SEGA Dreamcast is one of the gaming system that I had this for awhile back in early 2000s. It shares varieties of many great libraries of arcade games, fighting games, racing games, light-gun games, shoot em ups, sports games, RPGs, and action-adventures, but I also grew up with the genre where you're just a on-foot player on the mission to shoot the hell of these guys which is a first-person shooter that was best known for its own groundbreaking single-player action and has addictive and over-the-top multiplayer matches.
I had fun with the shooters titles like Doom, Quake, Half-Life, Turok, and Goldeneye 007 that kept me playing on mostly PC and N64 back then, but I wanted to talk about my experience with the FPS games that I've played it on this system because I heard some of those had said that the SEGA Dreamcast didn't had a killer console-exclusive FPS games as you could say N64 has Turok and Goldeneye 007, while the PS1 has Medal of Honor.
To be quite honest, it didn't really matter what FPS games you've played on the system as long as you had a solid title starting from action-oriented campaign to more on multiplayer-based arena shooters is what really matters the most.
I wanted to make my 5 favourite shooters that I highly recommended to those who owns the SEGA Dreamcast on their collection and interested in playing an FPS should considered checking it out.
So without go further do, here is my top 5 SEGA Dreamcast FPS Games.
5 - Outtrigger
It's interesting to see any of Japanese companies like SEGA AM2 attempting to create an FPS game originally for Arcade running on SEGA Naomi hardware in 1999, and was later released on SEGA Dreamcast in 2001.
Outtrigger is a FPS title where you take control of anti-terrorist group traveling around the stages and taking out bad guys, as you will select any of 4 default characters where each of them has different weaponry such as rocket, rifles, guns, grenades, and etc, as well as having different attributes in speed and jumping.
What makes the game quite fun is that the single-player has two modes such as arcade and mission which shares with cool segments such as taking out many terrorist as possible, collecting all medals within time limits, dodge all of the enemies attacks, and destroy all bombs which is quite short, but plays decently for most time.
The main highlight of this game is the split-screen versus mode which is a local deathmatch where you must battle against the opponents within frag limits or time limits just like most arena shooters, and it also has online play adds the overall fun factor of the game which sadly lacked in PAL release back then, but the game still retains as the fun and addictive to play.
Outtrigger is the criminally underrated shooter for Dreamcast's library that you will be interested to play an arcade-style shooters like this deserves the attention to those who loves the FPS in general.
It's a shame that this is the only SEGA's FPS game that you will never see on other platforms which leaves Outtrigger being stuck on the Dreamcast, so hopefully this deserves an re-release or sequel for modern PCs and consoles platform if SEGA ever had a interest to consider in future perfect.
4 - Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Rogue Spear
I did all my best to get into with Tom Clancy's video game franchise besides I did recently enjoyed the first Rainbow Six for N64 and Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars for 3DS, where as games like the first Splinter Cell on Xbox Original that I'm not a fan of it as much, but I don't hate the game.
I wasn't being very good at the later Rainbow Six titles like the first and second Vegas games for PS3, as well as same goes with the first Ghost Recon for Xbox Original, except the later like Future Solder for PS3 are actually not as bad I expected that deserves a second chance.
There's one of the game that I finding it just as good as the first Rainbow Six which is Rogue Spear, an tactical FPS title where you play as group of squads on the mission to take down the terrorists and rescuing hostages on single player campaign.
The gameplay is heavily focused on more stealthy approach and squad-based system where you must work with the team to give command such as take cover, give orders, and avoiding being contacted nearby which draws me attention to adored the ideas of how the tactical strategy works for games like this which is different from any of traditional FPS games.
I also liked the preparations settings on the menus where you have an options to customising your kits such as weapons and armoury, adding squad members on teams, and creating blueprints for maps which allowing you and your team to easily track around the levels, so this adds up a new elements to its not just the own franchise, but to it's genres that are more relying on the tactics-based shooter.
Rogue Spear is surprisingly an decent follow-up to the first Rainbow Six game filled with great team strategy, solid overall design, has straight-forward objectives in each missions, and plays well with the Keyboard and Mouse especially with the SEGA Dreamcast version packs with extra bonus missions called Urban Operations which I considered this as the solid console port of the original PC game that the Dreamcast owners will likely able to enjoy this type of squad-based FPS title.
3 - Soldier of Fortune
It's one of the first military FPS game was notable for its realistic depictions of graphic violence, as it utilizes the mod-based Quake II engine called GHOUL that allow player to dismember enemies by having each of their body parts been blown-off with combat weapons adding the realism of the game.
Despite the game's controversial design, it gained fairly positive reception at release which got me curious to try out and see how this game plays well on the SEGA Dreamcast.
It involves groups of neo-fascist based in Germany has stolen four nuclear weapons from storage facility in Russia, and proceed to sell them to various nations.
You take control of U.S mercenary went on mission to fight against the neo-fascist group and preventing the deadly nukes from falling into wrong hands.
It's a typical FPS game where you will have the list of objectives to complete, as well as giving you an options to reorganise weaponry loadout (such as pistols, shotguns, heavy machineguns, and grenades) before proceeding the next mission. As the mission starts, you just simply run through the level, shoot down those bad guys, and finding the exit that leads you to the next area is quite an straight-forward to play without having to backtrack too much makes the level design feel linear and easier to traverse.
The weaponry in the game are very well done especially using the shotgun and heavy machineguns just tore the f**k out of those guys in pieces in gruesome ways are the best part of the game that I adore the use of FPS's graphic violence, so stuff like their arms, legs, stomach, heads, and even groin gets blown-off painfully makes it the goriest military shooter you've ever seen.
I got to say the game is surprisingly played well with the use of Keyboard and Mouse are highly designed and recommended for the game that needs a precise aiming and additional controls can be reconfigured through options menus to suit your playability makes it plays lot better than the regular Dreamcast controller which lacks right stick controls makes it impossible to enjoy the game.
Solider of Fortune is an solid console port of the full-blown PC shooter that really puts PS2's downgraded port into shame which really proves the Dreamcast could easily handle the video game ports better than what you see from PS2 counterpart.
2 - Unreal Tournament
FPS genre in general has the best categories of multiplayer shooters, so growing up with the classics like Halo 2, Goldeneye 007, TimeSplitters 2, Counter Strike, Team Fortress 2, Quake III Arena, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, there's one of the game that I first remembered back in my old days of early 2000s when my brother had bought the PC copy of Unreal Tournament off the gaming store, so after finishing my school off I went back home to try out and see what was all about.
I've discovered this is a Epic Games's FPS arena-shooters very similar to their competitors such as Id Software's Quake III Arena, so even as a child I didn't had an ability to play online at the time being stuck with the Windows 98 computer instead I've managed to enjoy playing the matches with the A.I bots got me so addicted to spent playing for hours of fun starting from multiple of killing spree combos to gruesome headshot kills is what made my childhood gaming doing proud.
In 20 years later as an matured adult, after owning the keyboard and mouse accessories for SEGA Dreamcast which I got it as an Christmas gift in 2021, I'm willing to give a try with the Dreamcast port looks identical to the original PC version featuring same maps, same match types, and has online multiplayer support.
So you must compete in a series of matches of various types such as deathmatch, domination, and capture the flag, so your main goal is to get highest points to win matches by defeating the opponent within time or scoring limits.
The game comes with various of modes such as tournament which is a single-player based mode of arena matches played with A.I bots, where the player competes for the title of Grand Champion. The practice mode puts your skills in test to battle against A.Is in matches with customisable difficulty, time limits, and scores.
Along with the online multiplayer, the console port also included with the offline split-screen where you can play and against your friends up to 4-players.
What makes the game so great is that it has the innovative weapon system in any of arena shooters such as ability to fire with two different firing modes such as stock rifle has long-range beam and plasma orb, flak cannon has flak shell shards and bomb, ripper has both bladed and exploding disc, pulse gun has rapid green orbs of plasma and mid-range green lighting, rocket launcher has lock-on missile and grenades, and best of all the deadly sniper rifle instantly destroys opponent with headshot kills.
Each of various of match types really keeps you busy with the game stuff like you have deathmatch which is a player vs. player combat can be played with free for all or team with simple objective is to kill all opposing players, the domination is where you must work with the teams to control a various of control area to earn points, and finally the capture the flag is where you and your team must compete to capture the other team's flag and return it to their base is what makes the whole game quite competitive and fun, but due to Dreamcast's insufficient memory it's a shame that the assault mode which is one of the best part of the matches was missing out this version would have been nice to include it on this port.
The game also has the best looking visuals filled with the outstanding environmental design and polished textures mapping really shows the Dreamcast's system powerhouse in all thanks to Unreal Engine really showed off how the SEGA's system could handle well with the arena-shooters like this are just as good as the original PC counterpart in terms of animation and designs.
I heard of the PS2 port are also surprisingly not as bad with decent selection of playable maps and game modes to play, but sadly it suffers with the downgraded graphics and sluggish frame-rates are nowhere smoother as the Dreamcast counterpart doing such a fascinating job of porting into systems with no sign of issues whatsoever.
As I much loved the original PC version back then, Unreal Tournament on SEGA Dreamcast is still an solid port of fantastic arena shooter that I strongly recommended to Dreamcast owners will be fully appreciated to play.
1 - Quake III Arena
Speaking of best arena-shooters, mine has to go for id Software's Quake III Arena on SEGA Dreamcast. It's one of the console conversion of the PC original ported by Raster Production who had previously worked on the N64 port of the Quake II.
The FPS gaming in the 90's era had became mostly popular on platforms such as PCs had games like Doom and Quake makes the debut of online-based multiplayer, where as the consoles like N64 usually had popularised with 4-player split-screen for titles like Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark. When the FPS hits in the early 2000s when I first had the SEGA Dreamcast, my brother had bought the copy of Quake III Arena off the small market hall before I came back from my school, so I head back home to play my SEGA Dreamcast and he surprising me with the game that he bought it.
I had to pop the disc in and power it up as I'm excited to play an FPS game that I did not expected the game entirely different from the first two predecessor, so instead of action-packed single-player campaign this game is more of the multiplayer-based arena shooters that I am quite impressed to see the next installiment just made the new changes for the franchise.
Like the Epic Games's Unreal Tournament, it's basically has the similar modes with same objectives including both free-for-all and team deathmatch, and capture the flag can be played with A.I bots or offline 4-players.
What makes the Dreamcast port so incredibility done well is an ability to play online matches (via DreamArena or SEGA-net services) up to 4-player online directly into with dial-up connections are required to play the game online which is quite way ahead at the time for gaming console was later popularised with the system like Microsoft's Xbox Original had their own online services for multiplayer gaming such as Xbox Live.
The main reason why I've chose this as a number 1 on the list is not just because of my nostalgia, but this game has the best multiplayer maps that are highly designed for the arena-shooters such as being able to do cool tricks like rocket jumps and bunny-hopping through the levels are simple-skilled gameplay mechanics that became mainly common for certain arena-shooters as today.
The weapons are very easy and simple to get into such as machine gun, shotgun, rocket launcher, grenade launcher, lighting gun, plasma gun, railgun, and of course BFG 9000 works perfectly well in the game with great balance of range shot and damage hit.
The match keeps you busy with stuff like deathmatch and capture the flag are the main highlight of the whole game which adds the overall replay values that you are likely to play this as the everyday pastime.
The graphics is stunningly outstanding for SEGA's powerhouse system with well-polished character's model, crispy environments, and being able to ran smoothly throughout the matches with no major slowdowns makes the game feels more fast-paced arena shooter.
The game also has kick-ass soundtrack composed by Sascha Dikiciyan (A.K.A Sonic Mayhem) and Bill Leeb (Band members of Front Line Assembly) with the mixture of industrial metal and dark ambient sounds which motivating you to kill all the opponents as possible really fits the game's multiplayer action.
I heard of the PS2 release titled as Quake III Revolution ported by Bullfrog Productions also plays pretty well keeping the graphics and frame-rate feels more intact than what you see from PS2 version of Epic Games's Unreal Tournament.
Quake III Arena is clearly an Dreamcast's FPS masterpiece that I highly recommended to all Dreamcast's owners are likely to enjoy this type of shooter that has well-built multiplayer maps, fast-paced gameplay, and has great matches that defines the FPS multiplayer gaming.
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