FPS games- what would you say is the proper next step?

To many, including myself, the genre of first person shooters could possibly be a favorite. They've come quite a long way, but it seems we've sorta reached the point where almost every single developer is trying to copy the success of other titles.
 
My question is, to all of you, what do you really believe is the right direction in terms of evolution in these games? Sure, multiplayer, coop, hundreds of useless achievements is okay, but what happened to the idea of giving the player a more immersive feel?
 
To me, that's seems to be a right descision. And thankfully, recently certain games are definitely trying to give the player that specific asset, such as Interstellar Marines.
 
Thinking back, Riddick offered quite a bit of what I'm talking about, yet sadly suffered from numerous flaws. The gunplay felt a bit weightless, but the movement, aiming, all flew seamlessly.
 
So what would you say, good sir? Would you prefer pulling off over-the-top 360 jump shots then uploading them to youtube to show off all day?  Or, do you feel you want a little bit more out of your videogame ventures?

Planetside, but better would be the next evolution.

I wish Mirror's Edge would have sold better, so it would have influenced future FPS's. The way that game made First Person feel was incredible.

" I wish Mirror's Edge would have sold better, so it would have influenced future FPS's. The way that game made First Person feel was incredible. "

To be honest, I have no idea. I just wish that developers would stop cramming MP into every freaking title and instead focus on creating a truly immersive gameworld and story with the SP campaign.

I wish developers stopped making FPS games and just tried to make games in first person that had nothing to do with shooting. Mirror's Edge is the way I want future games to be, except for all the shooting parts of course. The platforming and speed of that game was incredible and the only reason it wasn't a critical and commercial success was the random choke points with like 5 snipers or guards in front of you. 

Both Riddick (Butcher Bay) and Mirrors Edge were some of my favorite recent first person perspective games. Riddick because of its pacing and utterly shameless stealth element, and Mirrors Edge because of its sheer dynamism and proprioception.
 
I'm weary of games where my only interface with the environment is through the barrel of a gun. I've been playing 3D shooters since Wolf 3D and I'm tired of shooting crowds of dudes who run at me. FPS has been reduced to a series of shooting galleries interspersed with grand set-piece events.
 
Give me more ways to interact with the world. Send me on an implicitquest to find the red key to open the red door, (or abstract that Metroidvania-style so I have to find the red weapon to access a new area), give me the opportunity to not kill dudes and reward me for avoiding them. Learn from Nintendo and realise that combinational mechanics are more important than story, and learn from Valve to stop shoving your bullshit story down my throat between levels. Learn that mature does not mean broing the fuck out. If you refuse to do any of these things call your game Serious Sam and make it straight-up ridiculous and ball-breakingly difficult to compensate.
 
Phew. Also I prefer when FPS protagonists don't speak because that fucks with my immersion, but I know that one is particularly divisive.

First person has a very immersive quality to it, but the problem is that it doesn't always provide one with the best gameplay. Aiming and shooting, as it turns out, are very hard to get just right, and I would kind of prefer if developers stopped using as a crutch to sell their games on. 
 
The problem is that most video games DO NOT HAVE GOOD WRITERS which means they try to make the main character a lifeless retard so that the player can project themselves onto this soulless husk in the hopes of getting someone t give a shit about their two cent plot lines. If they actually tried writing interesting characters, they'd find out that you don't need the immersive quality of the first person to sell a story. 
 
That's not to say that a blank MC is always a bad idea, it can work out quite well in fact, but most of the time it is a horrible idea and just makes the game more of a bore to slog through because it provides 0 motivation.

Unfortunately, this is kinda where shooters die. Platformers stopped rocking after they copied Sonic & Super Mario 64, fighting games just aren't the same since they've been copying Street Fighter, and I'll let somebody else talk about JRPGs :P.

" @Robiin said:

" I wish Mirror's Edge would have sold better, so it would have influenced future FPS's. The way that game made First Person feel was incredible. "

Well, the very problem with that game was that is was an FP S. Personally, I don't think it should have included any shooting at all. But yes, Mirror's Edge was indeed awesome. "

I think the reason Mirror's Edge was a better First Person game, save for the shooting element, was down to one simple thing. 
The camera. DICE placed the camera where Faith's eye level actually was, so you couldn't see your hands unless you were absolutely tanking it along, or needed them for climbing and vaulting. This made it so much more immersive, as it became a more believable experience, because, let's face it; NO ONE HAS A FUCKING EYE IN THEIR CHEST. 
 
I also agree with people mentioning better single-player, instead of tacking it on as an afterthought, and better writers.

"The problem is that most video games DO NOT HAVE GOOD WRITERS which means they try to make the main character a lifeless retard so that the player can project themselves onto this soulless husk in the hopes of getting someone t give a shit about their two cent plot lines. If they actually tried writing interesting characters, they'd find out that you don't need the immersive quality of the first person to sell a story."

Fry Cry 2 was great step in the right direction. Sadly the game wasn't very good at training you how to play and because of that the first 4 hours of game time just seems really hard, once you get the hang of the shooting, stealth and how and when to appropriately start fires it really becomes something else. I also quite liked the tension the game built but i think they actually had too many armed combatants in the open world stuff. That game would have been better if there were less armed guards (i.e. only at some check points, and perhaps a way to talk or bribe you way out of a conflict) and if they had some aggressive animals like lions and rhinos instead of just herbivores. This all being said I really loved just driving around in first person in that game, the you entered and handled the cars, the way you held the map up, it all felt good. 

" Fry Cry 2 was great step in the right direction. Sadly the game wasn't very good at training you how to play and because of that the first 4 hours of game time just seems really hard, once you get the hang of the shooting, stealth and how and when to appropriately start fires it really becomes something else. I also quite liked the tension the game built but i think they actually had too many armed combatants in the open world stuff. That game would have been better if there were less armed guards (i.e. only at some check points, and perhaps a way to talk or bribe you way out of a conflict) and if they had some aggressive animals like lions and rhinos instead of just herbivores. This all being said I really loved just driving around in first person in that game, the you entered and handled the cars, the way you held the map up, it all felt good.  "

While I did find Mirror's Edge quite an interesting endavour in the realm of first person, as many have expressed it didn't actually provide decent shooting and as such should have been discarded alltogether. I am, however, mostly a fan of the genre's shooting aspects and due to that I can't really find what I'm looking for in Mirror's Edge. 
 
If they took Riddick and polished the shooting to have a more weighty feel like Killzone 2 for example (minus the slow turning) things should turn out excellent.

" While I did find Mirror's Edge quite an interesting endavour in the realm of first person, as many have expressed it didn't actually provide decent shooting and as such should have been discarded alltogether. I am, however, mostly a fan of the genre's shooting aspects and due to that I can't really find what I'm looking for in Mirror's Edge.   If they took Riddick and polished the shooting to have a more weighty feel like Killzone 2 for example (minus the slow turning) things should turn out excellent. "

Some people might disagree, but I think better sounding games, instead of just having sound for the sake of it, try to make it immersive, unless it's required to be in your face, MoH beta has some great sounds going on, and as it stands that's part of the reason I play it. It's a simple thing, but I think it can make alot of difference in terms of making you feel like shits going down, and if you're shooting in a game, chances are shit's going down.

" @JoyfullOFrockets said:

" While I did find Mirror's Edge quite an interesting endavour in the realm of first person, as many have expressed it didn't actually provide decent shooting and as such should have been discarded alltogether. I am, however, mostly a fan of the genre's shooting aspects and due to that I can't really find what I'm looking for in Mirror's Edge.   If they took Riddick and polished the shooting to have a more weighty feel like Killzone 2 for example (minus the slow turning) things should turn out excellent. "

Mirrors Edge was good because for once you were the hunted and not the hunter. I value those kind of different experiences and it seems pretty amazing to me that something so basic is so rarely done. "

I personally want more effort put into making you feel like you're the person you're controlling.  If I look down in an FPS, I should see my legs/feet, if not my torso and legs.  If my person does not look like a floating gun with a camera strapped to it to other players, it shouldn't feel like it to me.  It's one of the few things that FEAR and Mirror's Edge did exceptionally well.

For what it's worth, I wish that some segment of FPS proper would revert back to the arena roots.  Q3A and UT'99 were really the peak of that segment of the genre, and the pacing those games offered can't be found today.

The next big thing for FPS is to have an actual fucking story and stop filling the game with a worthless MP component in order to get more copies. Not every game needs multiplayer, how about you polish the hell out of the single player before considering on multiplayer? 
 
Then there's also scale and size of FPS. MAG has a high player count but they feel essentially the same as a 64 players in a server clusterfuck. They need to somehow make it so that the bigger player count has an affect on the gameplay and not be some fancy fact that means nothing but advertisement purposes.  
 
I'd also like to see more tactical shooters out there in the market. We have a ton of run and gun shooters like COD and Halo. Developers should avoid churning out games that take place in the modern setting, otherwise it'll be like a WW2 clone all over again. 
 
I've been writing some ideas down on what kind ideal game that might make FPS more interesting once again. I'll probably go about posting it when I'm done.

The right direction is crysis.

 
-bigger levels for scale
-better graphics for realism 
-lot of physics for the nanosuit 
-more open world gameplay rather than linear 
-a variaty of tactics or abilities where your constantly thinking 

I think they have all the mechanics for the next big FPS leap out there, just need to fit them together just right. Mirrors Edge has been brought up enough so I wont go into it. Recent battlefield games have a IMO pretty spot on spawning system with the squads, though playing on your own really makes the game feel empty (even in a random squad). MW2 knows how to keep peoples attention, that is quick arena combat with a persistent leveling system (If UT3 had some sort of persistent leveling it would have been much more successful). MAG, though I personally haven't played it, seems to pushed the limits of large scale combat, though I really thought it was going to be this next 'leap' but after its release I really haven't heard much about it. Halo's forge and theater mechanic is something I think every FPS should have, especially the theater. In the competitive field replays of matches where you can view any angle is huge.
 
Personally, I would love to see a well done FPS similar to GUNs Online (TPS, so probably better examples out there, but only one that comes to mind. Maybe Stranglehold?). Wall jumping/running, throw some destructible environments in the mix, and class based load-outs and a theater system.

For me it would certainly be: 
  
Less shooting, more interaction and integration with the environment, more things to do other than just using guns on people; say like a disaster survival game, expedition style game, being part of a crew in a spaceship etc.  
 
We really should start calling the genre First Person Games, and leave the shooter out of it, so that it opens up to more possibilities; you can still have your shooters but they wont constitute 99% of the genre. So much potential making interesting and groundbreaking first person games that don't even touch a firearm. 

Personally, I think the next step forward in first-person shooters would be a shotgun with three barrels.
 
Just kidding, personally I'd like some faster movement on the animation side, something like the running in Mirror's Edge. I'd also like it if more games had cool features like firefight and the replay feature in Halo.

" I wish Mirror's Edge would have sold better, so it would have influenced future FPS's. The way that game made First Person feel was incredible. "

@HitmanAgent47:

"So much potential making interesting and groundbreaking first person games that don't even touch a firearm.  "

" Unfortunately, this is kinda where shooters die. Platformers stopped rocking after they copied Sonic & Super Mario 64, fighting games just aren't the same since they've been copying Street Fighter, and I'll let somebody else talk about JRPGs :P. "

"So, what genre is going to hit huge next? "

I think taking open ended/world elements, similar to that of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series or what Rockstar did with Red Dead Redemption,  and filtering them to keep the genre "general public" oriented is the way to go. Far Cry 2 is likely the closest to his idea so far and if more is built on it, we could get some very cool games that don't go over the heads of some people while getting a more visceral experience.

" @Video_Game_King said:

" Unfortunately, this is kinda where shooters die. Platformers stopped rocking after they copied Sonic & Super Mario 64, fighting games just aren't the same since they've been copying Street Fighter, and I'll let somebody else talk about JRPGs :P. "

So, what genre is going to hit huge next? "

" @Skytylz said:

"So, what genre is going to hit huge next? "

Turn-based hovercraft simulators.   You heard it first here :o "

" Fry Cry 2 was great step in the right direction. Sadly the game wasn't very good at training you how to play and because of that the first 4 hours of game time just seems really hard, once you get the hang of the shooting, stealth and how and when to appropriately start fires it really becomes something else. I also quite liked the tension the game built but i think they actually had too many armed combatants in the open world stuff. That game would have been better if there were less armed guards (i.e. only at some check points, and perhaps a way to talk or bribe you way out of a conflict) and if they had some aggressive animals like lions and rhinos instead of just herbivores. This all being said I really loved just driving around in first person in that game, the you entered and handled the cars, the way you held the map up, it all felt good.  "

People here have been saying that they want better movement like in Mirrors Edge. I'm sure tat some of you guys remember the game Brink which is suppose to be having that sort of free running feel to it which if done correctly could turn out awesome as long as they don't screw up the shooting  
 
Also i think the Borderlands did so many things right it was crazy. Just because the genre is FPS doesn't mean it has to be strictly shooting. they added the whole RPG feel to it as well and it worked really well. i just wish they had more skills/spells or that sort of thing 
 
Lastly games need to stop taking themselves so seriously  we need more games like TF2 that just ooze that look of fun 

" @JoyfullOFrockets: Of course, the game had tonnes of issues with it, but it took some strides in others. Being attacked all the time by nameless, chipmunk speaking African mercenaries: not fun. Being able to distract a group of enemies with a forest fire, than flanking them in a boat and not taking a single bullet: FUN!  "

" People here have been saying that they want better movement like in Mirrors Edge. I'm sure tat some of you guys remember the game Brink which is suppose to be having that sort of free running feel to it which if done correctly could turn out awesome as long as they don't screw up the shooting   Also i think the Borderlands did so many things right it was crazy. Just because the genre is FPS doesn't mean it has to be strictly shooting. they added the whole RPG feel to it as well and it worked really well. i just wish they had more skills/spells or that sort of thing  Lastly games need to stop taking themselves so seriously  we need more games like TF2 that just ooze that look of fun  "

I agree with the guy who said Borderlands did a lot right. While the story sucked, the gameplay and rpg mechanics were great and I've had so much fun with that game. It's the most I've enjoyed an FPS since Fallout 3(which is barely even an FPS). I think Brink looks awesome and is a great step in the right direction. Rage too. Also Fallout: New Vegas. I'm pretty excited for the new breed of FPS's coming out within the next year. I just hope they have some sort of story.

Giving players multiple ways of infiltrating,blowing up,and copleting an objective.Having larger maps/open ended world to support those mentioned before.Large level of interactivity,opening/destroying every single object,fully destructible enviorment.Focusing less on scripted moments thus giving the player a sense of unkown.Smarter AI.Giving the player time to "breath"  not bombarding him with an edless stream of explosions/action by also creating moments where the player can  immerse himself more in the world.Let the player chose who he wants to be,what objectives he should tackle first,what should he do (giving him a  high sense of replayability,and also letting him transfer his own personality into the game).Focusing on small detailes like haveing ammo clips and bullets stay on the ground,realistic holes in the wall,on the enemy,let the player be able to see his torso and legs,bullets passing thro walls,brick,wood,realistic balistic system,weather effects that come randomly.And much much more,the FPS genre could have no borders.

MMO
 
If only MMO developers didn't (on average) fail miserably at what they are trying to achieve.

multiple instanced and persistent sandbox world  with high customization - no monthly fee  
get rid of internet anonymity - probably reduces bums and griefers that plague the FPS experience probably more than anything else. 
no single player campaign - ultimately useless when the real meat and potato of FPS is online, provide some overarching narrative to spruce up the online world and nothing more. 
or release some developer tools and have fans create missions and share them for themselves - less work on developers and kind of leverages lost money on piracy by offloading it to the fans
smarter ad placements and revenue stream
no cover mechanic, why would anyone expect that in FPS that one can have a raised perspective of widescreen view when crouching down behind a cover? cover mechanic is terrible! 

I know I may be alone in this, especially considering the name of the genre, but how about not killing everything?  Five years ago, SWAT 4 was continuing to develop an idea that has since seemed to disappear.  One in which the object was to subdue the enemy without resorting to lethal force.  It takes a lot more thought and planning when taking the suspect alive, however in reality, these are the restrictions we place on ourselves by building a civilized society.  I'd like to see game developers ask more of players than head shots.  Requiring gamers to kill is easy.  Requesting that they think before pulling the trigger is much more demanding. 

 A lot of the suggestions here could just as easily be applied to third person games. What can you do in first person that you can't do in third person and how do you capitalize on that?