Need help finding an old FPS game

Zap! · June 12, 2022

I don't have much to work with here, other than these facts:

I downloaded it between 1994 and 1998 on a BBS, and it was for the PC (probably DOS, don't think it was Windows). Since I was not into warez, it was almost certainly PD/Shareware. It seemed to me to be realistic (so no monsters, at least in the beginning), but I could be wrong. It wasn't a household name at all, so definitely not Duke Nukem, Quake, or anything that was a big hit. I do seem to remember starting outside, then going inside into what I remember to be a lab. The room being long, but narrow, with a table (or series of tables) in the center. It's very sketchy. I also don't remember seeing any enemies in the room.

I know it could likely be in here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_first-person_shooters

That's a huge list! There sure were tons of FPS games in that era. I'll have to look through them all one by one. Anyway, I have a lot more to go through, but so far the closest (and only) possible match appears to be Damage Incorporated (1997). I remember you start out outside, and there is plenty of greenery, and then you go inside (just like this game). I don't see what I remember to be a lab, though. I don't think this is it, but it's a similar setting...

If something sounds similar please let me know.

Reaperman · June 12, 2022

Were there scientists in this lab that you could talk to?

If so, that 'lab' bit and lack of enemies at the immediate beginning sounds a bit like Blake Stone. (was it this old? meaning wolf-3d engine game?) there's no real 'outside' part--that's done more as a story dump. There were a couple shareware episodes, which leaned heavily toward the lab settings, and it was pretty popular on the FTPs I used to visit. In fact, one surprisingly still has it. FTP.FUNET.FI is still up and has it at /pub/msdos/games/apogee/

On the easiest difficulty, I recall there being much less enemy resistance in the first part of the level.

Edited June 12, 2022 by Reaperman

Reaperman · June 12, 2022

Deus Ex starts outside of the statue of liberty, at a safe police perimeter in the park (has greenery), and after dealing with what's inside the game goes back to the very lab-ish friendly base areas, but that's a bit outside the date range. Google does say there was a demo available. But it really fails the household-name test.

Really the 'starts outside and with greenery' is the tricky part to think up. Was it daytime outside? What were the enemies? Zombies, aliens, soldiers?

Edited June 12, 2022 by Reaperman

Tanooki · June 13, 2022

Any shot it is Strife?

Zap! · June 13, 2022

On 6/12/2022 at 12:16 AM, Reaperman said:

Were there scientists in this lab that you could talk to?

If so, that 'lab' bit and lack of enemies at the immediate beginning sounds a bit like Blake Stone. (was it this old? meaning wolf-3d engine game?) there's no real 'outside' part--that's done more as a story dump. There were a couple shareware episodes, which leaned heavily toward the lab settings, and it was pretty popular on the FTPs I used to visit. In fact, one surprisingly still has it. FTP.FUNET.FI is still up and has it at /pub/msdos/games/apogee/

On the easiest difficulty, I recall there being much less enemy resistance in the first part of the level.

There's a possibility that there were scientists in the lab, but it's not Blake Stone, which has a Wolf 3D engine. It's a bit more modern than that. I'd like to amend my text, as it's highly unlikely that I downloaded it in 1994. More like 1996-1999. The game's date is unknown for now, but the graphics make me think it was as old as 1994 and as new as 1997.

On 6/12/2022 at 1:11 AM, Reaperman said:

Deus Ex starts outside of the statue of liberty, at a safe police perimeter in the park (has greenery), and after dealing with what's inside the game goes back to the very lab-ish friendly base areas, but that's a bit outside the date range. Google does say there was a demo available. But it really fails the household-name test.

Last Rites starts outside in a relatively peaceful area, and goes to some vaguely labbish places early on. It passes the 'household name test' way better than the other ones, but where 'lab' is the first thing that comes to mind with blake stone, 'zombies' is really the first thing that comes to mind with Last Rites.

Really the 'starts outside and with greenery' is the tricky part to think up. Was it daytime outside? What were the enemies? Zombies, aliens, soldiers?

Definitely not Deus Ex, as those graphics blow away my mystery game. Last Rights is too dark and Quakish; it had more color. My game I had never heard of at the time, I just downloaded it to see what it was like. I have a feeling it is very obscure.

I will say this though, I am certain it started outside. I remember greenery, so it wasn't outside in a city like Duke 3D, but a garden of some sort. It was day time. I don't recall there being enemies, but there could have been. I believe the enemies in the game were humans. The lab was a long room and soon as you went inside. I vaguely remember there being computers in there, so perhaps it was just labish and not a true lab, as you said. The room was probably 60 feet by 12 feet, with a table (or series of tables) in the center. You could walk around, but I think the tables blocked you, so you had to go all the way around. Possibly you needed access cards. Maybe.

6 hours ago, Tanooki said:

Any shot it is Strife?

I don't believe so, but the era is correct. It just wasn't medieval themed from what I remember, and did not have any speech as I recall. Still, I'm looking into it a bit more by watching the videos. Thanks to the both of you so far. We're hopefully narrowing down the list.

Tavi · June 13, 2022

Could the game possibly be 'SiN'?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SiN

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdMb1i7fM0s

There was a downloadable demo for it, and I do believe for a fair part of the game you are playing though offices and labs?

I would also throw out there 'Corridor 7' as a long shot. It is based in a research laboratory.

While it never really was super popular, I played the hell out of the downloadable shareware version of it back in the day (it might have even been the full game? Now I think on it it was probably donationware?)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corridor_7:_Alien_Invasion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4iDM1gHc9E

Edited June 13, 2022 by Tavi

Reaperman · June 13, 2022

3 hours ago, Tavi said:

I would also throw out there 'Corridor 7' as a long shot. It is based in a research laboratory.

Even if that's not the game, for lack of greenery etc, that's one I was trying so hard to remember for 'took place in a lab.'

I'm glad PC games don't all look exactly the same today. For a while it seemed like almost every game was an FPS, followed shortly by almost every then game being a combat RTS a few years later.