If one was looking to introduce a casual gamer to first-person shooter games, what FPS game would you all recommend as the "gateway" game?
Good "gateway" first-person shooter?
- Thread starter Tek7
- Start date
UT hands down.
Elihu
Tribe of Judah Staff Manager
Duck hunt? LOLZ.
Depends on how casual a gamer I guess. Usually things that have good story interest help casual gamers break into games that they don't normally play. Might need to look for 1st person shooters with good story background, which won't be an easy task.
Some suggestions:
Perfect Dark
Half-life 1 & 2 +episodes
Deus Ex
Halo
No One Lives Forever 1 & 2
Red Faction 1 & 2
These all have awesome action or gameplay and include storylines that are interesting, or in the case of No One Lives Forever, funny.
Depends on how casual a gamer I guess. Usually things that have good story interest help casual gamers break into games that they don't normally play. Might need to look for 1st person shooters with good story background, which won't be an easy task.
Some suggestions:
Perfect Dark
Half-life 1 & 2 +episodes
Deus Ex
Halo
No One Lives Forever 1 & 2
Red Faction 1 & 2
These all have awesome action or gameplay and include storylines that are interesting, or in the case of No One Lives Forever, funny.
Elader Arkon
Helped Tek test a thing
Depends on 'casual' and the person. What genres do they like, what games have they played, etc. etc. Most importantly: Singleplayer or Multiplayer?
I would recommend Halo.
A) due to sheer popularity and people nearby are bound to have a copy floating around,
B) Its PC and Xbox (some 'casual' players have consoles...), I don't think the original or Halo 2 had very high System Reqs.
C) Its easy, decent story (for FPS anyway), and multiplayer is addicting.
Or if that kind of thing just isn't his style and wants to jump right in: CounterStrike.
I would recommend Halo.
A) due to sheer popularity and people nearby are bound to have a copy floating around,
B) Its PC and Xbox (some 'casual' players have consoles...), I don't think the original or Halo 2 had very high System Reqs.
C) Its easy, decent story (for FPS anyway), and multiplayer is addicting.
Or if that kind of thing just isn't his style and wants to jump right in: CounterStrike.
Halo is like the worst FPS available if you ever want to be good at other ones. its too slow, halo 3 balanced stuff nicely otherwise everything is out of whack, and its not worth it in the least.
vibrokatana
New Member
Halo is horribly balanced, which is why people like to play it. They know if they know where everything is they can pretty much dominate unless the other people(s) are really good.
TheChad1215
Member
I would also say Halo or Counterstrike. Despite Halo's endlessly annoying fanbase and MANY overlooked flaws, it's still a great game especially for beginners to the genre (there's a pretty good reason it has 5 mil fans). No, it's not going to help you get good at other FPSs. Any one of those Halo masters would jump into UT and get completely "pwned."
BUT! It makes for a great spring board because it's easy, slow and simple, and if he/she doesn't like Halo or Counterstrike which account for the absolute basic in FPS, it's a pretty good indicator that they should try a different genre. From there, you could see about narrowing focus. IE- Test him with something like UT, Battlefield, and Rainbow Six to see whether they prefer fast-paced insanity or something more tactical. Good luck!
-Chadley
BUT! It makes for a great spring board because it's easy, slow and simple, and if he/she doesn't like Halo or Counterstrike which account for the absolute basic in FPS, it's a pretty good indicator that they should try a different genre. From there, you could see about narrowing focus. IE- Test him with something like UT, Battlefield, and Rainbow Six to see whether they prefer fast-paced insanity or something more tactical. Good luck!
-Chadley
blackgravity
New Member
Half-Life and Deus Ex I would definitely stay away from. Both involve complicated puzzles, and are not "basic" FPS games in any way.Unreal Tourny or Quake or anything that you can play "point, shoot, repeat" with bots I would say is basic.
If you're talking about single player, I don't see what is wrong with Halo. I loved it, and didn't stop playing until I was done. The end fell apart a little bit, but frankly I'm not in anyway a Half-Life fan, as in hated.
If you're talking about single player, I don't see what is wrong with Halo. I loved it, and didn't stop playing until I was done. The end fell apart a little bit, but frankly I'm not in anyway a Half-Life fan, as in hated.
Odale
Active Member
Perfect Dark was for the N64, and it required the expansion pack to play, but man... it blew Golden Eye away. Hands down the best console FPS I have ever played.
HL is too complicated for someone who is new to FPS's!
Never played Deus Ex.
Halo is awesome.
NOLF 1 and 2 were a blast, I actually re-installed 2 lastnight. 9/10 in my book.
Red Faction was a cool game because you can manipulate your surroundings (blow out walls, floors and ceilings). Multiplayer was a blast (minus the rail gun of course). The ending stank though...
Corpfox
Active Member
If gateway fps means games from the beginning, then you should start off with the old games:
- Doom
- Unreal
- Wolf 3D/Spears of Destiny
- Half-Life; Opposing Force; Blue Shift; Counter-Strike
- Team Fortress
- Shogo
- Deus
- Star Wars: Dark Forces
- Descent
- Quake
- Doom
- Unreal
- Wolf 3D/Spears of Destiny
- Half-Life; Opposing Force; Blue Shift; Counter-Strike
- Team Fortress
- Shogo
- Deus
- Star Wars: Dark Forces
- Descent
- Quake
Keero
Tribe of Judah Membership Administrator
I would vote for Half-Life 1 and 2, since they have good pacing, stories, and they incorporate puzzles with frantic shooting. I would also say the Unreal series (not 3) or Team Fortress 2, since they have a wide amount of play-styles for people and fun battles that make you say "this one time on the game, I...".
![[toj.cc]phantom](/forums/data/avatars/m/1/1132.jpg?1442680067){kind=avatar}
[toj.cc]phantom
Tribe of Judah Membership Administrator
Elader Arkon
Helped Tek test a thing
Yeah, you can even get them excited about Duke Nukem Forever possibly coming out in his lifetime.
[toj.cc]phantom
Tribe of Judah Membership Administrator
Yeah, you can even get them excited about Duke Nukem Forever possibly coming out in his lifetime.
You obviously haven't seen the new teaser trailer...oh unbeliever. Its coming out...when its finsihed. Need I remind you that TFC 2 and Prey were in development for almost as long as DNF?
Corpfox
Active Member
I didn't recommend Duke because the 1st and 2nd games weren't FPS, their a side-scrolling platform.
Even if I did, the Duke-related shooters are mostly into the consoles.
Besides, Duke has adult themes, so it may not be a good idea to show a "casual gamer" to play adult theme FPS games (even if it has the Parental Lock).
Even if I did, the Duke-related shooters are mostly into the consoles.
Besides, Duke has adult themes, so it may not be a good idea to show a "casual gamer" to play adult theme FPS games (even if it has the Parental Lock).