Games Beaten 2015

[ExedExes]

1. Call of Duty United Offensive Expansion Pack - PC (January 16)
2. Dead To Rights - Gamecube (January 24)
3. River City Ransom EX - GBA (February 21)
4. Call of Duty 2 - PC (February 28) (link missing due to this game's post being wiped during the great RB server move)
5. Quake - PC (March 31)
6. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (PC) (April 5)
7. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon (PC) (April 18)
8. *NEW* Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (PC) (May 19)

As an FPS veteran, I've seen it all. I've been through the classics (Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, Quake, Heretic, Blake Stone, etc.) and even the recent/modern (Serious Sam, Far Cry, Medal of Honor series) but nothing in the world would prepare me for the third entry in the Ghost Recon series, Advanced Warfighter (GRAW).

The graphics reminded me very much of Rainbow Six Vegas, right down to the in-game video briefings and sepia toned cityscapes. Little did I know what I'd get myself into. No ways to save other than uneven and sometimes infrequent checkpoints which required lots of restarts. Dumb Squad AI at times. Hidden enemies everywhere that can kill you without warning.

For all its shortcomings, it added some cool new features to the series. A 3D tactical map. Cross-com system that let you see what your team members see. The ability to direct tanks, drones, and airstrikes. All sorts of weapons with optional accessories. New movement options like the slide-to-cover. I've played the other 2 in the series, but I have to be fair to say this game represented a major upgrade, in graphics, presentation, and tactical options. Its difficulty is unforgiving, its checkpoints were unfair, and you'd need to have played the other 2 games before even attempting this, but I'm going to say overall it was better than average. I think any console port of GRAW might have been easier than this.

[dsheinem]

As an FPS veteran, I've seen it all.

I've been following your foray into the genre these past couple of years with a lot of interest, and while you are doing it up right by marching through the history up to the present, you really have only scratched the surface of what the genre has offered up in the past 6 or 7 years. I don't remember if you have a 360 or PS3 (I know you have a PC, obviously), but there are some pretty remarkable console-specific titles that you need to check out and some more recent cross-platforms stuff that really push ideas of storytelling (e.g. Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite, Metro 2033, Resistance 3, Portal and Portal 2), of art design and graphics (Killzone 2 and 3, Crysis series, Far Cry's newer entries, etc.), and of gameplay (the great FPS/RPG hybrids like the Borderlands series and Fallout 3 and New Vegas, the MMOFPS like Destiny or Titanfall, etc.). Even the hugely popular stuff like the CoD series and the Halo franchise have had a lot of cool entries in the past 7-8 years.

So take heart, you have much more still to see that will potentially make you think the genre has really moved well past the era that you are currently enjoying.

[Exhuminator]

nothing in the world would prepare me for the third entry in the Ghost Recon series, Advanced Warfighter (GRAW).

I doubt anyone else on this board knows what you went through with GRAW PC. But I do. Until someone has actually beaten GRAW on PC, they don't know what we are talking about when it comes to true FPS difficulty. (The console versions of this game aren't even remotely in the same league of challenge.) You did something awesome in beating GRAW on PC, ExedExes. I'm glad I'm no longer the only one around here who's done so. I salute you sir!

[Ack]

As an FPS veteran, I've seen it all.

I've been following your foray into the genre these past couple of years with a lot of interest, and while you are doing it up right by marching through the history up to the present, you really have only scratched the surface of what the genre has offered up in the past 6 or 7 years. I don't remember if you have a 360 or PS3 (I know you have a PC, obviously), but there are some pretty remarkable console-specific titles that you need to check out and some more recent cross-platforms stuff that really push ideas of storytelling (e.g. Bioshock and Bioshock Infinite, Metro 2033, Resistance 3, Portal and Portal 2), of art design and graphics (Killzone 2 and 3, Crysis series, Far Cry's newer entries, etc.), and of gameplay (the great FPS/RPG hybrids like the Borderlands series and Fallout 3 and New Vegas, the MMOFPS like Destiny or Titanfall, etc.). Even the hugely popular stuff like the CoD series and the Halo franchise have had a lot of cool entries in the past 7-8 years.

So take heart, you have much more still to see that will potentially make you think the genre has really moved well past the era that you are currently enjoying.

There's also S.T.A.L.K.E.R., comrade.

[Exhuminator]

There's also S.T.A.L.K.E.R., comrade.

I think Exed's next FPS should be:

Crazy fun shooter.

[Ack]

Hell, I know he's got Red Faction and Painkiller: Black ready to go too.

[MrPopo]

There's also S.T.A.L.K.E.R., comrade.

So much this.

[ExedExes]

So take heart, you have much more still to see that will potentially make you think the genre has really moved well past the era that you are currently enjoying.

Absolutely, there's so much more out there and I appreciate even more suggestions from folks here. Last year Ack gave me a big list which I copied and saved, I'm working on purchasing & playing those. All I have is the Gamecube for now, and there's a few FPS I need to play there, and there are so many other great console exclusives as you mentioned, but I'd need to get those consoles first, I don't want to miss out on all that good stuff!

Hell, I know he's got Red Faction and Painkiller: Black ready to go too.

Red Faction I/II & Painkiller Black are in my GOG library. ROTT 2013 was also updated yesterday to version 1.5 at GOG, that's downloaded. There's also GRAW 2! I've still got lots of physical and digital FPS to go.

[Exhuminator]

@Exed

Of the FPS's mentioned above, STALKER is a great game, but it's pretty deep and involved, kind of an FPS/RPG/survival horror hybrid. Red Faction I is a very fun game (the PC version at least). But Red Faction II is a turd. Since you have GOG and a PC, I recommend Allied Assault. It's very well put together and stays entertaining.

As for the one I recommended earlier, Black. Black was exclusive to PS2 and Xbox, never came out on GameCube. I recommend the Xbox version, but the PS2 version is nearly as good. It is a tremendously fun shooter that is all about shooting the hell out of everything in sight. It feels like you're in the middle of a crazy 1980s action flick at all times. Shells flying, explosions exploded, angry men shouting, chaos chaos chaos. Very simple concept but pulled off flawlessly. Black is one of the top ten best FPS games ever made. I love it.

But don't just take my word for it, check out this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYoSNja-0fc

CGR review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-5_84JsjxE

[Ack]

But don't just take my word for it, check out this trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYoSNja-0fc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4TOYp0_6lc