Serious Sam: The First Encounter

Serious Sam: The First Encounter is the first game in a series of first-person shooters developed by the company. Croatian Croteam in 2001.

The series tells about the adventures of Sam "Serious" Stone and his fight against alien invaders led by Mental.

In 2009, a remake of this game was released called Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter with improved graphics on Serious Engine 3.

The gameplay of the series can be seen as a small throwback to early first-person shooters. While other companies worked on the realism and process of identifying the player and the protagonist, Serious Sam offered traditional Quake-like gameplay. However, modern technologies have made it possible to bring the classic formula of the game to a new level. Closed corridors give way to huge playgrounds, small groups of opponents - entire hordes, as well as dozens of secret locations in which game values ​​are stored, or even messages from developers to players. Battles take up most of the game's time, and Sam is assisted by the NEuro-TRonically Implants Combat Situation Analyzer (NETRICSA), an advanced artificial intelligence surgically placed in the brain. INERTAN provides an in-game database that stores information about all encountered enemies and weapons, provides hints and describes the plot during the game, as well as anecdotes about the player, including gender. All levels contain a variety of ammo and weapons, most of which do not require reloading. Opponents have bizarre designs, but they often portray mythological and fantasy creatures, from flying harpies to giant bipedal robots and a decapitated suicide bomber.

The hallmark of Serious Sam is team play, a rare occurrence among modern first-person shooters. In addition to online gaming, there is also a split-screen option that supports up to four players, which is even less common on PC, albeit on game consoles.