this post was submitted on 08 Jul 2023
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Patient Gamers

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FPS titles with great environmental world-building? e.g. Alien: Isolation, Metro, DOOM '16, even Portal 2 counts -- games that feel like real, lived-in places and not just a series of arenas. (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by snakesnakewhale@sh.itjust.works to c/patientgamers@sh.itjust.works
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For example, I didn't fall in love with Titanfall 2's environmental art design---it felt a bit generic to me, like it was meant to be the backdrop for a shooter, as opposed to the Sevastopol in A:I or the station in SOMA that felt like existing locations.

Ditto BioShock: Infinite. The world felt like it was built around the premise of being an arena shooter, not the other way around.

BioShock 1 & 2 are exactly what I'm talking about though.

Even Borderlands 2 has great world-building: the corporate history that can be inferred from the level design, the weapons & the NPCs makes it one of the richer games I've played.

Would love to hear others' thoughts on your favorite FPS environments!

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[–] clausetrophobic@sh.itjust.works 13 points 2 years ago (2 children)

If you haven't already, playing Black-Mesa -> Half-Life 2 -> both Episode 1 & 2 are the perfect examples of what you describe. So many details and stories in all the levels, and you are just a guy passing through

[–] snakesnakewhale@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I've started Black Mesa but haven't finished it yet. What I've played has been fucking impressive.

Valve is sort of the best at what I'm asking about---all of their games have the greatest touches that make the settings feel like existing locations you've walked into. It's what makes me wish they published more.

The insane detail that goes into aging Aperture throughout the second half of Portal 2, the way it starts in the 40s or 50s at the very bottom and has a distinct "era" for each level as you get closer to the surface, including Cave's progressing illness . . . it's such good storytelling, and it's literally just window dressing for the already-great main plot.

[–] sugar_in_your_tea@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 years ago

The crazy thing is that Black Mesa isn't made by Valve, but was essentially a fan recreation of the original Half Life. That it fits with Valve's style is just so amazing to me.