FPS titles have been a staple of the video game industry for decades now, and every so often there comes along a titlethat completely redefinesthe mechanical limitations of what an FPS can do. While players might be able to relive the legendary titles that made the FPS genre what it is today, some games aren’t so lucky.
Perhaps due to lack of demand, licensing issues, or the developers having left the title to wile away in obscurity, some truly great FPS games are no longer available to buy through digital or mainstream retailers. These titles gavesome great valuefor their content, and were all praised at the time for, in one way or another, pushing the boundaries of the genre.
6Terminator Skynet
A Technical Marvel For Its Time With Great Environments
The signature Bethesda spin on fully interactive environments, best seen intheElder Scrollsseries, also made its way into other titles the company was toying with during its DOS days.Terminator Skynetwas a sequel to another Terminator game the company had released, and this one included some pretty decent graphics for a DOS-based title that were widely praised at the time, alongside some interactive multiplayer elements.
The title’s age and simple lack of demand might have something to do with its disappearance from shopfronts today, not recieving the same revival other classic shooters have, but this was a great title that really pushed the DOS to its limit with houses and buildings that were all fully interactive, just like in the laterElder Scrollstitles.
5Vietcong
A Definitive Vietnam-Era Shooter
There was a time afterVietcong’srelease where a plethora of titles tried to take its place as the best tactical, realistic Vietnam War shooter on the market. This includes, funnily enough, the largely unsuccessful sequel to this title,Vietcong 2. This title prioritized realism and high-impact action as its main focus, but also managed to throw on a unique and compelling story about the horrors of the Vietnam War.
Today, Vietnam War era games are largely lost within the mix of thebroader Cold Warera shooters, but while this title can’t be bought normally today, it stands as a testament to what good, finely detailed environments and tactical gameplay can do for a shooter. An expansion for this game gave players a prequel story to shoot their way through, which helped flesh out the setting and characters. The game also ends on a particularly somber note, but this is par for the course considering the conflict the shooter is engaged in.
2002 gave rise to an incredible FPS, the WWII entrenchedBattlefield 1942,with its unique focus on destructible environments, this title was as much a fantastic FPS as it was a showcase for the kind of immersion a war shooter was capable of. All manner of aircraft was able to be flown in this title, and the multiplayer element had specific armies change based on location, to ensure that in any map, the historically accurate nations were fighting there.
Battlefield 1942is still ranked todayas one of the best titles in the series, with its engaging campaign and explosive action holding up even in modernity. Unfortunately, it’s a bit difficult to get this game running on modern systems, especially as it’s unavailable to buy today.
3Corporation
An Innovative But Obscure Cyberpunk Shooter
An often overlooked title in the grand scheme of early FPS games and DOS titles,Corporationholds a surprising level of depth and customization considering its time period, focusing not just on those same envelope-pushing FPS mechanics that really defined this era of shooters, but also a good number of RPG elements that add further customization to the 6 available characters.
A lot of the design principles that would makemodern sci-fi horror gamesso important are seen in the raging mutants and hordes of twisted cybernetic monsters the player must face. On top of this, the cyberpunk setting is incredibly well realized and a treat for any fans of the genre. This title’s lack of presence on any retail platforms today really does come down to its obscurity, but that only makes this hidden gem gleam a little brighter.
2Tribes 2
An Early Large-Scale Multiplayer Gem
Tribes 2showed a standard of innovation and intricacy in the multiplayer FPS scene that contemporary titles and franchises would still be trying to meet years later. The verticality in this game through jetpack movement gave players new ways to explore the map over a decadebeforeAdvanced Warfare’sexo-boost, and allowed for 64 vs 64 player teams in colossal, open maps.
Tribes 2cannot be bought today, but it can be downloaded relatively easily, as Sierra On-Line released the title as freeware in 2015, ensuring this game, while somewhat obscure, was available to any and all players who wanted to give this game’s innovative design a try.
This arena-based shooter was an instant classic from its launch, and spawned an entire lineage of compelling FPS titles as well as a thriving local multiplayer scene that would see tournaments hosted for years to come. Theshutting down of online servicesfor this game was shortly followed by the title being delisted by Epic Games on all retail platforms.
It’s not known at present ifUnreal Tournamentwill be re-released on Epic’s own platform, or if the open alpha of the newUnreal Tournamentwill turn into the only source of reliving this classic game for players today.
