Top 20 First Person Shooters (FPS) of All Time

[digitalpress]

Discuss.

Battlefield 1942 (PC)
Deus Ex (PC/PS2)
Doom (series)
Far Cry (PC)
Goldeneye 007 (N64)
Half-Life (series, PC)
Halo (Xbox)
Jedi Knight (PC)
Medal of Honor (series)
Metroid Prime (GC)
Perfect Dark (N64)
Quake (series)
Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC/Xbox/PS2)
Rise of the Triad (PC)
Serious Sam (series)
Shogo: Mobile Armor Division (PC)
Soldier of Fortune (PC/PS2/DC)
System Shock (series, PC)
Unreal Tournament (series)
Wolfenstein (series)

[asharru]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again... Tribes REALLY needs to be on that list!

:wink:

[Marc4242]

I second TRIBES! It is most certainly better than Kingpin. That game was about shock value. Not gameplay. Not saying it was bad, but there are many, many better.

[asharru]

Not to diss Kingpin, since I do own it, and did enjoy it. I've always seen it as kinda like an ugly buggy Soldier of Fortune wannabe. just my 2 cents.

[Raedon]

I think everyone had a copy of kingpin, it was the first gangsta shocker games. The 3D engine was really crappy.. everything breathed.

I didn't care for Tribes at all. Deus EX was crap, shouldn't be on there. You missed the space FPS's like Decent.

[asharru]

Deus EX was crap, shouldn't be on there. You missed the space FPS's like Decent.

Deus Ex should totally be on there, it wasn't quite my cup of tea(to slow), but it was rather ground breaking. Also I agree that Decent should be on the list as well.

[Marc4242]

Tribes, Descent, and Deus Ex are all better than Kingpin. Kingpin had huge buzz when it came out, but I remember it really disappointed quite a few people. Since when did being shocking make a game great? If the foundation of the game isn't great who is going to touch it long enough to see all the "shocking" things?

[Arrrhalomynn]

ugly buggy Soldier of Fortune wannabe.
Ehmm.. Kingpin was released long before Soldier of fortune.

And at the time it looked pretty good. It wasn't something revolutionary (it used the quake2 engine), but it certainly wasn't crappy.

The atmosphere in the game was great. Dark and violent. You can call it shock factor, but it was a lot more than that. It all fitted perfectly in the game.

I'm not saying this is the best shooter ever, but it's better than games like powerslave and serious sam, and it certainly belongs in a top20.

[asharru]

Soldier of Fortune used the Quake II engine as well, and did a MUCH better job of it. And just because it came out first, doesn't mean it was in the works first, although they did come out almost a year apart. I just think for two similar titles, one shines way more than the other. Not that I'm a big fan of Activision, but I've had beef with Interplay since the mid 90's.

[NE146]

Sorry..but all those dang FPS games look exactly the same! Put up a bunch of screenshots and I couldn't tell one from the other.. They're all some gun pointing into the screen and that's it! :P

[briskbc]

I would replace Powereslave with the Dark Forces / Jedi Knight series. These are incredible games that actually did justice to Star Wars (unlike other games).

[ClubNinja]

You may want to consider Wolfenstein as a series... Return to Castle Wolf is ok, but Wolf 3D and Spear of Destiny are even more worthy! ; )

[Marc4242]

The original wolfenstein certainly has to be considered in this discussion. Also, the Dark Forces games are certainly better than half of that list. Can't believe I forgot them....

[geelw]

gotta add both witchaven games to the pile, even though it's fore of a fparpg, lol... :roll:

[Retsudo]

You need to add Ghost Recon(PC,PSX,Xbox)

[Cheese]

Marathon was amazing, still one of the best FPS ever made.

The Dark Forces/Jedi Knights are just as swell.

[chrisballer]

Yes i agree wolfenstein needs to be on there.when it first came out i don't know anybody with a pc that did not have this game.

[Bratwurst]

I'm having a lot of fun with Battlezone 2 right now.

What about System Shock? You could do a bunch of stuff in that game before any other game implemented them.. looking up/down, jetpacks. Could be wrong though. Blood was a fun romp.

For me, Doom and Half Life are the best though, bar none.

[threeoclockhigh]

I'd figure at least one person would mention the Alien vs Predator games, whether on PC or Jaguar. Some of them may be dated but they at least deserve a mention. BTW, what's the best console version of the original Doom to pick up? PS, SNES, GBA, Jaguar, 32X or N64? I'm assuming those are the consoles it was put out on......

[threeoclockhigh]

rank those versions of Doom for me if you would.......

[Six Switch]

I would replace Powereslave with the Dark Forces / Jedi Knight series. These are incredible games that actually did justice to Star Wars (unlike other games).

Same here,much better. :)

[Alex Kidd]

What?

TekWar wsn't on that list????

For shame

Alex Kidd

I'm a sarcastic bastard, so what?
actually, aside from a few bugs in the engine, and had the artificial intelligence been as good as they claimed in ads and in the manual, it COULD have been a VERY good game... had good ideas and premises... but ended up HORRIBLE

[Zaxxon]

PO'ed, PSX version. Weirdest FPS I ever played. IIRC the final level has you floating in outer space, flying around a giant toilet. Did anyone ever play this game called Paper Doom? it was Paper - something, can't remember the name exactly. I played the demo of it. All the enemies look like a little kid drew them with a pencil on paper and they're paper thin cut-outs.

[Alex Kidd]

rank those versions of Doom for me if you would.......

I've only played Doom on the BGA, and I gotta say that:
It is a fun game. nice graphics, albiet a little low res, nice sound, nice everything.
BUT it is NOT the Doom We all played to death on our 386s/486s.

It has no Cyber Demon, no Spider-Boss.
Blood is green.
Some levels have been omitted.
Some levels have LOOK like the original level, but once you go thru a few doors, it's an entirely different level.

Plus a small change to gameplay;
You might as well start on episode one, cause once you finish the last level of ep1 you start ep2 with all your weapins and items. So starting on ep2, saves some time, but leaves you to start with very little.

I am yet to know anyone else with Doom for the GBA so I am yet to comment on it's multiplayer feature. Tho I would really like to try it.

Alex Kidd

[Arqueologia_Digital]

I´ll add Wolfenstein 3D and also...Catacomb 3D (Old PC game from ID), someone played that????

[Evil E]

2 that I really enjoy are Serious Sam and Turok (on Xbox)

[bargora]

rank those versions of Doom for me if you would.......

I've only played Doom on the GBA, and I gotta say that:
It is a fun game. nice graphics, albiet a little low res, nice sound, nice everything.
BUT it is NOT the Doom We all played to death on our 386s/486s.

It has no Cyber Demon, no Spider-Boss.
Blood is green.
Some levels have been omitted.
Some levels have LOOK like the original level, but once you go thru a few doors, it's an entirely different level.

Plus a small change to gameplay;
You might as well start on episode one, cause once you finish the last level of ep1 you start ep2 with all your weapins and items. So starting on ep2, saves some time, but leaves you to start with very little.

I am yet to know anyone else with Doom for the GBA so I am yet to comment on it's multiplayer feature. Tho I would really like to try it.

Alex Kidd
If the lack of enemies in GBA Doom is bugging you, then get Doom ][ for GBA. It's got all your favorite baddies. It's also in higher resolution, which forces a slight drop in the framerate at times. But who cares? Just get it!

Oh, there is one annoying bug in the Doom ][ GBA cart that I have; maybe someone else can confirm this (or let me know if my cart is just crap). I'm playing in the highest difficulty level (would have been "ultra-violence" on the PC, but called "nightmare" here; no double-speed respawning monsters, though). If I end a level with armor, then when I take a hit in the next level it acts like I'm not wearing any armor at all! The armor number remains the same and I just take all the damage to health. This glitch stops if I pick up some armor on the next level (either an armor vest or spiritual armor helmets). However, if my armor is 100 or more, then I can't pick up a green armor vest! It's such a pain in the ass that I've taken to just starting each new level from scratch, which is the way that hard-core space marines do it anyway.

[hydr0x]

this list is really one of the worst top lists i have ever seen, and i suppose this is because a lot of u guys are console-only players, ok i'll comment the several games:

Delta Force 1 (PC), this is not a real fps, it's a tactical shooter, and those really should get an own list, but not be included here

Deus Ex (PC/PS2), not an fps, definetly, you could finish the game nearly without shooting

Doom (series), must be included, though u should name it Doom 1 + 2 and make Doom 3 a different entry after release, it differs to much

Duke Nukem (series), good entry

Goldeneye 007 (N64), definetly right
Half-Life (PC), ditto
Halo (Xbox), ditto

Kingpiin (PC), omg this game is crap, really, i don't know how anyone could include this one

Medal of Honor (series), good choice

No One Lives Forever (PC), correct, but add 2 or make it (series)
Perfect Dark (N64), correct

Power Slave (PC/Sat/PSX), mh reallly don't know this one, perhaps other name in europe??? or not released in germany??

Quake (series), must entry

Redneck Rampage (PC), mh debatable, it is good and it's so funny, but is it good enough? i don't know

Return to Castle Wolfenstein (PC), perhaps, I didn't like it, but that could be me

Rise of the Triad (PC), yeah, good choice

Serious Sam (PC), mhhh ok yes, due to the mp mode

Soldier of Fortune (PC/PS2/DC), NO it's definetly not good enough for this list

Thief Gold (PC), NOT an fps at all, just has 3D perspective

Unreal Tournament (series), right, but what about the unreal series???


i'll list some that should be taken into consideration:

Dark Forces
Outlaws
Sin
Jedi Knight Series (perhaps including Dark Forces)
Star Trek: Voyager Series
Gunman Chronicles
Catacomb 3D
Hexen 1+2
Terminator: Future Shock + SkyNet
Blood Series :p
Turok Series
Alien vs. Predator Series
Wheel of Time

[briskbc]

Power Slave (PC/Sat/PSX), mh reallly don't know this one, perhaps other name in europe??? or not released in germany??



I think it was called Exhumed in Europe. I think.

This list has to be updated. There are a lot of good suggestions in the last 2 pages that should be added.

[maxlords]

I definitely don't agree with this top 20 list. I'd have to say that a lot of stuff is wrong or missing. I'd remove Delta Force, Duke Nukem (series), Kingpin, No One Lives Forever, Power Slave, Redneck Rampage, and the Unreal Tournament series. Delta Force bombed hard and wasn't good, Kingpin was ok, but I didn't think it was groundbreaking, Redneck Rampage...well UGH, No one lives forever is just sad too. Duke and UT I removed to alter. Here's what SHOULD be there:

Doom (series) (PC, assorted platforms)

System Shock (series) (PC) Groundbreaking stuff, both of em! Ability to do all sorts of things, tells an awesome story too!

Deus Ex (PC) Very impressive story with unheard of ability to use many multiple methods to accomplish tasks!

Duke Nukem 3D (PC, Genesis) Remember...you can't add the Duke series
cause most of them were side scrollers!

Goldeneye (N64) No question there

Half-Life (PC)

Halo (XBox)

Wolfenstein 3D (PC, assorted platforms)

Quake (series) (PC)

Thief (series) (PC) these ARE FPS...just stealth FPS. VERY cool!

Dark Forces (series, including Jedi Outcast) (PC)

Unreal (series, including Unreal Tournament) (PC)

Serious Sam (series) (PC) These totally blew away all previous ideas of graphics standards for PC, and at $20...that's impressive!

Rise of the Triad (PC)

Aliens Vs. Predator (PC and Jaguar) Both versions set new standards for innovations. The jaguar version with multiple species to play, and the ability to impregnate foes to breed aliens and gain extra lives, and the PC one with the nifty vision modes, blistering speed of the aliens, and ability to play the aliens and run on ANY surface

Return to Castle Wolfenstien (PC, XBox) I'd say that this game is BARELY related to the original and qualifies for a separate slot.

Soldier of Fortune High Violence version! (PC)

Heretic series (PC, series, including Hexens) These were based on the Doom and Quake engines, sure, but they were DAMNED good! Not to mention, they were the first fantasy FPS games I ever played and teh unique hub structure of Hexen was really cool!

Realms of the Haunting (PC) Unique level design, storytelling in an FPS...a bit slow, but an amazing game! A lot of people either never played it or forgot about this one though....

Battlefield 1942 (PC) The ultimate online FPS? Sure it's not ALL FPS, but it's amazing and addictive nonetheless! Quite impressive actually!

That's what I'd list....but feel free to disagree!

[hydr0x]

maxlords i really can't agree with u on Nolf as this is one the most innovative and funny fps ever made

comments on some of ur suggestions:

System Shock series: absolutely not an fps, these are really more rpgs/adventure/whatever mixture with first-person perspective

Deus Ex: well, i already said that above




Serious Sam (series) (PC) These totally blew away all previous ideas of graphics standards for PC, and at $20...that's impressive!

WHAT??? this was by far not the best looking pc-fps when it was released, and the look also wasn't SO special, the gameplay was, but not the graphics! $20??? it was released at full-price afaik and not for $20

Heretic series: i assume u include the hexen games here, what u have to think of is the fact that heretic 2 is third-person-perspective, so it's definetly not an fps

Realms of the Haunting: mh i really do not remember it very well but as far as i do i'm thinking that it wasn't an fps but an adventure, right?

Battlefield 1942: i thought about adding this one, too, but i decided that it's not the right list, this is a tactical-online-shooter, if u would add it, you would also have to add Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat and some more (oh and DoD should be prefered to BF42 as this is just a clone of DoD, as is RtCW-MP)[/quote]

[calthaer]

Some of these quibbles are just disagreements on what constitutes an FPS. If you disqualify Deus Ex just because killing wasn't always mandatory, then you could almost disqualify NOLF because you could go through a lot of that game with stealth, too. You DID have to kill in Deus Ex in two places - so where's the limit? In Thief you don't have to kill anybody, and in a lot of missions you can't if you're playing on expert.

Killing (or lack thereof) should not, IMO, disqualify something from being on the list. If the main obstacles in the game are overcome through using weapons (whether they happen to knock-out or gib an opponent is inconsequential) or items in a first-person view, then wouldn't it qualify?

Deus Ex definitely belongs on there. System Shock was great, too. Are some people just miffed that they can't use all weapons during the course of the game? That shouldn't disqualify it, either. Forcing the player to make choices and use a little bit of strategy in their fight isn't a bad thing. If used to good effect, it can really spice up the game.

The original Wolfenstein definitely belongs there, too. "Halten Sie!" "Mein Leben!" Catacomb 3D wasn't anywhere near as good, IMO.

I don't think SiN should be on the list. I didn't think it was all that good. Mediocre graphics, not great AI, little interactivity...all it had was some corporate exec female running around in revealing clothes.

Future Shock + SkyNet wasn't that bad...you could drive around in cars and such, which was pretty groundbreaking for the time. Command & Conquer: Renegade did a much better job of it, though (even better in some ways than Halo - I mean, Halo does not have the Mammoth Tank! BADOOM!). Now THAT is a fun multiplayer shooter.

[hydr0x]

mh i have to admit that deus ex is debatable, i think even the mags didn't know how to call it back then, what do others think?

but system shock, man this really isn't a fps, if u count this as an fps you would also have to count a lot of rpgs and other 3d-games

and in thief the aim was not tol kill anyone at all, this is definetly against the definition of an fps, it's not an fps just because u can/have to use weapons, the weapons in thief are not ment to be weapons most of the time, they are gadgets

you didn't like sin? mh i thought it was one of most atmospheric shooter of that time, and graphics imho weren't mediocre, not for that time, but, as i said, it was just a suggestion

c&c renegade, well, in fact, it didn't have anything revolutionary, not the graphics, not the gameplay, nothing, it was and is a very good game, but in no way special imho

[Oberfuhrer Hamm]

Well, if Return to Castle Wolfenstein is on the list, then most other games based on the Q3 engine should be too, as they are all quite similar.

Perfect Dark, although good, is just Goldeneye Part 2 in my opinion and does not need to be on the list. (James, you got a sex change?)

[JackDark]

Um... System Shock 2 anyone?
Clive Barker's Undying

And these should count too:

Ultima Underworld I & II
Arx Fatalis

[-J-]

perfect dark should be there even though it is not as good as goldeneye, but it still is one of the best fps games ive played

[Ed Oscuro]

Thief wasn't a First Person Shooter, really. Though you do have a bow and arrow, it's not a shooter.

I'd pull Redneck Rampage and put in System Shock instead. Or System Shock 2 instead.

Rise of the Triad is a fun game, but the only fun levels for me were in the demo. The actual game was ugly and boring throughout.

[Zubiac666]

uuhhmmm....sorry but what about "Metroid Prime"????
HäH??????? Where is it? :hmm:
I know that it isn't "just" a FPS cause the 2D stages(and it's still more FPS than Deus) BUT I definitive have to say that it is the best and MOST innovating FPS in years!
You need to add it!
hhmm....everyone seems to forget it ,damn!

anyone please :help: me ??!!?

[Ed Oscuro]

Yeah, where is it, anyways?

Also, don't see any of Raven's highly underrated titles on there, either. Black Crypt and Shadowcaster to Heretic 2, and neither of the awesome Elite Force games from them.

[thegreatescape]

Redneck rampage??.. On a "best of" list?!?..... :puke:
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory for president.

I love classic discussion.

[Hakkenden]

* adds Wolfenstien 3D and removes Halo and adds XIII*

[Hakkenden]

Counterstrike is on my list in place of Halo.

[EnemyZero]

Even though its not a FPS it was in first person....Stone Keep by interplay, was one of the best dungeon crawling games ever made

[Raedon]

Add DOOM ]|[, it's easily the best FPS sense Half Life and that isn't hype talking. It doesn't beat Half-Life though.

add Battlefield 1942, that game is such a huge deal it's Everquest big in fanbase.

got to add UT2k4

I'd also throw a vote for TRON 2.0 as one of the best FPS's that is not all FPS but has a great story.

dump RTCW, that game was ok.. and the non 007 goldneye bond game.

[Jagasian]

Quakeworld, because it is fast, furious, and action packed... unlike today's slow paced first person shooters with slow player speeds, slow reload times, slow projectile speeds, and generally weak weapons that do little damage.

[allsport11]

I would add Blood to the list, only the first one. The second one sucked. Also Shadow Warrior if you can get past the racial stereotypes it was pretty fun. :) Another one I enjoyed was Shogo: Mobile Armor Devision. :D

[Pedro Lambrini]

Yeah, I was going to say Shogo - I loved that game! It is the only game I finished and then started from the beginning again after the credits! :-P

Am in the middle of playing DooM 3 as we speak and all I can say is WOW! I'm pretty cynical when it comes to hype but this game is pretty amazing although flawed in places.

The original Quake has the best atmosphere out of the lot, minimalist music and strange freaky hissy beastie thangs - cool!

Although not one of my faves I'm surprised nobody has mentioned MoH at all! And of course Far Cry, although I'm not a gfx whore this game is just absolutely gorgeous.

And I would have to say Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever on the GBA is by far the best FPS on a portable system!

[ubersaurus]

People realize they have to vote a game off to get a game added, right?

Rather then eliminate Halo, I'd just set it up as a (series) game, since Halo 2 looks as though it'll be everything the first was and more, and honestly, I can't see a top FPS list without Halo. It essentially represents console FPS's. It's not as groundbreaking as it was when it was released these days, but it rocked for its time, and it's still damn fun today, as a highly strategic FPS.

[GrayFox]

System Shock 2 and Jedi Knight need to be on that list, and they can easily replace Redneck Rampage. RR is actually a horrible game, but, I go on.

Jedi Knight had an amazing single player and an even better multiplayer game, then there was System Shock 2. What can you say.... the game's single player game was absolutely astonding.

Far Cry could also replace something. The game's single player rivals the single player campaign of Half Life. Seriously. I'm also a HUGE HL nut.

These games could replace Redneck Rampage, Power Slave, or Rise of the Triad. Easily.

[9c1lt1]

What about Virtura Cop 2 for the Saturn?

[GrayFox]

That's not a FPS, that's a Light Gun game.

Or atleast that's what I have always thought.

[Pedro Lambrini]

Nah, I wouldn't count it as an FPS. I think to be a true FPS you've got to have freedom of movement. Virtua Cop et al are great games but they're now different to Operation Wolf and the like other thatn a 3D engine. (But just for the record - my favourite Light Gun game would have to be House of the Dead II :D )

[Jedi805]

Serious Sam- I like the twitchy shoot anything that moves gameplay
Far Cry is another good one but I cant stand Redneck Rampage. That game is terrible.