Top 10 First-Person Shooter Cliches

Where the word “cliche” is concerned, the definition might as well include discussion of  first-person shooter titles. It’s one of those words that I don’t hear of too often, but when I do, most often the person will be talking about an FPS game. What is it about that genre that makes cliches so noticeable? Well, it could be that certain gameplay aspects are done to death, and in multiples, in countless FPS titles.

It’s tough for a developer to create a totally unique gaming experience, that much I understand. But, a lot can be improved when taking a look at lists like the “Top 10 FPS Cliches” that was posted at IGN last week. For the most part, I have to agree with almost everything listed, and really, I didn’t even realize just how overused some of these gameplay elements were until I saw them listed.

For example, when is the last time you played an FPS that didn’t have some “mega” weapon that could be acquired near the end of the game? Or one that contained barrels you couldn’t explode? Or crates!? Or the ability to hold a ridiculous amount of gear/ammo without being weighed down? Although some FPS games have done well to stray off the beaten path, there’s definitely room for improvement. If developers took a look at this list and tried to create a game with none of what’s listed here, we’d no doubt wind up with some pretty interesting results.

Alright. I’ll exclude exploding barrels. I won’t complain if they stay.

Whatever this evil villain’s plan is, it apparently can’t be pulled off without a tremendous quantity of explosive liquids. Fortunately for us, this vast supply of highly volatile fluids is so important to his operation that he wants to know where it is at all times. With that in mind, he’s had the stuff put into bright red barrels that are stacked neatly in plain view.