The Way of the Gun

No, it’s not just a gritty crime movie starring Benicio del Toro and Ryan Phillippe. For many gamers, it’s a genre that has been entertaining us with engaging thrills and heart stopping firefights. The genre that I speak of is none other than the first person shooter (FPS). You, the player, assume the role of the main character and then immerse yourself in a non-stop, action packed adventure…an adventure with guns and lots of ammo.

The last year has seen no shortage of brilliant FPS games on the market. To me, the standout FPS titles were: Halo 3, The Orange Box, Call of Duty 4 - Modern Warfare, Bioshock, Unreal Tournament 3, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl. All great games that I played extensively, and enjoyed very much.

The FPS game that stood out from the rest of the crowd was Crysis. It is the game that rose above all the rest. It is the game that was ahead of its time, daring and ambitious. If I had to use one word to describe Crysis, then the word would be EPIC. It wasn’t just a game, it was a technical marvel. Many people didn’t play the game to the full potential like developers intended since the PC requirements were quite steep. Many people had to turn down the settings in order to get a decent, playable framerate. Others just never bothered since they knew it would not run well on their rigs.

Without giving away too many spoilers, in Crysis, you play as an American Delta Force Soldier named Jake Dunn. The plot involves a spacecraft discovered off the coast of China, fighting off North Koreans, and battling aliens. I’ll leave it at that. The fun ensues when you are equipped with futuristic weapons and a special “Nano Muscle Suit” that has four modes of operation; Armor, Strength, Speed and Cloak. The beauty of the game is that you can approach the campaign any way you want to with the four modes of the Nano Muscle Suit. The different modes of the suit make the gameplay completely dynamic and fresh.

Aside from the lengthy single player campaign, what is a PC FPS without a multi-player component? Half a game, is what it is! Thankfully, Crysis also has decent multi-player options, although nothing revolutionary. Your standard deathmatch affair is called “instant action”. Where most players will spend their time, though, is with a mode called “power struggle”. It’s team based, and it features North American Delta Force Soldiers battling the North Korean Army. Up to 32 players are supported in this mode, with a maximum of 16 players per team. With the right group of people this can be a blast to play.

So there you have it. My favorite FPS within the last year was Crysis. What’s yours?

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