What, in your honest opinion, is THE most advanced first-person game for its time?

nicked on 17/4/2010 at 09:41

I'll second Unreal. It still has a better atmosphere than most modern games. If someone (i.e. not Epic, they're too far gone to do it justice) remade it with prettier graphics, a few level design tweaks on the more frustrating maze-like levels, and exactly the same soundtrack and audio, that'd be one hell of a game.

No-one Lives Forever is a fantastic game, but advanced? I guess it was an early "cinematic" game, and the style is largely unique, but it didn't innovate much beyond the superficial.

wootman on 17/4/2010 at 11:13

Third for Unreal (in terms of 1998's FPS games). I love listening to Alexander Brandon's music, which helped make Deus Ex a great game as well.

For 1998 there were also some other great FPP games: Jurassic Park: Trespasser and Thief: The Dark Project, each of which had great advances in game engine tech., as well as producing very memorable gaming experiences (IMO). :D

piln on 17/4/2010 at 11:29

"For its time" makes this kind of tricky. In PC gaming as we know it today, I'd have to say Ultima Underworld or System Shock. But going back to 8-bit computer gaming I think Elite was more advanced for its time, if we're counting it as a first person game. I think Mercenary has to be a contender too, but it's so long ago I can't really remember it that clearly.

How about Driller? That was so advanced it wouldn't even run properly on the computers it was designed for. :joke: Joking aside, I never got into it enough to figure out what the hell it was about. But that seemed to be a time when people were really pushing the boundaries of the 8-bit platforms; I remember some groundbreaking attempts at first-person 3D, particularly on C64. Things like the fractal-3D Lucasfilm games, The Eidolon, Rescue on Fractalus and such.

d0om on 17/4/2010 at 13:07

Magic Carpet? That was pretty advanced, with full 3D combat, terrain manipulation, huge numbers of enemies at once etc.

I have a special place in my heart for Stonekeep too, but I don't really think it was that advanced for its time, just highly polished.

gunsmoke on 17/4/2010 at 13:13

I say Thief. I guess, considering what site this is, I won't have to remind you all of you what it does better than anything else before and after.

Jason Moyer on 17/4/2010 at 16:05

Dungeons of Daggorath

I'd probably also go with the computer version of Star Raiders, but I only ever played the apparently inferior 2600 port.

ZylonBane on 17/4/2010 at 16:58

Quote Posted by Jason Moyer

I'd probably also go with the computer version of Star Raiders, but I only ever played the apparently inferior 2600 port.

Ohhh... uggg. Have you at least looked up the(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X22nv1UOgw) computer version on YouTube?

As for DentonSHODAN's (blargh) question, it necessarily has multiple answers, since every era of computing has its own most advanced first-person game. BattleZone, Star Raiders, Elite, Mercenary, System Shock, Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Unreal, GTA III, Far Cry... tech marches on.

Bluegrime on 17/4/2010 at 17:09

I vote for Descent. Does it count for this one, since Ultima apparently does?

Aja on 17/4/2010 at 17:12

In terms of making you feel as though you're more than just a moving camera, Theif has only been matched by Mirror's Edge, ten years later (or if anyone can suggest other first-person games that convey such a natural sense of player movement, I'd be interested to hear it).

Xenith on 17/4/2010 at 18:41

Seconding Aja's choices. I'd have to go with Mirror's Edge and Thief as well, as more recent/old, innovative and shiny.