The Forgotten PC Games 06.26.08: Power to the People Part One

Posted by Chris Vicari on 06.26.2008

Sometimes there are games that you just simply forget and it's up to your fellow man to remind you of them. So without further ado or gilding the lily, here are three games recommended by you, the readership, as great games well worth mentioning to anyone. Thank you!

When writing a column or making recommendations for movies, games, books or what have you, it's very difficult to try and remember every single one ever released, whether awesome or horrid. The inevitably of an argument is even more apparent when something specific doesn't appear in the recommendation, when for all intents and purposes it should. In regards to my column, a game's lack of mention does not necessarily mean I think the game sucks or that it's not worth discussing, quite the opposite actually. My reasoning is simple, I have a long list of great PC games that I'd like to write about in the future, but if I focus on more than three or four games a week, I'd be running out of material pretty quickly. One could present the argument suggesting that my opinion of these games does play a role in what I write about every week and I'll agree with you, but I try to minimize the impact of my opinion as much as possible. The games I write about aren't considered to be the good, great or the best by just myself, but are widely accepted by the general audience as such. To be truthful, as time goes on I'll eventually write about games that I personally didn't enjoy, but because they are widely accepted as being good, it's enough reason to write about them. I don't want people to miss out on potentially great games just because I didn't like them.

This reason alone is why I wanted to take a somewhat different approach this week and it's a trend I want to try and continue in the future. This week I'll write about what was recommended by you, the lovely readership.

Recommended by Denno



Dark Forces, the crown jewel of LucasArts' FPS lineup and the one that started it all for them. I remember when I first purchased Dark Forces back in 1995 and I remember smiling when I first opened the box with a stormtrooper pewter statuette inside. It still sits on my desk to this day and sometimes I still get the warm and fuzzies. Reminiscing aside, Dark Forces has everything going for it, it's a quality FPS, it's set in the Star Wars universe, it introduces the famous Kyle Katarn character, but most importantly the game is extremely fun to play.

Synopsis

You play the role of Kyle Katarn, an Imperial agent turned mercenary who is contracted the Rebels. In the beginning, Kyle is tasked to steal the plans to the Death Star but eventually the story shifts towards investigating a new type of stormtrooper used by the Imperials.

While the game looks and feels like a typical FPS during the immortal reign of the Doom franchise, Dark Forces stands on its own merits by bringing some new additions to the field while also making good on what Doom started and improves upon it. Weapons have alternate firing modes, an FPS first, free look, crouch and jump, stuff we pretty much take for granted these days.

Dark Forces greatly improved upon the Doom engine and thanks to graphic mods released by the community, the game looks better than ever.

The enemies Kyle fights are often numerous and are the typicals of the Star Wars universe like the stormtroopers, Imperial officers and commandos, but some new guys join the fight. The same goes for the weapons, you have some that were noticeable in the films and books, but then you have some new ones as well. Lobbing thermal detonators at a group of enemies was a lot of fun as the bodies flew in all sorts directions.

Last words

Dark Forces is a solid FPS and is a grand example of how good the genre can be when placed in the right setting with the right mechanics. Spawning three different sequels because of its quality, Dark Forces is a game which must be played.

Recommended by BFG08 and thanks for reminding me



It has been far too long since I played this wondrous game and luckily I managed to find my copy and gave it a whirl one more time. Released by Epic Games and Digital Extremes in 1998, Unreal is a marvel of the FPS genre looking spectacular for its time. Before the name Unreal Tournament was first uttered, there was just Unreal and it stands on its own for spawning a brilliant graphics engine and a wonderful series of games. With beautifully detailed environments, impeccable AI and engaging gunplay, this game is a must have title.

Synopsis

Players take on the role of an anonymous character simply called Prisoner 849, who is aboard a prison spacecraft called Vortex Rikers. The ship eventually crashes near a canyon on a planet called Na Pali, the home of a four-armed humanoid race at war with the invading Sjaarj, a brutal reptilian race. Prisoner 849 must escape from the planet before he is killed in this alien war.

Unreal looked simply stunning for its time.

Unreal brought many new additions to the graphics side of gaming and while it plays like a standard FPS, its graphical prowess, gunplay, weapons and enemies transforms this seemingly run-of-the-mill shooter into something special. I've spent many hours playing through the singleplayer portion and many more hours battling it out with other people on the game's multiplayer aspect. Coupled with the game's robust modding community featuring countless maps and mods, you have a recipe for surefire success.

Short and sweet

Unreal for all intents and purposes is a classic. It spawned its own engine, an entire series of games, revolutionary multiplayer content and it firmly stands as the base for some of the best fast-paced FPS games on the market. Cheers Unreal, may you survive for many years to come! *chug*

Recommended by archont, Ivpiter and Higgins



Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a wonderful open-ended RPG courtesy of Troika Games in 2001. Sadly the company went under before a sequel was produced and another sequel in production by another company is currently shelved. Arcanum has garnered very positive reviews and according to Wikipedia (I can't believe I'm citing this), the game has sold 234,000 copies earning almost $9 million, not bad at all. Taking on a fairly unique setting for an RPG, this post-industrial revolution teeming with guns, magic, steampunk tech and fantasy creatures is a game worth its salt and more than deserving of a play through.

Synopsis

Since Arcanum is an RPG, the character you start with is tailored to your specifications. You get a choice of race, skillset, appearance, the typical stuff really, but it's all pretty intuitive. Arcanum is a very open-ended RPG and the player has the freedom to do as they please. The game also gives the player many opportunities to make choices that can alter the plot and even change the game itself. Arcanum has a rich and unique setting, diverse characters and an interaction of the ingame characters and races not often seen in RPGs.

Arcanum's fine detail makes it a quality product.

Arcanum's has received some criticism in regards to its combat and that it can be a little too chaotic at times, players generally don't fault it all that much. Like Fallout, players can often talk their way out of most of the fighting in this game but there are times when it's simply unavoidable. Moral choices are also a big part of the game world and similar to games like Baldur's Gate,, your fellow party members may love or hate you based on your actions.

Play it and love it
All in all Arcanum is a very enjoyable experience. It has everything you could possibly want out of a well-crafted RPG. It has unique settings, finely-tuned detail, magic, technology and an in-depth plot making this game a wonderful sight to behold. Pick it up if you haven't had the privilege of playing it yet or give it another run through for old time's sake if you have it on your desk collecting dust. Either way it's a win-win.

That's all for this week guys and I can't thank you enough for your input and recommendations. I look forward to hearing more in the coming weeks.

For next week I'll be dedicating an entire column to the wonderful and supremely-hailed classic RPG series that is Ultima and its online brother, Ultima Online. Until then, stay safe and happy gaming!