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PAX 2009 - Serious Sam HD Hands On

by: Chuck -
More On: PAX 2009 Serious Sam
Serious Sam was one of the great mindless FPS games back when it was released. The action was fast, furious, and intense as the game threw wave after wave of bad guys at you…each more bizarre than the last. What the game lacked in style it made up for in pure adrenaline rush as the pace of the game never let up (except in a few cases to build tension for the boss fights).
The folks at Croteam have gone back and completely re-done the original game with the new Serious Engine 3. The main focus of Serious Sam HD was to tweak the graphics but I was told there were a few other tweaks to the game as well. I couldn’t tell you what they were as the level I played through was identical to what I played when the game originally came out.

Playing the updated version of the game today at PAX took me back to playing the game at LAN parties with friends. It also reminded me of how far the FPS genre has some since the game was released as the game is amazingly simplistic. I kept looking for dedicated melee attack or alternative firing modes for the guns but they aren’t there.

Did this kill my ability to enjoy the game? Not really but it took some getting used to. The game is still a ton of fun to play. Serious Sam HD is a throwback to simpler games that are enjoyable to play by yourself or online with friends in small bursts or in longer, evening killing sessions. As long as you realize this isn’t Modern Warfare 2 you’re in for a fun trip down memory lane.