Best Games for Learning FPS Controls?

[VenerableMonk27]

I'm in the midst of introducing someone to gaming. They've played some of your basic platformers (Mario, et al.), puzzle games (Tetris, ilomilo), and third-person adventure (loved Journey and Flower), but they haven't tried anything with the first-person perspective and two-stick motion controls. What would you recommend to introduce this person to the FPS and related control schemes?

I've dug around the forum and watched the relevant Extra Credits videos, but I didn't find many examples of good first-person titles with gradual difficulty curves. It seems most contributors think Portal is the best game for teaching FPS controls. Do you agree? What game inspired you to learn two-stick movement? My first FPS was Goldeneye, but I didn't really get into competitive multiplayer until the Halo series. I'd love to introduce this person to the Valve games, Bioshock, Dishonored, etc., but I'm not sure where to start.

 

[sextus the crazy]

Portal is pretty good for the whole "aiming in first person thing". If you plan for them to do first person combat, I'd recommend that they play something like CoD 4 or Halo (or both) on an easier setting and then have them play through it.

 

[Treeinthewoods]

I actually think a good way to start is old school Doom or Wolfenstein 3D, there was no Y axis so all you had to do was get used to the turning and aligning the gun.

 

[Glongpre]

Any. It isn't the hardest thing to learn it just takes a lot of practice to become steady. Give them Unreal tournament, that should get them accustomed to the controls quickly
Trial by fire!!!! Seriously, there is no reason to give them my little pony's shooter just so they can learn controls.

Give them a game they will be interested in and they will play it and get better. And they will keep coming back because they like the game.

 

[GoaThief]

I think Portal is one of the absolute worst games to introduce someone into the first person perspective. It can be very overwhelming for some who are somewhat experienced so I'd certainly opt for a big budget FPS like CoD as they are quite easy, linear and reward even the poorest players with XP and complimentary pop ups.

 

[Smooth Operator]

If you want to teach controls then games with timed objectives are a very bad idea, which would exclude near all FPS games, but luckily there is one that is not a game but rather a toy, called Minecraft (or the one million billion clones) which just let you get on with whatever it is you want to do.

And once they get used to handling their surroundings you might as well try the casual kings, that being Halo and modern CoD.

 

[VenerableMonk27]

It's a fun game that's not very punishing on the lower difficulty settings, and the brief tutorial and starting section is very "hold your hand" friendly.

This is the sort of game I'm looking for. A game that checks for all the basic first-person movement/aiming skills early on without punishing you harshly if you're missing something.

I think the reason so many people bring up Portal as a good first game is that the opening section introduces one skill at a time without feeling like a tutorial.

Can anyone think of any other FPS games that build their tutorial into the first level and ask you to demonstrate the skills instead of just telling you what to do? What about other genres that use the first-person or over-the-shoulder perspective? I heard that The Last of Us has a pretty gradual start but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.

 

[VenerableMonk27]

It's a fun game that's not very punishing on the lower difficulty settings, and the brief tutorial and starting section is very "hold your hand" friendly.

This is the sort of game I'm looking for. A game that checks for all the basic first-person movement/aiming skills early on without punishing you harshly if you're missing something.

I think the reason so many people bring up Portal as a good first game is that the opening section introduces one skill at a time without feeling like a tutorial.

Can anyone think of any other FPS games that build their tutorial into the first level and ask you to demonstrate the skills instead of just telling you what to do? What about other genres that use the first-person or over-the-shoulder perspective? I heard that The Last of Us has a pretty gradual start but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.

 

[Bad Jim]

I would recommend Portal 2 over Portal 1. Portal 1 does require a certain amount of dexterity for some puzzles, it's not very difficult but it could be frustrating for a newcomer. Portal 2 on the other hand, requires virtually no dexterity. You can put the controller on the floor and beat it using your feet.

 

[TehCookie]

I found Portal to be great because you can take your time with it. You never have to worry about being shot or rushed. You can take your time and get use to the controls. The portals are disorienting to everyone at first, but with all the tutorials it has it eases you into it.

I also found Dishonored to be good because you have the FPS movement, but if you can't aim precisely you can just use melee. When you're hidden you can take your time aiming and not worry about running and shooting. I've only play the beginning but I found it doable and I'm shit at console FPSes.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

My first FPS was CoD 4, and I got pretty good at it from there. Start him/her out on easy and let it take off from there. If you'd like to go oldschool, Half Life would also work, but it can be a bit difficult for a beginner. The tutorials aren't great though.

Once they're done with that, make them play Spec Ops: The Line, so they can feel like shit for enjoying killing people so much.

If you need help introducing them to any other gemres, just drop us a line. We'll be happy to help.

 

[Doom972]

The Portal games are good for getting adjusted to playing in first person in a relatively safe environment.

Once you get that out of the way, it depends on whether you want that person to play with a mouse and keyboard or a controller.

For M&KB I recommend Half Life 2, as it is a pure shooter that would work on any modern PC and is still one of the best PC shooters.

For a controller, I recommend Bioshock, as it's one of the few where pushing the stick slightly to walk has a real use. I haven't played many shooters with a controller (I'm a PC gamer), so keep that in mind.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Halo is definitely your best bet for twin stick controls in an FPS.

Halo teaches you to be able to put multiple shots on someone to kill them, the importance of headshots, and the importance of picking the right weapon for the encounter. It's also fairly "noob friendly" because with shields you come back to a default point after each encounter, meaning you aren't punished for screwing up a fight so long as you survive it. The different enemy types really force you to approach each scenario differently, and teaches you to first scout and analyze enemy positions and weapons before starting a fight, since you're likely to have to scavenge weapons and you need to know which weapons you'll want.

Combine that with all of the different difficulties and combat modifications using the skulls, and you really have everything you need to teach someone how to get good at an FPS.

I'd say on the opposite end of the spectrum, COD is probably the worst to teach people how to play an FPS. The fact that people have so little health in it can really make new players annoyed, since they're usually killed before they even see an opponent, and that fosters some really bad habits, like wanting to camp in a dark corner all the time.

 

[Marik2]

I'm in the midst of introducing someone to gaming. They've played some of your basic platformers (Mario, et al.), puzzle games (Tetris, ilomilo), and third-person adventure (loved Journey and Flower), but they haven't tried anything with the first-person perspective and two-stick motion controls. What would you recommend to introduce this person to the FPS and related control schemes?

I've dug around the forum and watched the relevant Extra Credits videos, but I didn't find many examples of good first-person titles with gradual difficulty curves. It seems most contributors think Portal is the best game for teaching FPS controls. Do you agree? What game inspired you to learn two-stick movement? My first FPS was Goldeneye, but I didn't really get into competitive multiplayer until the Halo series. I'd love to introduce this person to the Valve games, Bioshock, Dishonored, etc., but I'm not sure where to start.

Halo and COD are the best choice for starting out someone with the FPS controls.

5 year olds are good at playing that game since it is extremely easy to pick up and shoot everyone.

 

[Easton Dark]

Yeah, don't do Portal.

I don't know why these people are thinking it'd be a good first stop.

Discount any stealth games, they would also be awful choices.

Half-Life 2 and CoD4 would be great for first FPSs, intro levels that teach and demand you prove you've learned before continuing.

 

[Clowndoe]

I got my own idea to toss into the fold: Painkiller (assuming PC is possible).

It may feel like trial by fire, but no game forces you to learn situational awareness and the importance of mobility like that game does, and on the lower difficulties it's not so unforgiving. I have a friend who's a grown-ass man and who'd played Halo and CoD but couldn't get past two rooms in Painkiller because he couldn't be arsed to backpedal and check his six once in a while. It also forces you to manage health and ammo and dodge projectiles. If you can play this you can learn to take cover in other games.

 

[Silverbeard]

Half-Life 2 and CoD4 would be great for first FPSs, intro levels that teach and demand you prove you've learned before continuing.

Half-Life 2 is as bad- worse, even- than Portal.
The same controls for movement on foot go in for vehicle movement. Really, Valve? I heaved up twice during that God cursed airboat section!

 

[Chris Tian]

Can anyone think of any other FPS games that build their tutorial into the first level and ask you to demonstrate the skills instead of just telling you what to do? What about other genres that use the first-person or over-the-shoulder perspective? I heard that The Last of Us has a pretty gradual start but I haven't gotten around to playing it yet.

Well, if you'r also looking for a over-the-shoulder game I would recomend Tomb Raider(the new one). The whole game feels like a tutorial and holds your hand squeezing tight and is super easy all the way through.

As for an FPS, I think Crisis 2 might be rookie-friendly. Its very easy on the low difficulties, doesn't have the freedom of its predecessor so no danger of getting lost and my then 10yo Brother had alot of fun with it. If I remember correctly it was his first FPS too.