5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC)
To start off, and capably bringing up the rear for this list, is a game that could quite frankly go anywhere on it; however Modern Warfare comes in at number 5 because of what it started... And because of what it started. Confused? Allow me to explain. Modern Warfare was and is a superb online shooter period. It's perk system and persistent ranking and unlocks, combined with great visuals and design made it an instant hit around the world. It essentially raised the bar for similar games to come, and I have spent many hours blasting away with a scoped M14 with red tiger camouflage.
However, at the same time Call of Duty 4 began something else, something decidedly more sinister. In the Activision headquarters, which was buzzing with success, a new game was being planned. This was Modern Warfare 2, which spelt the beginning of the end for the Call of Duty honeymoon. More on that later, but for now rest assured this game deserves its number 5 spot with all its glory. Despite its often criticised plot holes, and the lack of realism, the pros far outweigh the cons, and to all who desire the thrill of the hunt, look no further. All that remains is the titanic test of time for this potential legend.
4) Star Wars: Dark Forces (PC)
Speaking of time, let us go back from 2007 to 1995, and pick up a copy of what I believe is the 4th best first person shooter of all time: Star Wars: Dark Forces. Of course, today, this game is somewhat primitive compared to the new releases, but at the time this game raised the worryingly pixelated bar for the fledgling FPS genre.
This game features the now famous Kyle Katarn, an ex imperial officer turned rebel, who battles his way through the hordes of stormtroopers and shrugs off the cries of "Rebel scum!". It was difficult; I was only young, and the game's puzzles proved a formidable challenge for me. However, the game captured my imagination, and I remember having dreams where I would step into the shoes of Kyle and face off against Vader himself in fiery laser torn combat. Dated then? yes. Brilliant? Absolutely. And thus, backed up by other titles like Star Wars: TIE Fighter, Dark Forces was never to be lost in the void of history.
3) 007 Goldeneye (N64)
"The name's Bond. James Bond" is a phrase that I can safely say the vast majority of people have heard before. Indeed, James Bond is a character that most people are at least somewhat familiar with; most likely through the movies, but the secret agent has made his name in more than a few gaming titles as well. 007 Goldeneye deserves a special mention here; it is one of the few first person shooters I enjoyed on a console other than the PC.
Goldeneye, like Dark Forces, did not have Call of Duty 4 graphics. But like Dark Forces it did not need them; the game itself was brilliant for what it was, and that was nothing short of sensational. Few games of the era took the player through so many different environments, battling so many different enemies with so many different guns. I remember the flower like muzzle flash of the assault rifle, and the canoe paddle appearance of the sniper rifle melee mode; some aspects of the game were rather comical in retrospect. Yet it delivers on everything; I sit here now trying to think of a flaw, and I come up short in every area. Except maybe for the cheesy death animations... But where would Bond be without those cheesy moments?
2) Half Life
I will actually later on write more on this series, but it deserves a mention here regardless. One day in England, when I was about 8 years old, I went to the library to rent a video game. I picked up this small case with the words "Half Life" and a strange looking symbol on the front. Undeterred, and completely unaware of what I was about to do, I rented it and took it home.
What I was about to do was discover arguably the greatest single player FPS of all time. This game did not need a disc to play; I returned the game soon after, but discovered it still worked on my computer. And I never looked back. Gordon Freeman, the silent scientist with extraordinary combat skills, grabbed me and refused to let go until I swore by the Half Life symbol. I won't say much more; not only is the power of language incapable of describing this game, but I would hope you have stopped reading and are buying your copy right now. If you're still here, know only that this game will force you to play Half Life 2, and then HL2: Episode One, and then Episode Two, and finally you will scour Valve news for any sign of the next installment...
1) Battlefield 2
If you have read my earlier posts, it will come as no surprise to see this game at the number one spot. If not, then allow me to introduce you to the greatest online FPS ever: Dice's masterful Battlefield 2. In short, this game has it all; explosive action, a high skill ceiling, phenomenal teamwork, high quality graphics, awesome vehicles, JETS, class based kit load outs, stacks of statistics for your pedantic pleasure... The list goes on; I could go on! Never have I had as much fun online as I had with this game. In fact, I reinstalled the game not long ago and played it again, and had the same thrill as I did back when it came out. It left me in no doubt about this game's excellence. Seeing as this is the number one game, allow me to elaborate...
BF2 is an ongoing conflict between three factions; USA, China and the MEC (Middle Eastern Coalition). You play as either spec ops, assault, engineer, medic, support, anti tank or sniper, each with unique and further unlockable weapons. The aim is to capture various flag points around the map using whatever means at your disposal. You have the option of going alone or fighting in a 6 man squad in up to enormous 64 player maps. The result is INSANE (caps intended). It is the closest to experiencing warfare that you'll ever want to get. Whether you're sniping from a distant hilltop, providing support in your gunship, dog fighting in a jet, reviving nearby unconcious teammates, or just blowing the hell out of the enemy, you are guaranteed to have a ball no matter what.
That concludes my post on the top 5 games. I hope you enjoy it, and please follow if you do!
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