Good starter FPS

[300lb. Samoan]

I started with Wolfenstien 3d. (or maybe Catacombs of the Abyss, I can't remember.)

Both of those are good, then you can work your way through the generations till you found a game you like.

keep in mind, while we had the pleasure of playing Wolf3D and BEING THERE for the generations, this guy might not want to take 15+ years for his FPS tastes to evolve

that being said, I was about to recommend Doom... You can get ZDoom for free and play the first episode of the first game for free. That will at least get you acquainted with the most basic elements of the genre, the exploration and navigation, the hide-and-seek elements (as in "find the colored keys" or "one switch opens this door"), and the way enemy placement affects the pace of the gameplay.

As for modern games, try the Orange Box. Half-Life 2 on easy is a good bet, as is portal. If you want to try TF2, play it on a PC. It's a pretty tough game on any platform, but the PC is the best and you'll find it most gratifying when you do finally get used to it.

 

[Junkle]

I'd say start with what really put the shooter genre into the mainstream: Halo.
Then start branching out to other popular shooters, I'd definitely recommend Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and if you like that Modern Warfare 2.
Left 4 Dead is another good one to try, especially if you have friends who you can play it with.
On a mildly related note, I definitely like playing FPS's on my PC over my PS3 or my friend's 360. Headshots come easier to me with a mouse. I get by on a controller well enough to play some rounds of Halo with my friends, but if we ever find a game that can play PC vs. 360 and we both buy it, we're setting up a match.

 

[300lb. Samoan]

I'd say start with what really put the shooter genre into the mainstream: Halo.

If he's not an FPS fan already, I don't think Halo is going to convert him. It's too combat oriented.

And besides, you should get the FPS experience the way the Gods (id software) intended it: ON A PC, and I never liked the PC port of Halo. (sorry for leaving such an underdeveloped post in your inbox, Junkle.)

 

[Mr. Purple]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
It´s a bit short, granted, but the awesome plot more than makes up for that.
Also, there´s a second one coming in a week or two, so if you end up loving it, you´ll be in for another treat soon

Yea, Call of Duty is definitely a good starter. Solid controls, loads of replay value and online fun.(which could give u time to familiarize yourself with the genre) And of course u will adapt to the most popular setting for an FPS. War.
And Modern Warfare is probably the best choice of the series. So ummm, have fun.

 

[ninja555]

Fallout 3 or Borderlands

 

[VicunaBlue]

Try Bioshock.On easy mode its well... easy.

 

[Velocirapture07]

Half life 1 or 2 man. Great games both.

 

[Junkle]

I'd say start with what really put the shooter genre into the mainstream: Halo.

If he's not an FPS fan already, I don't think Halo is going to convert him. It's too combat oriented.

And besides, you should get the FPS experience the way the Gods (id software) intended it: ON A PC, and I never liked the PC port of Halo. (sorry for leaving such an underdeveloped post in your inbox, Junkle.)

I'm not saying that Halo is going to convert him, I'm just saying it's a solid title to start off with, considering it's also the basis of the current generation of FPS's. Most of the stuff he'll see in the other games he plays will be based off of it. So I suppose then I'd also recommend Gears of War.

And something that I just noticed: Since you like RPG's, you might want to pick up Mass Effect for a bit of a conjunction. Plays like a shooter with RPG elements hidden behind everything. Just watch out for the MAKO.

 

[gigastrike]

I'd go with Halo. The health system is good for keeping you alive and you don't need to be as accurate.

 

[blackhandops]

why not try Borderlands or Fallout 3 since those are both shooters with rpg elements so the switch may seem a bit more comfortable

i second fallout 3

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

CoD4 definitely, one of the best shooters out there. Half-Life 2 and it's subsequent episodes are also amazing shooters for single-player.

plus they are available on a wide variety of platforms, and have good difficulty curves to help you learn.

 

[captainkrunch]

why not try Borderlands or Fallout 3 since those are both shooters with rpg elements so the switch may seem a bit more comfortable

i second fallout 3

that game has absorbed many a hours of my life

 

[Numb1lp]

You should really look up Time Splitters 2, an awesome game.

 

[Cody211282]

Halo is rather easy to play, i know alot of people hate it but its a great intro FPS

 

[Signa]

Go with Doom. No clips to reload in your guns, and no Y-axis to aim at. You just literally point and shoot. Even if the guy is above you, you just point at the wall below him and you will automatically fire up. If you don't have fun with Doom, then don't bother with FPS games.

I also recommend using the mod Skulltag. It brings Doom up to a much more modern level of customization and options. You still shoot at pixlated 2-d sprites, but the textures in the 3-d environment still look good. I can run the game in 1080p on my monitor, and it supports the wide-screen mode flawlessly.

 

[darkfire613]

For me, the Halo series is what really got me into gaming, and they're pretty much a staple of FPS's. I know a lot of people flame the Halo games, but at their hearts, the Halo games are solid, balanced shooters.

 

[-IT-]

Go for something basic like quake 3 arena. It has the basic WASD + mouse controls and you can practice your skills with the bots.

 

[Sassafrass]

For me, the Halo series is what really got me into gaming, and they're pretty much a staple of FPS's. I know a lot of people flame the Halo games, but at their hearts, the Halo games are solid, balanced shooters.

This.

Halo 2 was my first FPS and got me into the genre and series.

 

[duchaked]

why not try Borderlands or Fallout 3 since those are both shooters with rpg elements so the switch may seem a bit more comfortable

yeah that's a really good transition game. it leans a bit more on the FPS side, but that also makes it a good FPS to RPG linking game lol

You should really look up Time Splitters 2, an awesome game.

AWESOME game. back in the day when I had a GameCube and wanted an FPS game haha

I'd go with Halo. The health system is good for keeping you alive and you don't need to be as accurate.

my first FPS was Halo: CE, and that wasn't too jarring even with the original health system=)

 

[God's Clown]

Start with a third person game, many of the controls carry over, andI find them less twitch based. The GRAW games are good. If you're set on first person, R6 is a great series. CoD 2 can be found on the cheap.

Do not listen to this advice. TPS games are the shittiest of the shit. Not even worth playing.

As for what to play, Halo games are pretty easy to play. Another suggestion would be Orange Box, as people have said. I have heard portal was good fun, and Half-life is pretty much awesome.