TNR's Favorite Titles (Part 3)

Today's post will explore my favorite picks for first person shooting games or FPS on the Playstation 3 console.  This is yet another category where the games I chose were released across all consoles, but I have simply not found any exclusive PS3 titles that could dethrone the cross console titles.  There was also some debate over which title was my overall favorite, so the below commentary will focus on the two games that I enjoyed most and why I ultimately chose one over the other as my favorite for the PS3.

TNR's Pick for My Favorite FPS: PS3 Version

The decision was tough but ultimately my favorite two FPS titles for the PS3 are Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2.  Though both titles have dominated the majority of my online multiplayer experience, Bad Company takes the prize for my favorite FPS to date on the PS3.  Every gamer has his or her own style of game play, and I do not claim to be a skilled player compared to most of the people I have run across in the community.  However, I find BC2 to be the most balanced environment for gamers to hone their skills in the multiplayer environment.  With Battlefield's ranking and weapon reward system, players are required to think strategically about which class they will employ during any given match.  Skilled players are still bound to score above others from match to match, but due to the pacing, weapon balance, and the size of the maps less skilled players can play through every match feeling mostly rewarded for their contributions. 

Perhaps the most significant factor that puts BC2 on the top of the pile is the fact that DICE shows their love for loyal fans of the series by releasing free content.  In the past year, BC2 has seen a FREE map pack release, and the release of an easily affordable multiplayer expansion in Bad Company 2: Vietnam.  That along with the fact that DICE lowers the cost of their other downloadable content within a reasonable amount of time after release shows that some developers still recognize that a certain amount of fan service is due to make players feel appreciated. 

While the COD franchise is clearly the most successful series in the FPS genre, there are a number of things keeping them in the number 2 position of my list.  The first is the matchmaking system, or a general lack of one.  I understand that developers can only do so much to moniter the gamer experience through host based servers, but sitting down to play a few rounds of Modern Warfare 2 or Black Ops can often be a controller smashing experience.  All too often, it seems that teams are dominated by one or two individuals whose skill level obviously eclipses those of the other team members.  It would be far more rewarding to see matches that pit players of equal skill against each other. 

In COD games, rank is certainly no indication of skill, and I often find myself playing against dominating players based on the fact that I have reached the first prestige.  I personally have no interest in the status of prestige, but would rather be able to sit down to a round of Black Ops without fighting the desire to tear my apartment apart.  If COD's matchmaking systems took into account a player's recent success/failure rate (which is clearly recorded by the developers' servers already) and then adjusted lobby selection based on those inconsistencies.  Perhaps what I'm asking for is impossible or not cost effective, but developers like Bungie, and now 343 studios seem to have found the key to doing this with some level of success.  However, I digress.  Admittedly, I know nothing about the complicated nature of organizing and coding the matchmaking process, and perhaps what I am asking for is no lean feat.  Nevertheless, COD keeps my lazy cheeks in my seat despite the fact that matches are often painfully skewed. 

Ultimately, what determines a game's status, profit, longevity, etc. is a player's preference and/or spending habits.  Many of us will buy a game simply because it is popular regardless of the fact that it may do very little to advance the series in terms of innovation.  I personally am looking forward to the releases of both Battlefield 3 and Modern Warfare 3 this coming holiday season, and will most likely buy both because I can't stand waiting to see what improvements have been made.  Game junkies unite!