A barrage of PC based first person shooters is hitting the console market this month. Will the influx of games that have defined the PC market change the face of console gaming or just blow its head off? Until the answer is clear all we can do is frag and see for ourselves.
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Half Life - Dreamcast |
History: Redefined the first person genre on PC and was named game of the year by countless gaming publications by introducing a gripping story and character interaction that wasn't limited to killing everything that moved.
Console Outlook: Half Life will no doubt set a new standard for the genre again but this time it will be on Dreamcast. Not only will Dreamcast owners enjoy a higher polygon count in the console release of Half Life but they will also enjoy an exclusive 10-hour bonus mission that puts them in the shoes of one of Black Mesa's security guards.
Weapons: The weapons lineup for Half Life features the standard military fair including a 9mm, M-16, rocket launcher, shot gun and more along with some top secret weapons.
Frag Factor: The most democratic of all the FPS as it gives players a choice between green and the more traditional red blood as you blast through aliens and military personnel. The multi-player mode is more strategic than most FPS thanks to the inclusion of motion sensing and remote bombs that can be placed anywhere.
Bottom Line: If you tend to go solo when playing video games or like to use some grey matter when you play then Half Life is the first person shooter for you. |  |
  
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Unreal Tournament - Dreamcast, PlayStation 2 |
History: Since its release on PC Unreal Tournament has racked up enough game of the year awards to rival even Half Life's copious amount of praise.
Console Outlook: Boasts the most play modes of any FPS by far with tournament death match, team death match, last man standing, capture the flag, domination and mission based assault levels with an emphasis on team play. The Dreamcast port of UT is of special note, offering 8-player online play and the ability to play with the Dreamcast keyboard and mouse.
Weapons: This game has cornered the FPS weapons market with a slew of cool weapons like a biorifle that launches toxic sludge, a flakgun that rains red hot chunks of metal on approaching enemies and more. To add variety to fragging every weapon in UT's creative arsenal has two firing modes that can be used to accommodate different situations.
Frag Factor: Look as those gibbs fly! Ahh, the satisfaction of a head shot in Unreal Tournament cannot be matched and now this morbid little pleasure can be had by Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 owners.
Bottom Line: If you're a lucky PlayStation 2 owner this is the fps to get. If you don't have a PS2, the Dreamcast version may not look quite as pretty but the online play via SegaNet with a mouse and keyboard will greatly enhance your enjoyment of this amazing game. |  |
  
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Quake 3 Arena - Dreamcast |
History: Id software is credited as the company that started the first person shooter genre with a game called Wolfenstien 3D way back in 1992. Since then John Carmack and the boys at Id have given us Doom, Quake, and Quake II. Quake 3: Arena is the culmination of Id's years of programming experience and many see it as the best FPS to date.
Console Outlook: For what it lacks in plot and play modes Quake 3 makes up for it by being very easy to pick up and play. Online play is another big plus and graphically Quake 3 looks as good as its PC counterpart, which is a very, very good thing.
Weapons: Offers a relatively limited selection of weapons but each weapon from the rail gun to the classic rocket launcher are refined and require a level of skill often absent in shooters.
Frag Factor: The fragging is quick and clean with a liberal use of the red stuff.
Bottom Line: If you can't get enough of death matching or have SegaNet this is a must have. |  |
  
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While we only covered PC to console ports in this feature be sure to check out these other great first person shooters:
Time Splitters - PlayStation 2
James Bond: The World is not Enough - Nintendo 64
Medal Of Honor Underground - PlayStation
Turok 3 - Nintendo 64 |
 by: Paul Zablocki
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