Realism Shooters vs Arcade Shooters

[James]

Right, question for you: what type of FPS/TPS games do you like to play?

There is a on-going argument with the genre with these types of games, the realism vs arcade war.

Without explaining too much, realism shooters normally focus on tactical and "waiting game" play, where as arcade shooters encourage mindless brute force and adrenaline rushing gameplay.
For those who don't get it yet, I made a short list for both types:

Realism

Rainbow Six series
Ghost Recon series
Battlefield series
Counterstrike series (loosely should be here...)
S.W.A.T 4

Arcade

Time Splitters series
Golden Eye
Halo series
Unreal Tournament series
Serious Sam

People argue far too much about this, people say that the tactical games are boring and slow where as others have a opinion that the arcade games are childish, too fast and require no real aiming skill.

Traits of tactical games normally include:

• ALOT of various gadgets for stealth
• Different varietys of the same type of weapons for you to select your preference.
• Require your patience and timing to lay down fire against your adversaries.
• Hard to stay alive, 2 shots can pretty much kill you so you cant even chance stray bullets.

Traits of arcade games normally include:

• Powerups or pickups to heal or make yourself stronger, awww yeh!.
• BIG weapons for every single needed situation.
• Run in and clear game play, could go very right or VERY wrong -- super risk.
• Health regeneration or a viewable amount of 'hitpoints', go and take a few holes from their sniper!, as long as you're alive you always get the next shot right?

Lastly, I've noticed 2 very special games that have strayed from both types and became a hybrid of both, these games are Gears of War and Rainbow Six: Vegas (Oddly both on the same Unreal 3 engine). Gears of War however is more of a arcade tactical shooter and Rainbow Six: Vegas strays from its roots and is mostly played with rushing, becoming Rambo: Vegas.

In my opinion, games like GOW and Rambo: Vegas that borrow elements from the 2 different sides are the future of shooting gaming.
What is your opinions on this, and what do you prefer...and why?

(Cyberpunk shooters such as System Shock, Bioshock, Half Life [technically not cyberpunk] S.T.A.L.K.E.R and Deus Ex shall be ignored in this topic...because of obvious incomparable game play)

[clyzm]

I like Arcade shooters such as Quake and STV:EF, tbh I find them more fun than realism shooters.

[James]

I also prefer arcade shooters where I am a bulking madman with a laser gun, but I don't mind abit of army or special forces themed tactical combat sometimes.

[~D[A]rren~]

Why can't I pick both?

[clyzm]

I think realism shooters got ruined when America's Army was made, then every game followed the typical war theme, if not the SWAT/tactical team theme. They nearly have the same plot every time, the only difference is of course weapons and detail.

One exception is Black, because it has a good story and plot.

[Dae]

Realism in gaming kills sportsmanship.

[Professor Layton]

I prefer arcade games: Games aimed on realism are no fun as its all about getting the first hit kinda, resulting in those games usually ending up with a lot of campage.

[Psykorgasm]

No idea, its hard to choose, basically because I love the Unreal Tournament series. MEDICCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC!!!!
Hmmm, fuck it. Arcade shooters for me.

[Siva]

Both.

Although If I had to choose one - Tactical Shooters.

Simply because, you get alot less choobs online while pubbing them.

[Kaiden]

Eh, hard to say really. I like BattleField and CounterStrike just as much as Halo and Golden-eye. Eh, I'd have to go with Realism I guess.

[Spiderbot01]

Arcade for online, but realism for offline.

I just like waiting for a patrolling Iraqi to pop his head up and get pounded by a sniper rifle.. :ey

[James]

Sniper fights are fucking borin', I dont get why people get a rush from potting a shot to the face then having to cry in their little sniper corner crying from the amount of stray bullets surpressing him...

I have ALWAYS prefered shotguns in ANY game, I think there is nothing better than entering a room on my own, killing the guy right in front of me with a shot to the torso then quickly crouching to take out the guy on the right with a close range shotgun head blast while the guy on the left is spraying his SMG in fear while I get back up, strafe sideways and shoot his legs off.

[MrBlackDX]

I like hybrids, where the game gives you a weapon selection which dictates the method of gameplay

A lot of FPS's give this, with the exceptions which intentionally emphasise to play it one way or another, (jays examples being good examples)

Take Soldier of Fortune, you can play the game once with a shotgun on gunning missions, and then again with the sniper rifle on "shoot the gun out of the enemies hands mode" etc

However, Counter-strike is a bad example of how a hybrid game should be made. It gives the option to select "gunning" weapons, the shotguns and duelies for example, however because the balance in the game veers towards the accuracy weapons, (AK/M4 and AWP), you cannot use these weapons as effectively.

Arcade for online, but realism for offline.

So DX then...?

[James]

lol DX was never realistic, developers even said this themselves...however before the team got big they had it in mind to make it a very realistic game for its time. In development, JC's nano augmentations were very simplistic.

[synthetic]

I see DX as more of a realistic game than just a game where you spend most of the time running around with plasmagun or rocketlauncher.

[Big Daddy]

I also prefer arcade shooters where I am a bulking madman with a laser gun, but I don't mind abit of army or special forces themed tactical combat sometimes.

I think Surreal Shooters just kick ass! I want to escape reality, not be dragged into it more.

Tom Clancy games are all turning into the same game!

Terrorists from MEXICO violate National Security, so you and a specialist team of agents/soldiers/counter terrorists must foil their plot for the government.


However it is always nice to have some variety. Rainbow Six is more addictive than Gears of War!

Sometimes game developers try too hard to make it realistic and just fail miserably, e.g: Counter Strike.

[Bob]

Get Opposing Force and Armed Assault.

REAL tactical games and none of that shite James claims to be 'tactical' (although i love SWAT 4.)

[James]

Get Opposing Force
REAL tactical games and none of that shite James claims to be 'tactical'

I wasn't aware tactical pitted you against aliens with guns attached to a arm on their stomach while using machines on the wall to repair your armour.
Ghost Recon and pre-Vegas Rainbow Six?!, not tactical?

[Cureless_Poison]

Snip

[EternalDeath]

I like both and some not even on the list like RPGs and RTSs but I would right now say realistic games are the best

[Chococat]

I go with arcade shooters, because I love to play TS2 as the snowman flying around on a magic carpet shooting giant gingerbread men.

[Spiderbot01]

I go with arcade shooters, because I love to play TS2 as the snowman flying around on a magic carpet shooting giant gingerbread men.

yeyeyeyeyeye monkey all the way though

[James]

Monkey is fucking gay, his strength is shite lol.

[Kaiden]

But it's impossible to hit the dwarf-like monkey . Well, to get a headshot anyway.

[James]

What is this headshot you speak off?, what is lead?

TIME SPLITTERS ONLY KNOWS WHAT PLASMA AND EXPLOSIVES IS

[Kaiden]

Lol indeed! But for some of the challenges you have to like shoot 200 monkeys in the head in 50 seconds and don't let them get to the other side of the room kind of thing.

[Bob]

Get Opposing Force
REAL tactical games and none of that shite James claims to be 'tactical'

I wasn't aware tactical pitted you against aliens with guns attached to a arm on their stomach while using machines on the wall to repair your armour.
Ghost Recon and pre-Vegas Rainbow Six?!, not tactical?

I meant Operation Flashpoint cunt. Super realistic games.

[Chococat]

I go with arcade shooters, because I love to play TS2 as the snowman flying around on a magic carpet shooting giant gingerbread men.

yeyeyeyeyeye monkey all the way though

Urgh I hate the monkey. One of the characters I refuse to play as. Simply coz its smaller and you have to aim upwards all the fucking time. >: (

[Spiderbot01]

I go with arcade shooters, because I love to play TS2 as the snowman flying around on a magic carpet shooting giant gingerbread men.

yeyeyeyeyeye monkey all the way though

Urgh I hate the monkey. One of the characters I refuse to play as. Simply coz its smaller and you have to aim upwards all the fucking time. >: (

Who aims?!

[Jon]

The big robot doesnt set on fire though.