How the FPS became gaming’s dominant force, and the shooters that have shaped the genre on 360

Since the dawn of time, man has constantly found ways to fight with his fellow man, so it’s little wonder that combat plays such a key role in the vast majority of videogames. Yet while some prefer to settle their differences with feet and fists, most of us prefer the convenience of gun combat to show our peers who’s boss. Since Wolfenstein and Doom opened the floodgates, we’ve had a torrent of first-person shooters gush our way, which over the years has turned into a tidal wave, with the genre almost unarguably becoming the dominant force in modern videogaming. It’s remarkable how flexible the FPS has become this generation, with a wealth of titles showcasing notable invention and exceptional game-making craft, of which we’ve highlighted some of the best to talk about why they’re so significant.

The Multiplayer Masterpiece – Left 4 Dead
Zombie-blasting is hardly a new thing in gaming, but Valve’s Left 4 Dead gave the idea a hearty kick up the backside with a bold focus on co-operative play. It was a brave move to release a full-price FPS targeted very much away from the lone player and instead aimed at those willing and able to play along with three friends (or even strangers) as part of a team, but one that paid off in spades. It’s a game remarkable for its frantic pace, and an oddly cinematic feel to its set pieces – unusual for a game that eschews story and plot almost entirely to focus on the simple experience of teaming up to fend off hordes of the undead. Significantly, the overwhelming sensation when the safe room is reached and everyone has just about scraped through in one piece is relief rather than triumph. It’s a battle for survival, in which you’re never on the front foot – a game where ‘winning’ isn’t about saving the world but simply staying alive. You could say in that respect it’s the most successful survival-horror of the generation. The impact of its unique AI ‘director’ should not be underestimated, either – somehow managing to make a series of scripts and lines of programming almost feel like a character in its own right as it pulls levers and presses buttons to deliver just the right amount of zombies at the worst/best possible time. Little wonder that Valve felt the need to trumpet the return of this fabulous bit of programming for the sequel.

Perhaps Left 4 Dead’s lasting legacy will be the way it actively encourages players to communicate with each other. While player characters already have plenty of lines informing team-mates of reloads and incoming enemies, it’s no substitute for constantly updating your pals on the current situation. It’s a game that teaches you that staying quiet is not an option when faced with such overwhelming numbers. And with friendly fire a very important consideration on anything above the lowest difficulty level, there’s an element of trust involved – no longer can you casually toss a grenade into the mix without fear of human casualties. Left 4 Dead’s impact undeniably helped grease the wheels for the updated and polished release of Unreal mod Killing Floor on PC, even if the latter existed before Valve’s modern classic. It’s likely, however, that its impact will be felt in the coming years – assuming its sequel is a success, we could be looking at the birth of a brand new franchise, even if the Activision mantra of the yearly incremental update wouldn’t seem to be Valve’s style.

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