Serious Sam 3: BFE Review

Serious Sam 3: BFE is a simple first person shooter developed by Croteam. It is a step back in time for the genre. Back to a time when there was no regenerating health or cover mechanics. You dealt with dozens of different enemy types at once. You carried enough explosive power to destroy a small country. Most importantly, you weren’t just taking part in the latest military conflict as part of a special task force. This was a time when shooters were about shooting in its purest form.

The bigger they are…the quicker you die

Sam 3 is actually a prequel to the previous titles in the franchise, also developed by Croteam. This time Sam is trying to activate a TimeLock device in Egypt. Once active it will transport an individual back in time. The story doesn’t get any more complex and aside from blowing up the Great Sphinx your job is to wade through copious amounts of enemies. Some shoot, some run and some run and shoot. Sam might make a handful of comments outside the rather crude cut scenes. Not all are funny but some dry jokes manage to bring forth a smile.

There aren’t many changes to the original game’s formula. Many of the enemy types are the same and so are the weapons. Some modern weapons have been added and you can even aim down the sights of a few. The game looks quite good visually although performance is inconsistent. It doesn’t usually have a problem with dozens of enemies at once. However destruction, auto-saving and world geometry bring frames down.

Behold! I am Sam, destroyer of pillars

Sam 3 is a wake up call if you are used to the current crop of shooters. The first few levels of the game aren’t a good indication of the madness to come. They are fairly constrained and only introduce a handful of enemies with basic weaponry. You can smash foes with a sledgehammer or instant kill them with a melee attack. Hidden secrets and vials of single health litter the area. This kind of introduction was probably needed as players make the transition from corridor shooters to what Sam 3 offers in the later levels.

Not far into the game, you enter an open area and a single headless kamikaze soldier screams his way over a small crest. Sam puts him down and tells him to shut up. Then the screams begin. Only a few at first but soon dozens of these headless kamikaze soldiers are running toward you with explosives in their hands. At this point Sam differentiates itself from recent shooters. You can’t stay still and you can’t hide behind cover. You must run away and shoot. If a handful get close, you will be reloading a recent auto save. This type of constant bombardment and terror is the standard action state for Sam 3.

The hordes get more dangerous, they last a lot longer and it’s pretty much just an improved arsenal, chokepoints and better reflexes that get you through. The weaponry is good even if some early weapons don’t get used much later. An assault rifle works well for long ranges and the rocket launcher is powerful but limited on ammo. The C4 explosive destroys a huge area and the double barrel shotgun rips into enemies up close. The leash allows you to briefly stun enemies and, with enough charge, destroy them. During battle you’ll need to constantly look for health and ammo while dodging projectiles or firing your own. Quick switching between all weapons couldn’t feel any better.

The leash can stun and quickly destroy groups of enemies

The enemies in Sam 3 aren’t typically designed to be intelligent but there are some noticeable exceptions when the volume rises. Not all will run straight toward you, they make minor adjustments that waste a perfectly good rocket. If you get stuck in a corner or up against a wall the damage comes thick and fast. Space monkeys hide amongst the Egyptian pillars and leap when your back is turned. Witch-Brides float in the air and disrupt your vision and lift you above the ground. Biomechanoids hurl rockets or lasers in your direction and large bulls charge toward you.

The biggest downside to Sam 3 is its own high strung pacing and constant barrage of enemies. This is a huge contrast between modern shooters where you typically get cooled off after just a taste of action. Here you are in a continuous state of panic for minutes as enemies of all types shoot and run towards you in wide open areas. The last level features extreme numbers of dangerous enemies, constant backtracking and tiresome waves. Almost 7,000 enemies were killed in just over 11 hours. Croteam tried to break the action during the early parts but the later levels are gruelling.

Survival mode sends insane enemy waves at you

Multiplayer is split into competitive and cooperative modes with the latter being the most popular. There are only three small versus maps and one of those is recoloured for the CTF mode. The maps aren’t interesting or structured well so you will grow tired of them after a short time. The spawns are also poor because you will reappear directly behind players in the middle of the action. Projectile weaponry is linked to your connection so the best weapons tended to be the shotguns. You might find one versus server populated during prime time compared to a handful of cooperative servers.

Cooperative mode is the real meat of online play. It allows you to play through the campaign or survival mode with 15 other players. Very little changes from the campaign, with every player having their own ammo reserve. There isn’t much team work and the general interaction involves running around like crazy shooting everything. Enemies lock onto specific players and ignore you running alongside them with a mini gun. The leash can be used with other players to decapitate the biggest foes but it’s too clumsy in the heat of the battle. Oddities with network code will mean you have to lead targets. This is most obvious when trying to hit a kamikaze soldier moving across your screen.

This guy is dressed appropriately for deadly cooperative action

If you haven’t played a game like Serious Sam before then Sam 3 will be quite a shock to the system. It will be incredibly exhausting but it’s more because of what you are used to. Once you have command of movement, prioritizing enemy types and weapon switching the free flowing combat can be strangely satisfying. Serious Sam 3: BFE doesn’t try to push the genre forward or heavily modernize its old formula. Aside from a graphical upgrade it’s like stepping into a time machine. It makes a case that there is life left in this old style shooter gameplay.