Video Game History part 2

In 1995 I was exposed to PC gaming proper. To replace our failing BBC my dad bought a Windows 95 machine. It appeared so modern to me. The first game I played on the computer was Ultimate Doom.

This was the first time I'd played such an adult-game with an actual age restriction. The blood and gore however didnt bother me as much as the story did. I was much more interested in the story of future mars colonisation attacked by hellspawn. It seemed like such an interesting concept. The fact it was the first ever first-person-shooter I ever played also caused it to stick in my mind.

The change of controls from a gamepad to keyboard was also quite profound to me. I found myself a lot more at ease with the keyboard. Having so many keys made me feel as if I had a lot more input options. It again immersed me more, as I felt I had more control over Doomguy.

For the next few years I was a sole PC gamer. I had no interest in the Playstation, Sega Saturn or N64 when they came out. I was firmly in the belief that the new 3D games looked horrible. That 2D sprites had a higher level of detail to them and were more pleasing to the eye than the rough polygons of the 5th generation consoles.

Metal Gear Solid 3 made me love the Playstation 2. The introduction of analogue control sticks to a gamepad gave me the feeling of control I felt I was missing in the 16-bit era. The game introduced a brilliant espionage-thriller with homages to Bond films, the plot was easily the equivalent to anything out in the movies at the time. The gameplay was varied and allowed for choice which I as a player loved. Being able to choose how to deal with problems the game gave me how I wanted was brilliant and made the game feel incredibly immersive.