Gaming is now a highly popular pastime with many different formats and gameplay styles. One of the most popular styles is that of first person shooter. This is where the ‘camera’ or view of the game moves and turns as if it were the eyes of the players themselves running through the landscape. This more complete immersion in the game is highly popular; players enjoy that feeling of being right in the action. This allows game developers to offer less perfect graphics for the player’s avatar, but in turn, players have now become accustomed to a more realistic landscape and setting that does require strong graphics. There are a couple of downsides, though. With the first person perspective it can be hard for players to gauge gaps that need jumping and also can give some players motion sickness.
Doom
Developed by Bethseda Softworks, this is a fast paced, first person shooter game set on the red planet itself, Mars. The main character is Doom, an aggressive marine who wakes up from inside a sarcophagus and finds himself surrounded by zombies. The player inhabits this character and the intent is to run around and kill as many of the hellish zombies as possible. The story is not the strong point here, but that doesn’t matter, there is too much fun to be had.
Half-Life 1 and 2
A single player shooter, Half-Life was introduced by Valve Software, and is a game that is still enjoyed today. Whilst not as spectacular as other games out now, Half-Life still impresses. The weapons aren’t great, the design is simple – just jump, run and shoot. But somehow these individual elements combine to create a fun and oft-surprising game. One of the winning points here is the effort made toward realism. Powering up requires recharging the suit worn by the character; ammo and guns are found in weapons lockers, not simply lying around. This added reality only serves to pull the player further into this world.