by Sure, it’s basically Doom (no, not DOOM) crossed with Duke Nukem. But you know? Those were good games (well, mostly Doom). Serious Sam: The First Encounter is a worthy successor. Distinctive enemies (even if a couple of them are palette swaps), satisfying weaponry, and amusing dialogue make for a solid, fun game.
I want to briefly tell you about my first ten minutes: I have a habit of always trying to go the opposite way when a game starts. Results range from the acceptable break from reality (the screen just doesn’t scroll that way) to the frustrating (Assassin’s Creed desync, I’m looking at you). But Serious Sam? I walk 45 seconds in the opposite direction. A bunch of tough enemies spawn. Ten minutes later, I’ve killed them all with my pistol and there’s a secret stash waiting at a desert oasis. I was rewarded for trying something different (there was a slow health drain another minute out, but at least there wasn’t an instakill for not doing what the developers expected).
Before I even felt like I started, my hour was up. I will definitely be playing more.