Mission-based FPS games?

[vv85]

Goldeneye: 'I want to play level X' = turn on game, go to level X
Other FPS games: 'I want to play level X' = turn on game, dig through save files, 'do I load the one from the 16th or the 22nd? Oh I dont have ammo on the 16th one, lets try the other one.. hmm no armor, and I'm missing a gun... guess I'll play the level before it. Ugh I hate this level... *play a bit* ohh crap and I already made a decision in a previous level which impacts my ability to play this section!! .. Whats another game I can play!?'

I loved Goldeneye because you could turn it on and just play an level. Choose level, difficulty, boom. Cant do that nowdays...Its all massive end-to-end games, where EVERY DECISION MATTERS! I dont want my actions to matter, if I did I wouldn't be playing a video game!!!

Are there any new'er FPS games with mission-based level selection, like Goldeneye? Even older ones I could buy?

 

[DoPo]

Well, Half-Life 2 does that, I think the first one that's on Steam also does it (or at the very least, Black Mesa does). Though how much of a "mission" it is is sort of up to debate. It's more like...well, not a mission.

Also, Portal 1/2, though the "shooting" bit is puzzle based only.

Then, there is Left 4 Dead, if you're into that - just go and shoot some zombies. Choose a level and shoot zombies, that's pretty much it. There is a story that connects them, but I'm pretty sure you can easily ignore it. I personally didn't get into the game - it requires...well, friends, and I'm not into that. I mean coop shooters. And zombies. I have lots of friends. Totally.

Spoiler

 

[vv85]

Didnt know HL2 did that, that gives me motivation to actually play it now... Dont really count Portal as FPS, and its not a quick 'pick up and play' imo. Not looking for multiplayer games either.

I was thinking about some of the Rainbow Six games, I think they're mission-based? I'll check it out tomorrow... I need more ideas though!!

 

[Doom972]

I would also like to recommend Half Life 2.

Other games that come to mind:

SWAT 4 is a tactical shooter that requires you to give orders to your squadmates to complete missions effectively. The enemy location is randomized when you start a mission and you can't save in the middle of a mission. You can die very easily if you don't make sure to cover your blind spots.

The Hitman series is more about stealth than shooting (though you could try and shoot your way through if you insist), except for its most recent game - Absolution.

 

[DoPo]

SWAT 4 is a tactical shooter that requires you to give orders to your squadmates to complete missions effectively. The enemy location is randomized when you start a mission and you can't save in the middle of a mission. You can die very easily if you don't make sure to cover your blind spots.

Oh, right - I'd like to second that. Technically, the game has a campaign where you progress through missions but there is nothing stopping you from playing any level you want. There isn't much of a story to speak of, the missions are all "There is a situation here, you go deal with it" - you could have terrorists taken hostages, or bombs planted throughout the building, or maybe trying to bust a drug lab. And the missions aren't pre-set...not a lot, at least - the hostages, bombs, and enemies would spawn on different locations every time, and you can have a varying number of each, too, so one time you can find 3 terrorists, but on the next playthtrough, they may be 5. Also, you can make yourself custom challenge missions - set what range of enemies would their be, their behaviour (how likely would they be to give up without much of a fight) and the number of hostages and such.

It's a great game. Make sure you pick up the expansion - Stetchkov Syndicate, it adds new weapons and items, as well as the ability to punch people (very useful to subdue them). You can just play the original campaign using the expansion resources. And the expansion is standalone, too - there isn't much of a need for the core game.

 

[Little Gray]

You do realise that almost every shooter has that option right? There are very few mission based ones that dont do that.

 

[MysticSlayer]

I know all the Call of Duty games from CoD2-MW3 (can't speak for BO2) allowed you to pick the level you wanted to play without having to look through the save files (the first CoD didn't allow this). It goes without saying, though, that the franchise has been going downhill, and that goes for the campaigns as well. If you stick with the Infinity Ward games, though, you should be good.

Most of the Medal of Honor games prior to the 2010 reboot allowed for some degree of mission selection. Medal of Honor: Allied Assault was easily the best and is still held up as one of the best games in the military shooter genre, but you can only pick a mission in the game, not the specific level within that mission. In other words, if you want to make your escape from the base in the second mission, you'll have to play through every level in the mission prior to that, but you won't have to do anything in the first mission. Airborne was...yeah...decent, but not great. Still, you're able to pick any level you want.

Half-Life 2 allows you to pick what level you want, but that's already been said here, so I won't go into any more detail.

I believe Crysis 2 also allows you to pick the level you want. I know the Crysis games aren't well-known for having good gameplay, but I did find Crysis 2 to be enjoyable to play. Probably my favorite shooter on the 360.

 

[Hero of Lime]

Halo games allow you to jump to any mission you beat, while changing the difficulty, or adding skulls to make it harder. I'm pretty sure most modern FPS games have a similar system. Although I agree that the Goldeneye difficulty system of adding objectives to make the mission harder was such a great system.

 

[PatrickXD]

I can't think of a mission based FPS that doesn't let you do that.
Even slightly less mission based, more procedural games like Dishonored let you do that. The only FPS games that immediatey jump to mind as not allowing the mission selection capability would be the Deus Ex series.

 

[josemlopes]

A lot of games let you do that and Half-Life 2, while letting you do that it doesnt start you with whatever gear you had on before but a pre-determined one (you may had more ammo and shield in your original playthrough).

If you like Goldeneye then play Perfect Dark (the XBLA remake is good) and the Timesplitters games, you owe that to yourself

 

[hazabaza1]

What modern mission based shooter have you been playing where A) You have armour and B) You can run out of ammo?
Seriously, point some in my direction, I'm interested.

 

[karloss01]

Other FPS games: 'I want to play level X' = turn on game, dig through save files, 'do I load the one from the 16th or the 22nd? Oh I dont have ammo on the 16th one, lets try the other one.. hmm no armor, and I'm missing a gun... guess I'll play the level before it. Ugh I hate this level... *play a bit* ohh crap and I already made a decision in a previous level which impacts my ability to play this section!! .. Whats another game I can play!?'

like others here I'm finding it hard to think of even one Modern FPS that does this. its only in retro games (Doom, Quake and even half-life) that i could save game my way into a corner and have to restart a level with only the basic weapon (at least in Doom's case).

 

[Korten12]

and that goes for the campaigns as well. If you stick with the Infinity Ward games, though, you should be good.

Really? I mean I enjoyed MW3 SP but Blops 2 SP was A LOT better. Better story and the really well made choice system made it have replayability. It also had a bit wider levels that allowed for flanking and optional objectives.

 

[MysticSlayer]

and that goes for the campaigns as well. If you stick with the Infinity Ward games, though, you should be good.

Really? I mean I enjoyed MW3 SP but Blops 2 SP was A LOT better. Better story and the really well made choice system made it have replayability. It also had a bit wider levels that allowed for flanking and optional objectives.

As I said, I can't speak for Black Ops 2 because I haven't played it. Maybe BO2 was different, but considering that Treyarch was responsible for both CoD3 and BO1, with BO1 being particularly responsible for my hatred of Treyarch, I just don't feel like gambling another $60+ on the company.