Poll: Are FPS games becoming unoriginal and bland?

[DarqKiller]

I personally think yes. The reason being is that if I were to ask anyone or you were to ask me to name off the top of my head an original shooter released in the past year, I wouldnt have an answer, standards have become so low that an FPS has a whoopdie doo weapon customization system for online play and doesnt take place in WW II is considered original, and no, I dont think that COD 4 is original nor as fun as everyone claims, I guess I just like something different from short single player and dressed up multiplayer with everyone screaming n00b every time you kill them. Portal seems to be the only shooter that said "Lets try something different", which is why I loved it so much, not to mention the only FPS games I'm looking forward to are Fallout 3 and Deus Ex 3, though I first of all never played Deus Ex 2 (Although I loved Deus Ex 1) and I never played any of the fallouts. The same kinda goes for Open Worlders but at least people are still making new ideas for Open worlders (Prototype looks awesome) I dunno, I guess I just like originality better.

Oh well, I can still play Deus Ex so Im happy, and if anyone could tell me how to get a System Shock 2 download it would be great, because Its pretty damn hard to find it in stores now.

 

[Milkatron]

The best thing a shooter can do is tinker with the guns to make it original. To this extent I present Painkiller, a game where you have the weirdest guns I have ever seen. This is where the innovation really sets in. Portal did this as well, and proved a massive success. I'm just simply tired of the games with:

Pistol
Machine gun
Sniper
Rockets
Grenades.

Mix it up a bit, ya know.

 

[The Wooster]

Portal isn't a shooter mate. Comparing it against COD4 is hardly fair on either game.

As for originality I agree, we've kind of been supping from an old cup as of late, but the horizon looks nice. We have Legend, Fallout, Mirrors edge (it has shooting! Shut up!) and a few other notable shooters.

Innovation isn't all it's cracked up to be. Polish and refinement can be just as good.

 

[BBLIZZARD]

Too many shooters are already generic and bland.

 

[weirdaljedifan2]

Yes, most, if not all, FPSs are getting unoriginal, especially when it comes to enemies.

If it's not a Nazi, it's an alien. If it's not an alien, it's a zombie. If it's not a zombie, it's everyone else.

 

[LOOY]

Well you can't think of original ideas forever, it happens in any industry. From here on in it's all about the design and how they do things, not that they did something wacky.

Look at TF2 or Warcraft, neither are original but there just good!

 

[Amnestic]

If it's not an alien, it's a zombie

or a zombie alien ("So...a zombine? Get it? Heh, zombine." *sigh*)

The FPS's with 'innovation', or the ones you described that you like (Specifically Portal and Deus Ex) aren't even traditional FPS's. One's a puzzle game, the other is an FPSRPG.

True, FPS's in general aren't very innovative, but as Decoy Doctorpus said: It's not all it's cracked up to be. Halo 3 didn't innovate much, it was still fun. CoD4 didn't innovate much, as far as I can tell, it was still lots of fun. This touted "innovation" obsession is something the game designers need to get past. There's no shame in revisiting good, old ideas. Just make sure you do it in a fun way.

 

[blunted]

Pistol
Machine gun
Sniper
Rockets
Grenades.

What, no shotgun? A cool shotgun can turn a mediocre game into a..slightly less mediocre game.

 

[nightfish]

not to mention the only FPS games I'm looking forward to are Fallout 3 and Deus Ex

Except both of these aren't FPS. Both are RPG's, albeit slightly different. Remember you don't have to even fire a gun to do most of Deus Ex.

if anyone could tell me how to get a System Shock 2 download

Don't think its abandonware to be honest and advertising links would be breach of escapist rules.

As for the original question, FPS became unoriginal as soon as they were made. You go round and shoot things...and thats it. The only real variation came with HL but everything has a dystopian story now - yes bland ahoy!

 

[Danny Ocean]

Exactly, eventually there just isn't anything more to do that isn't silly and won't be dismissed as casual.

 

[Milkatron]

Pistol
Machine gun
Sniper
Rockets
Grenades.

What, no shotgun? A cool shotgun can turn a mediocre game into a..slightly less mediocre game.

Oh dang, I knew I forgot one. Also forgot slightly more advanced machine gun.

 

[Aries_Split]

I don't think the problem is with a lack of creativity, I think it's with the problem of Over saturation.

Gamer's are simply sick of having the next Halo shoved in their face.

To put it in layman's terms

"No...More...Pie"

 

[SecretTacoNinja]

Becoming? Unoriginal and bland?

I know! How about a gun that fires Throwing stars and fire and your enemies are rabid bunnies. Yeah, dumb, I know, wanna fight about it?
I want less realism ...

 

[man-man]

TF2 has a fairly standard weapon-set (pistols, rockets, grenades, machine guns, sniper rifle, flamethrower etc) but it's still different enough from the rest to really distinguish itself.

Mostly down to the very different art direction and compartmentalising the weapons into the different classes, so not every person has every weapon.

 

[Jumplion]

After a recent argument with my friend at how I couldn't tell the difference between any fighting game (In this case Brawl vs. Soul Calibur 4, with him saying that "Brawls different because you have to knock people out of the stage, which isn't 'killing'" which is totaly bullshit) which eventually evolved into how he couldn't tell the difference between CoD4 and possibly Killzone 2 (though he did admit that Resistance 2 does look appealing, if only slightly).

I failed miserably at trying to explain to him because A)I havn't played Killzone 2 yet so I don't want to make assumptions and B)I'm so much better at arguing over forums (THANKYOU Edit Button) but it was ironic when he said that "you know the difference between fighting games, you're just denying it" when he was saying that he couldn't tell the difference between FPSs.

I came to the conclusion (sortof) that based on what I saw, Killzone 2 is extremely aestetic and cinematic compared to some of the other FPSs I've seen. Of course, I just told him that he had to find out for himself, like I have to find out what's the difference between fighting games, but NoOoOoOoO he kept on bitching about how I knew that fighting games were different but I didn't want to admit it.

I want to say "no, there are some original ones" but after that fight, I'm just not sure that anything is setting itself apart anymore.

EDIT: How I love you...

 

[crazy-j]

i have to say i am not disappointed with the current fps's, halo, cod 4, unreal tournament ect

but yes they are getting unoriginal

 

[airsoftmanic]

i think its less about originality and more about realism issues. devs seem to think that realism sells. for me COD4 was a disaster. it was like they copy/pasted COD2 and made it modern. i just could'nt like it.
polish and extensive beta-testing also have gone out the window as of late. mercs 2 could have been a great game, if they had fixed those bugs and added a few more polygons.
too human could have been a great game if, as yhatzee said, they had actually played the game and looked at its faults.
i think in the broad overview, devs should say "jog on" to constrained release dates if they cant properly finish the game on time.

 

[Woe Is You]

I know! How about a gun that fires Throwing stars and fire and your enemies are rabid bunnies. Yeah, dumb, I know, wanna fight about it?

Well, we already have [www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/57-Painkiller] a game where you have a gun that shoots shurikens and lightning. What else do you need?