Summary
The genre of first-person shooters is heavily saturated, packed with various experiences covering everything from the twitchy, competitive experiences of games such asCounter-Striketo the dramatic campaigns and chaotic multiplayer of theHaloseries. These shooters typically feature a wide array of guns, and while the pioneers of the genre (DOOM,Quake, etc.) focused on shooting from the hip, games such asCall Of DutyandBattlefieldmade aiming down sights a core mechanic that quickly became popular.
With the somewhat recent resurgence of old-school shooters, however, players are becoming more interested in the expressive combat arenas that were once so popular. An emphasis on hip-fire makes for a focus on speed, facilitating expressive movement and intuitive arenas to do battle in. This is what these games do best.
Thisaction roguelike FPSfeatures a psychedelic art style that won’t be for everyone but perfectly matches its chaotic, breakneck gameplay. The fast pace ofPost Void’s gameplay is facilitated by constantly draining health, expressive moment controls, and low time-to-kill.
Post Voidgives players access to just one weapon at a time, most of which are guns. These weapons don’t feature the ability to aim down sights, but this is rarely an issue, as much ofPost Voidtakes place in tight corridors and cramped environments that facilitate close-quarters combat.
2Chop Goblins
A Short But Sweet Shooter With Heaps Of Charm
This non-stop, charming FPS takes players on a brisk but utterly entertaining journey through time, battling the deviously demented Chop Goblins. These creatures frequently spit out unhinged, high-pitched dialogue throughout the game, reminiscent of monster movies such asGremlins, elevating the overall experience.
While the old-school charmand refreshingly shortrun-time may be amongChop Goblins' greatest strengths, it features a variety of guns that are a great deal of fun to use thanks to excellent sound design and explosive gore effects. Furthermore, the inability to aim down sights is rarely missed during the undemanding, snappy gameplay.
Helping to kickstart the revival of old-school first-person shooters,DUSKtakes plenty of inspiration fromthe games of the 90sand early 2000s, though it’s very much its own beast, sporting clear influencesfrom immersive simsand games such asSTALKER. The dense atmosphere and imaginative level designs, as well as the variety of monster-horror enemies, are amongDUSK’s greatest strengths, but its well-tuned gunplay carries the game forward.
In true old-school fashion,DUSKfeatures no reloading, and no aim-down-sights, resulting in fast-paced combat encounters that never stop to let the player rest. This relatively conventional retro shooter gameplay is elevated by a unique tone and memorable world, and the game’s immersive-sim elements make exploration a much more playful experience than it otherwise would be.
Sporting a dense and downtrodden atmosphere facilitated by an oppressive brown color palette and buckets of pixelated rain,HROTis an old-school FPS that succeeds with its charming retro graphics and expert sense of place. While its gunplay may not be the best around, it’s decidedly old-school and features no aim-down-sights.
The low-poly visuals and repetitive colors may be too much for some, but they lend themselves toHROT’sunique mood and atmosphere. Furthermore, despite the gunplay being somewhat lacking in weight, each of the weapons plays a unique role in combat encounters, allowing for dynamic gameplay akin to the gamesHROTtakes clear inspiration from.
Left 4 Dead 2is a cooperative horde shooter that tasks players with working as a team to blast their way through swarms of flesh-eating zombies. The game features a variety of unique campaigns that take players across all manner of environments, battling against the AI Director in dynamic encounters and struggling against the ensemble of special enemies.
The variety of ranged and melee weapons inLeft 4 Dead 2keeps the gameplay dynamic, and although the guns themselves aren’t the most important aspect of the game, the inability to aim down sights rarely becomes an issue.Left 4 Dead 2is a chaotic shooter that asks very little of the player, instead focusing on teamworkand cooperative actionthat’s perfect for playing in groups.
Featuring fast-paced combat encounters and expressive movement controls,Quakeis a classic shooter that’s perfect for fans of old-school FPS titles and retro visuals. The game features a variety of unique weapons that each offer their strengths and weaknesses, and all are fun to use despite the lack of aim-down-sights.
AlthoughQuakeis an older title, players can still expect a fast and fluid experience with intuitive controls. Furthermore, the game succeeds with its variety of easy-to-navigate but often unpredictable level designs, which help to keep the gameplay from becoming stale.
Fans of old-school shooters such asBloodand the atmosphere of survival-horror games such asResident Evil 4should take a good look atCULTIC. This retro shooter features weighty gunplay that packs a tremendous punch despite the inability to aim down sights, bolstered byexpressive movement controlsand a unique art style.
The retro graphics and crunchy sound design help to sell the experience, butCULTIC’s variety of weapons is also tremendously unique. Based on less conventional weapons, each gun offers its unique look, feel, and sound, and all are useful in their own ways.
