Widescreen Gaming Forum

I just finished STALKER, and loved it. Now I need something to get me by.

I am looking for something atmospheric, & a really good story line.

My favourite single player games include:

1. Dues Ex
2. Stalker
3. Half Life 1 & 2

Other I have played:

Bioshock
Doom3

Some I am thinking of at the moment is:
Crysis
Halflife2 Episode 1
FEAR

I don't want your run of the mill War game or special ops either. It has to be atmospheric. Can anyone suggest anything else, and why it would be a good choice? I might be able to find something good in bargain bin.

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i'll have to give a thumbs up to the latest Half-Life 2 additions. Great story, cinematic gameplay, and they are must-haves. I'd also say that FEAR is very atmospheric and moody. Tons of eerie sections that sent chills up my spine.

I also thoroughly enjoyed Crysis. Many people complain that it was overhyped and that the game was an utter failure, but I found it to be very exciting. A definite movie-like story unfolds and the action is awesome. I will be going back soon to finish it all over again. Yup.

Also, this may not be a true "FPS" since it is mostly melee oriented from a first person perspective, but try Condemned. That game is guaranteed to scare the crap out of you because it's mood, visuals, atmosphere and sound are truly amazing.

COD4 is short, but it was very enjoyable for me because it was driven by a decently believable storyline, had some very intense game play, and it looks beautiful at the highest settings. Multiplayer is a definite hit.

I also very thoroughly enjoyed Gears of War for PC, even though it is a 3rd person shooter. Gritty, messy, dirty and jam packed with action and beautiful graphics.

I'll shut up now.

I don't want your run of the mill War game or special ops either. It has to be atmospheric.

On your list I would say FEAR has the most pizazz.


Ones not on your list.

The meh OK games.
Quake 4
Prey
Prey would have the better story. Quake 4 is more team based at some points.


The Deus Ex sequel is still a good game in its own right. It plays like the first one with a more non-linear gameflow as the story progresses.


The first Painkiller series has a lot of atmosphere but very little story and is pure action.


Dark Messiah of Might and Magic has a decent story. It is not a traditional shooter however.

Vampire Bloodlines has a great story and atmosphere but has equal roleplaying elements so that may not be what you are looking for.


The NOLF series is great if you can find them. The same goes for XIII.

You might want to consider Far Cry (if new means new to you) and Gears of War too.

System Shock 2 has your name written all over it. It practically wrote the book on atmospheric FPS's (though it owes a LOT to Half-Life), and it plays a lot like Deus Ex and STALKER, with heavy RPG elements and everything.

All games mentioned so far are great.

My favourite though FPS for the last few years is by far Rainbow Six Vegas. I highly recommend it

Call of Juarez is quite good if you feel for some "wild west" theme with very good graphics.

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter has a good reputation for a military good shooter.


If you are looking for very old FPS games, I will add Shogo: Mobile Armor Division.

It's like Robotech only with non flying units.

I think System Shock 2 would be the ace, but I tried to get into it about 1 year ago, and couldn't get past the old school graphics. A shame. I hope it gets redone (ala better than BioShock)

I think I will give FEAR a stab.

Thanks boys.

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moboP8P67-M-PRO-V3 cpuI5-2500K-3.3GHZ ramOCZ8GB gpu260GTX hddOCZ-VERTEX II-SSD psuNEOHE550W hudBENQ20"

I loved FEAR and I would say it has atmosphere in spades, though enviornments in that game can get repetitive... they were going for an "action in real life enviornments" vibe and I love it, but lots of people got bored after the tenth warehouse room.

Condemned is also a great choice, very moody atmosphere that really makes you feel like a lone man against a city gone insane. Some of the rooms and set-ups in that game gave me chills, and there's nothing like fighting through a dozen guys with just a lead pipe, only to suddenly spot a guy across the room with a shotgun...

Some no one mentioned:

Call of Juarez nails the western atmosphere in my opinion and has some spiffy graphics. It's completely linear and somewhat short, but you should enjoy every minute of it if you like westerns and that kind of thing.

Lost Planet is not an FPS but close enough, and I for one thought it was a AAA title last year in graphics and cinematic gameplay. It feels very Japanese but at the same time is a blast to play and look at.

It's sad that I can't come up with something recent with the RPG elements of Deus Ex and Stalker, but... those games are just too rare. I agree with the above comments that Deus Ex: Invisible War isn't nearly as bad as some say though, a fine game in its own right, just not nearly as good as the original.

Some no one mentioned:

Call of Juarez nails the western atmosphere in my opinion and has some spiffy graphics. It's completely linear and somewhat short, but you should enjoy every minute of it if you like westerns and that kind of thing.

Check the second post above yours.

Downloading FEAR Gold edition as we speak. $29.95 for 1st and 2nd editions.

Not sure about the whole slow motion thing, but we shall soon find out.

I can't wait for STALKER: Clear Sky to come out. I like my FPS's with Character Development elements.

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moboP8P67-M-PRO-V3 cpuI5-2500K-3.3GHZ ramOCZ8GB gpu260GTX hddOCZ-VERTEX II-SSD psuNEOHE550W hudBENQ20"