FPS games = unoriginality, but why?

[cuddly_tomato]

Ok, we have the grizzled space marine with a gun that looks like a piece of construction equipment or the WW2 tough guy with a chin you could crack anvils on.

Anyone else?

Why in the name of Michael Bay are there no other genres of FPS games? I am loathe to speak for anyone except myself but am I really the only one who is getting a bit fed up with this? It's not even as if it would be difficult to come up with some alternatives... here:-

Napoleonic wars (a la Sharpe), with muskets and flintlocks.

WW1, up over the trench with 30 buddies, all trying to get to the machine gun nest without getting perforated by enemy bullets.

Pirates, specifically the boarding parts. Running around Friggates and stuff with those awful little pistol things, complete with explodable environments from all the cannon fire.

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff. Even driving your SWAT van there and ordering your squad about. (kinda like GTA but with an FPS SWAT motif).

If they had a go at any of these I guarantee they would generate more interest (and sales) than Medal of Honor:1032 or Call of Duty 17. Is there a valid reason game developers haven't tried something new?

 

[Syphonz]

I'd like to play an FPS thats just about an angry Construction worker that just got laid off. go around various construction sites with nail guns or something an tac people to the walls and other stuff. sounds like fun to me.. or possibly my future.

I kid of course.

 

[Abedeus]

I'd like to play an FPS thats just about an angry Construction worker that just got laid off. go around various construction sites with nail guns or something an tac people to the walls and other stuff. sounds like fun to me.. or possibly my future.

I kid of course.

Painkiller.

I want an FPS game where I can shoot through walls and stuff. You know, like Geo-Mod, but with more than just Red Faction 1/2.

Or even better, Soldier of Fortune 2 engine + Geo-Mod + Source. Can I already say "the most realistic FPS game ever"? It can cut people to pieces, crumble walls that will realistically fall down thanks to Source... Awesomeness.

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

There HAS been a FPS game set during the American Civil war. Yep, nothing like firing once and reloading for 20 seconds, or charging into musket fire (and dying over and over because you're the unlucky guy who gets shot) with your sabre drawn.

The problem here is twofold: 1) much of the time when people try something new it turns out that it sucks and no one buys it and 2) people have proven that they WILL buy generic FPS #90001 so long as it demonstrates a measurable improvement in graphical quality over FPS #90000.

 

[DragunovHUN]

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff.

Ever played the SWAT series?

 

[Syphonz]

There HAS been a FPS game set during the American Civil war. Yep, nothing like firing once and reloading for 20 seconds, or charging into musket fire (and dying over and over because you're the unlucky guy who gets shot) with your sabre drawn.

The problem here is twofold: 1) much of the time when people try something new it turns out that it sucks and no one buys it and 2) people have proven that they WILL buy generic FPS #90001 so long as it demonstrates a measurable improvement in graphical quality over FPS #90000.

Ugh. Isn't depressing how the majority of the FPS community works?

 

[mokes310]

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff. Even driving your SWAT van there and ordering your squad about. (kinda like GTA but with an FPS SWAT motif)

There's always SWAT 4, which was a decent game. Perhaps you'd like the original Police Quest: SWAT.

 

[black lincon]

It's like he's never played the TimeSplitters series. Just wait for the fourth game, that will show you there is still originality in FPS's.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff. Even driving your SWAT van there and ordering your squad about. (kinda like GTA but with an FPS SWAT motif)

There's always SWAT 4, which was a decent game. Perhaps you'd like the original Police Quest: SWAT.

Never played them to be honest. I'll have to look them up, thanks!

It's like he's never played the TimeSplitters series. Just wait for the fourth game, that will show you there is still originality in FPS's.

I have played Timesplitters, featuring a grizzled space marine as its central character. It was different in taking a tongue in cheek approach, that I grant you, but it still didn't bring anything to the party that we haven't seen before. Anyway, I thought the forth one was cancelled to the demise of Free Radical?

 

[SomeBritishDude]

I agree, I'm pretty sick of the same kind of FPS over and over (Sci-fi, a War game)

I want a fantasy FPS. It doesn't have to be a gun, it can be...a bow, or a really cool crossbow that shoots...gremlins!

Or how about a Old Western FPS. Oh sure, there wouldn't be many weapons, it could be more about close combat or something, with only the odd bullet here and there.

 

[Toastngravy]

One where you can have cool powers like freezing people, throwing fireballs or flinging electricity around. Perhaps using these to solve some imaginative puzzles too?

I think he's on to something!
Oh wait..

 

[Abedeus]

One where you can have cool powers like freezing people, throwing fireballs or flinging electricity around. Perhaps using these to solve some imaginative puzzles too?

I think he's on to something!
Oh wait..

AHHH! Have I missed something?

I'd say - You will be shocked. Biologically.


Ba-dum-tisch.

 

[Madshaw]

FPS games are fun as htey are, although i must admit i would buy a highwayman/pirate fps on the first oppertunity

 

[ioxles]

There should be more Fps' like Dark Messiah, that was close to being the perfect fps as possible for me.

 

[Syphonz]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games were amazing for FPS. The ballistics were fantastic as much as they were a guessing game.

 

[stompy]

Being in a SWAT team, having to raid random buildings in a city to rescue hostages and stuff.

Ever played the SWAT series?

Damn, beat me to it.

And, cuddly, the reason people haven't tried new things is because, well, the most publicised games fall into the 'space marine' or 'WW2 hero' categories, and the lesser known titles (SWAT being one of them) don't get picked up. Have a look around, and don't rely on just the AAA titles.

 

[lazerwolf]

I agree, I'm pretty sick of the same kind of FPS over and over (Sci-fi, a War game)

I want a fantasy FPS. It doesn't have to be a gun, it can be...a bow, or a really cool crossbow that shoots...gremlins!

What about one that shoots dinosaurs?! ahem turok...

Innovation in straight up FPS's has been dead for a while. Most war themed FPS can be palette swapped and will fit. Instead of fighting Nazis now lets fight Charlie and there you have a Vietnam war game instead. As far as the futuristic space marine versus aliens scenario goes, there a lot of plots to follow which is why there are a lot of games created using that scheme. Alien invasion or invade alien planet is just one example of the dichotomy that exists in these games.