The Genres of Games: First Person Shooters

What kind of game is an FPS?

First Person Shooters (FPS), are exactly what they sound like: they take the role of the player into a first-person perspective where the player can effective do anything any human would do IRL (within game parameters, of course).

As the name implies, you do have to shoot people with a variety of weapons, so there is a large degree of violence involved with these kinds of games. Perfect examples of leading FPS game series are Battlefield, Halo, and Call of Duty. These games are the triangle of gaming in their area.

To summarize this, First Person Shooters are games that take the perspective of a man or woman fighting for a purpose, hence, seeing the battle through their eyes and making decisions based off what you see. If that means blowing up a building to do so, then do it.

How can I know FPS games are for me?

Its quite simple, really. If you enjoy fast paced games where you have to brute through your way to victory using a arsenal of weapons, devastating enemies that get in your way, then these games are for you. The great part about these kinds of games is they are great fun to play with friends and can strengthen bonds between them.

Another great way to know is ask yourself this question: “Do I like the act of conflict and being able to change the outcome?”

If so, then FPS games are pretty much in your category for fun things to play. If not, then try another kind of game. There are so many, so you’re bound to find at least one kind that you like.

Do they help me at all in the long run?

Of course! Almost every game helps in some way or another. The great upside to playing these games is that they test your reaction times greater than any other kind of game. Science has proven with statistics that people who play FPS games have better reflexes, faster thinking under pressure, and even can help train critical eyesight recognition, i.e., how well you can see something and whether you can recognize what it is.

Another aspect which is not considered is people who play these games are already mentally prepared on how to deal with guns, in different levels of intensity, of course. People who play these games like Call of Duty, which utilize real-life guns such as the M16, MP7, and Dragunov, will know more about these guns and how they function and general parameters, i.e., what kind/caliber of bullet does this fire and what kind of gun is this (generally, of course, as every gun is different).

Unfortunately, there is always a downside to these things. FPS games, since they are very violent and require large amounts of energy to play, can put a lot of stress on the gamer of today and are generally not the best thing to play all the time.

So should I play these games or not?

Hey, that’s completely up to you. You decide what games you play or don’t play. I’ve labeled the different point to each, including ups and downs to them and the different things they can affect.

As an avid gamer, I would say that playing these games on a regular basis is a great idea if you want to pass time or even sharpen your skills in a department department. And don’t forget, FPS games do help train certain skills, so keeping up on that is always a good idea in my books.

Again, to summarize this, I would look at this genre and list the good things and bad things. If you don’t want to do that, then do what I do: Try it out! It is the best way to get a feel for what your up against and helps you make a decision whether to play these games or not.

• Gaming Genres