as cover to avoid the attention of patrolling enemies. However, this works both ways and the AI is another aspect of Far Cry that deserves praise. Mercenaries will also seek cover, move to flank you and generally do more than just cry "grenade" whilst standing right next to the prospective limb-removing device. Far Cry is a complete package, as far as a modern PC game is concerned - there are a whole wealth of tweaking options to ensure that it runs well on different systems, multiplayer games are fun and the sandbox, WYSIWYG editor allows one to create new levels and scenarios quickly and easily. Only a few aspects really spoil the party and it mostly concerns the balance, as the game progresses. Certain protagonists in the later levels are somewhat tricky to defeat and by default the game will only save at specific checkpoints: cue multiple replays of the same part just to get back at that monster again. All of the niggles, though, are worth it - just for those views...
#5: Call of Duty (2003)Being a FPS game developer is tough work these days, so just imagine how good it must feel to have your first title storm the charts, garner critical acclaim and kick off a lengthy and successful franchise! Well, this is precisely what happened for Infinity Ward with Call of Duty, so it's not hard to understand why it's number 5 in the Top 10 FPS titles.
A good part of its success lies in the very clever way that its weakest areas (basic graphics, circumscribed levels, simple AI) are camouflaged under layers of compelling gameplay and characterisation. Call of Duty certainly runs the full scope of video gaming clichés but it's superbly executed; a good example of this is the battle for Pegasus Bridge. You're outnumbered and with limited ammunition, but just as one begins to feel that it's slipping out your hands as the rounds start to run low, stirring music kicks in. Even though you're still in the thick of it, the underplayed orchestral score lifts your spirits and pushes you on to fight that bit harder and longer; the balance has been finally tipped in your favour. Call of Duty is arguably the best in the series - its expansion pack and subsequent PC sequel offer less variation in the levels of action. The WWII themes covered in the original are very well known and the multiplayer modes are great fun. War feels far too real in this game!
Related Stuff Games: Call of Duty 2
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