Why are you never left alone in First Person Shooters anymore?

Is it just me, or are we never doing any solo missions or in FPS's? I remember in Goldeneye, Timesplitters, Doom that you were primarily left alone. I miss that, because now there is pretty much always somebody there to lead you, which is cool, but I feel it should be an even split of alone and wit some dudes.

Bioshock.

@Mordukai: And just how long ago was that made, and hey guess who is with you in Bioshock Infinite...

Resistance 3?

Metro 2033? There's plenty of em, but I haven't been playing many FPS's this year so I can't say which ones are or not.

Those games also had a fairly limited story, having companions allows a narrative to be told. Bioshock is a lonesome game but it had audio recordings.

I want an FPS where the guy only talks to himself and it would kinda be like A Beautiful Mind the video game because your only assistance is from your imaginary friends

Who would you follow?

@MistaSparkle said:

I want an FPS where the guy only talks to himself and it would kinda be like A Beautiful Mind the video game because your only assistance is from your imaginary friends

So you mean like..

Designers don't trust players not to be totally retarded anymore. Perhaps with good reason. "FOLLOW" is the worst culprit. Close second are the massive button prompts for simple actions you perform about a million times over the course of the game (pick up ammo, reload etc.)

@FlemmingM: EXACTLY, but with less shooting and more parkour!

You were basically alone in Far cry 2 and Bioshock 2. That been said I understand the point you're making, we do need a balance in most of today's FPS games.

I think it's surely more often that you get allies and NPCs in FPS's nowadays, devs like to liven up the surroundings more with adding some light RPG elements. It's back in the 90s when the genre was emerging and defining itself, you just had the basics: Gun, map and enemies to shoot, the AI development was kinda basic then as well. The story was told in cutscenes only then, whereas the current trend of call it immmersive storytelling they like to have the story characters in the game environment.

But I wouldn't say you don't get to go solo plenty enough still, thinking of games like Crysis series, Borderlands, Far Cry 2, Rage, Serious Sam BFE, Stalker series, Resistance series, list goes. To me at least it seems that you still blow stuff up by yourself.

i think because technology has advanced where you can have people talk to you and follow good. remember back in the day where a game would have a character follow you to find the following character just walking into the wall. you had to walk back for her to follow you again.

I just dislike it when you have to follow someone else around, like some kind of tard or sidekick to that guy. If I'm not alone, I expect those people to FOLLOW ME!

because FPS's are designed for multiplayer now. and any campaign mode in an FPS must allow for co-op play.

most of the people i check gamercards for in MW3 don't have the achievement for starting the SP campaign. you get an achievement just for STARTING it and most people don't have it. they never even clicked on the SP option before going to multiplayer.

i honestly don't even know why they put single player in MW3 or BF3. it's pretty clear that the vast majority of this demographic is not interested.

what's the last successful single player FPS? really? Rage? yeah people loved that.

hard reset looks fucking awesome though i wish it was on consoles, but guess what, it would probably flop because no multiplayer.

It has nothing to do with players being too dumb and the need to herd you. If the setting calls for it, having other characters to bounce the atmosphere and current events off is a great idea. Much rather be walking with a bunch of guys talking about whats going on and whatnot, exposing backstory, than picking up a document and reading two pages of text.

When the atmosphere calls for it you're left alone. These are older titles but:

Condemned 2 left you alone all the time.

FEAR2 you were alone practically 99% of the time.

RAGE you played by yourself

Singularity you're by yourself

Metro 2033 most of the time by yourself

Halo Reach FELT like you were by yourself to me even though you weren't really

Chronicles of Riddick Assault on Dark Athena

I'm absolutely fine with having other characters with me, talking, as long as they're interesting and leading me around. That doesn't insult my intelligence or anything. If it's a First Person Shooter the path is going to be pretty linear anyway so if theres a guy who I have to "Follow" or if I'm walking down a single corridor it makes no difference to me.

Nah most FPS still have solo missions so yeah. Pointless thread.

It's to give it a sense of population and companionship in singleplayer games. Some games kinda need it (Skyrim), some games use the fact that you're alone to their advantage (Amnesia).

You need someone to open the door for you to the next scripted sequence....

Last time I was left alone in a FPS I had to crawl under a bunch of soldiers who were looking for me. And I was attacked by a rat.. A FUCKING RAT! I could really have used my guys back there, but nooooo

It adds a sense of scale. No, this major Global conflict you're fighting in isn't fought just by you. You have actual AI controlled teammates that are supposed to fight with you and cover your back. A bad single player game to me is exactly what you described. The developer can't bother to add in teammates because they can't master AI and character development. That, or they're stuck in 1994 (Bethesda) and haven't bothered to improve AI handling leaving you stuck with "companions" that are brain dead and thus aren't used for much else besides fighting.

Also, it doesn't make sense for you to be alone since a lot of them try to be "realistic" in some sense. You wouldn't be able to take on so many people alone in a real situation.

Not that they are in any way realistic anyway, but that's a different point.

Rage was a breathe of fresh air, and I certainly enjoyed it (though it's reception is admittedly mixed).

It is disappointing when games like Half-Life 2, with the great atmosphere, have your AI buddy pop in with some witty quip. Let me enjoy some of that stuff alone, Alyx.

@laserbolts said:

Nah most FPS still have solo missions so yeah. Pointless thread.

For example, MW3 had you follow somebody/group of peopl the entire game.

@iam3green said:

i think because technology has advanced where you can have people talk to you and follow good. remember back in the day where a game would have a character follow you to find the following character just walking into the wall. you had to walk back for her to follow you again.

That happens in Black Ops.

I see your point, but I think it is because if you're alone and killing hundreds of enemies you either have to seem powerful like Master Chief or be stealthy(ish) and skilled like Agent 47, Snake or James Bond.

Metro 2033? There's plenty of em, but I haven't been playing many FPS's this year so I can't say which ones are or not.

Dead Island?

If there is one thing I hated about old FPSes, it'd be always being alone. I know it's good for atmospheric reasons yes, but being always alone only reminds me what a sad emo kid i am playing video games in my room.

HL2, DKF, Singularity come to mind with modern games that leave you to yourself most of the time.