In the war between PC and console gaming, the former is just assumed to always be Windows. But what about Mac? Sure, there isn’t a huge number of games available for Apple’s desktop operating system, but it’s not completely bereft of titles.
In fact, in recent years, some developers like Valve have seemed keen to develop for Mac too. We have already taken a look at the best action games for Mac, but that covered every single type, from action-adventure to third-person shooters. I wanted to go old-school and discover what first person shooter (FPS) games are available for OS X, and I was quite surprised by the selection…
It’s been six years since Valve released The Orange Box, but there’s no doubt in my mind that this is still the best deal in gaming available. For just $20, you get Half-Life 2, its expansion packs Episode One and Episode Two, the original Portal and Team Fortress 2. Half-Life 2 is among the best games ever made, with a fantastic storyline, gripping gameplay and graphics that still don’t look outdated today. Portal is the finest first-person puzzle game, and Team Fortress 2 is the most fun multiplayer team game you will play. Five high-quality first-person shooters for that price? You’d have to be crazy not to buy that.
If you asked me to name the most insane yet fun action game in the past few years, I wouldn’t even need to think for a second to say Borderlands 2. The original Borderlands was a blast and the sequel only improves on that. Playing as one of four “vault hunters”, you have a wide variety of weapons at your disposal, from shotguns to sniper rifles, with plenty of variation in each type. The comic book-like animation style only adds to the charm, taking away realism and putting fun back into the virtual world of guns and gore. No wonder this one made it to our list of the top 10 games on the PlayStation 3.
Like the original Bioshock, Bioshock Infinite has one of the best storylines in video games. Steampunk has never been executed so well in gaming and Infinite scores high on every aspect: story, gameplay, graphics, voice acting and sound. My personal favorite is hopping on to the Skyline, a single-person railway system which you use to travel around the floating city of Columbia with a hook mechanism. There is nothing as cool as zipping along and shooting enemies. The video above doesn’t do it justice, you need to try it!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is arguably the best FPS game to be made in the last few years, and definitely the best war game. The franchise kicked away the obsession developers had with World War II shooters and focussed on modern combat instead. The result was one of the most engrossing games ever made with incredible variety in the gameplay, be it as the perfect sniper in Chernobyl, shooting targets on the ground from an airplane, or crawling through enemy lines undetected with your camouflage. Matt wrote a great article on the evolution of the FPS genre from the early days of Doom to COD: Modern Warfare. And after the success of Modern Warfare came a new franchise, Black Ops. The gameplay is similar, so when you’re done with MW, hop on to Black Ops.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaXl7DKG86U
If you like zombie shooters, Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2 is as good as they get and deservedly finds a spot in the best Xbox 360 games. As a single-player game, L4D2 is a lot of fun, making you attempt to live through a zombie apocalypse as part of a band of four survivors. But where it really shines is in co-op gameplay. Buy it on Steam, connect with other players online and stave off wave after wave of zombies to make the world a safer place once again.
Perfectly marrying the strengths of RPG with those ofthe FPS, it’s a pity that Deus Ex Human Revolution doesn’t get the recognition it deserves (although Dave ranked it as one of the best games of 2011). How you interact with other characters will determine the outcome of the game, and meanwhile, there’s plenty of fighting and stealth action to keep you occupied. And when you throw in a mechanically augmented man as your lead character, there’s always going to be the kind of mayhem you want to be in the middle of!
This one is contentious and might just start a flame war in the comments, but The Darkness 2’s gameplay is a blast. Sure, the storyline is silly. Sure, the graphics aren’t the best. Sure, the voice-acting is downright amateurish. But does any of that matter when you’re a paranormal being with a human body appended with two tentacles? You can slice up enemies, grab and toss them, or perform the most gruesome kills once you have them in your power. This one ain’t for kids; I’m not even sure this one is for most adults given the amount of gore involved. But if you like twisted fun, you can’t go wrong with The Darkness 2. Leave your brains at home and just enjoy the crazy gameplay.
Yup, I know I didn’t mention some great FPS games for the Mac. Portal 2, if you can look beyond the “shooter” part, would top this list. Max Payne 3 might look like a third-person shooter, but it plays like an FPS. And then there’s Serious Sam 3: BFE, which is as close as you can get to being Arnold Schwarzenegger. There’s no “definitive list”, so I want to know your picks. What would you remove from this list and what would you replace it with?
Photo Credit: GabrielaP93
AAA vs Indie in the mobile space. Who is winning?
11 Must-Have Apps on Ubuntu Right After a Fresh Install
The Witcher 3 Hearts of Stone: Shani / Geralt romance details
How To Play PlayStation Store Video Purchase On PlayStation 4
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Guide: How To Unlock All Achievements/Trophies For XBO/PS4