OXCGN’s Serious Sam 3: BFE Review

A Not-So-Serious Throwback To The Glory Days

by exterminat

©2011 Nicholas Laborde

There once was a time where games were solely about the gameplay.

Yes, although a crazy notion, some call those days the epitome of the shooter genre.

We didn’t need angsty cyber punks in World War I trench coats or a super soldier in military squads to make us enjoy a character. Environments? Unnecessary. Visuals? Not that important.

Only three things were necessary: guns, ammo, and enemies.

Serious Sam 3: BFE is a not-so-serious throwback to these days, and every single moment of it is something to be savored.

Guns, guns, guns, oh, and more guns

Serious Sam has always been about killing things.

I vividly recall the satisfaction Serious Sam: The First Encounter provided back in 2002; ridiculous amounts of enemies, grotesque deaths, a plethora of guns, somewhat varied environments, lots of guns, a decent amount of levels to play through, and did I mention lots of guns?

Of course, I wasn’t the avid gamer then that I am today. Rarely did a game hold my attention, until The First Encounter (and Battlefield 1942). Fast-paced action, a ridiculous campaign, unrivaled cooperative play, and the obligatory cocaine-required twitch multiplayer. [ED: disclaimer: OXCGN does not condone the use of cocaine when gaming or at any other time]

Serious Sam 3: BFE builds upon every single facet of the franchise that you know and love, while attempting to introduce a light prequel story. But, I have no idea what it is. I believe it was something about Egypt and aliens.

I was much more focused on killing things.

I always try to understand as much as possible about any piece of entertainment that I’m engaging in… except, of course, Serious Sam. Seriously. (Pun completely intended)

I never even knew what any of the enemies were called until BFE; those annoying skeleton chupacabra things? They’re actually called Kleers! If anything, this should reinforce the fact that you don’t need to know anything about a game to get sucked in, even in our modern times where we hold narrative on such a high horse.

The plot direction focuses on Sam as he kills things, and destroys everything. All while spouting off one-liners and speaking in a ridiculously deep voice.

I rather enjoyed the ‘storytelling’, as it brings out the true humor Croteam was always trying to evoke in the franchise. While it won’t win any awards for its story depth, the writing managed to evoke many a chuckle.

Gunplay

… and here’s the part you were waiting for: gunplay (because gameplay is too generalized a term to describe Sam’s shenanigans).

One of the most important aspects of Serious Sam 3: BFE (besides the completely ambiguous name) is its sincerity to the classic formula. The title feels exactly like its predecessors, and everything you know and love is still here.

The game still revolves around moving extremely fast and shooting [without reloading] everything in sight, all while making as big a boom as possible.

Dozens of guns abound, each with a specific purpose, and others… well, they exist to make you smile. Such as the legendary cannon, which shoots oversized cannonballs at your enemies.

The classics make their return, like the rocket launcher and multiple shotguns, all while naturally fitting in with newer additions, such as the new primary pistol, and an M4 assault rifle.

This is where many fans of the twitch era may cringe: BFE does, in fact, offer iron sights on several guns. Primarily, though, for the pistol and the M4. That’s it.

One can make the plausible argument that aiming down the sights takes away from the frantic action of the title, but to argue about it would be to miss the point: shoot things and make those aliens die as gruesomely (and entertainingly) as possible.

Levels are all Egypt-themed, while managing to offer a somewhat different experience in each.

Areas in the immediate vicinity of each other will bear the marks of infamous copy-paste level design, and while it can be aggravating in more than one instance, the title manages to pull the focus away from that, and center it where it should be: fun.

I was becoming annoyed with the lack of information on where to go several times throughout my experience, but BFE immediately reminded me why it was so fun by throwing a ridiculous amount of enemies at me.

From the headless kamikazes to completely topless flying women and even an alien mothership, what Serious Sam 3: BFE lacks in level design, it makes up for in enemy diversity.

One minute you’ll be facing Gnaars (the one-eyed, square, brown things), and the next, you’ll have an onslaught of Kleers and Kamikazes.

If you could have seen my face the first time I had a horde of the Kamikazes running at me with their signature scream, you would know that this purchase is an absolute no-brainer for anyone who enjoys a shooter that focuses primarily on gameplay.

Easy on the eyes… and the mates

While BFE won’t set a new standard in realism or visuals, it’s still a title that’s wonderful to look at [while running backwards from kamikazes].

All of the enemies you know and love have been brought into 2011, and every single one of them looks better than ever (especially those flying women…). Sound has been remastered, with the pieces you remember (such as the Kamikaze scream) sounding exactly the way they should.

The sound direction as a whole is most adequately described as a cacophony of chaos; booming metal blasts into the air as you enter combat, enemies make a multitude of sounds and groans, and with the sheer amount of things going on, it all combines into one beautiful symphony of despair.

Now that we’ve finished discussing those stupid artsy aspects, we can get to the manly things, such as sixteen-player co-op and multiplayer.

Yes sir/madam/crab, you did indeed read that correctly: BFE’s cooperative feature supports up to sixteen players, and let me tell you: it’s a blast.

Hands-down, Serious Sam 3: BFE provides one of the best cooperative experiences to date.

Sixteen players make those epic encounters that much more epic. Much of the game, as you will undoubtedly discover, is built for these massive multi-man confrontations, but even one or two players can still find the same fun factor.

The obligatory twitch multiplayer returns, relatively unchanged from that of previous iterations. The primary focus is to eliminate enemy players without the use of cocaine prior to the match; it’s difficult, it’s faster than the eye can discern, and most importantly, it’s ridiculous.

It’ll turn off more than it turns on, but if you want to get serious, it’s a great trip to the glory days.

Seriously…

Buy this game. Don’t even think twice about it.

Sure, it may not have the best levels, a modern multiplayer, or realistic visuals. What it does have, though, is something that can be hard to pull off in the modern industry: fun.

It’s what Duke Nukem Forever meant to be. It’s what Bulletstorm attempted to capture.

It’s a delightful time machine that reminds us of days past.

Serious Sam 3: BFE is an effervescent massacre that can draw in any type of player… as long as they enjoy fun.

The title is available now on PC, with a console iteration coming in 2012.

“8.5/10

©2011 Nicholas Laborde

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Filed under: Console gaming, Game Impressions, New Xbox 360 Games, PC Reviews, PS3 Reviews, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Game Reviews Tagged: | Bulletstorm, Doom, Duke Nukem Forever, quake, review, Serious Sam, serious sam 3, serious sam 3 bfe, serious sam 3 bfe review, serious sam 3 review