Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter (v1.05)

Ancient Egypt becomes a deafening battlefield where one soldier faces an alien invasion with almost no cover, no restraint, and an absurd amount of ammunition. Serious Sam Classic: The First Encounter is a pure old-school first-person shooter built around speed, strafing, and surviving enemy swarms that fill entire courtyards. Sam “Serious” Stone travels through temples, desert ruins, tombs, and strange extraterrestrial locations in an attempt to stop the warlord Mental before humanity’s future collapses. The mood is knowingly ridiculous, but the action is demanding: screaming headless kamikazes, charging bulls, skeletal warriors, and towering monsters make every arena feel like a controlled panic attack.

Combat revolves around a broad, satisfying arsenal that grows from pistols and shotguns into rocket launchers, grenade launchers, miniguns, and the iconic cannon. Ammunition is plentiful, but enemies attack in numbers that force constant movement, target prioritization, and smart use of open space; standing still is usually a death sentence. Levels are largely linear yet generously hide armor, health, ammunition, and secrets behind side paths and environmental tricks, rewarding players who check more than the obvious route. A substantial solo campaign remains the main attraction, while cooperative play lets a group tear through the campaign together, and competitive multiplayer offers a fittingly chaotic break from the story.

What separates Serious Sam from many modern shooters is its refusal to slow down for cover systems, lengthy upgrades, or cinematic interruptions. Enemy encounters work more like arena puzzles, asking players to read incoming threats and manage a growing battlefield rather than simply aim at the nearest target. Its dated visuals are part of the appeal, with bright landscapes, huge enemy counts, and a distinctive late-1990s PC-action energy that remains immediately readable. Fans of DOOM, Quake, Painkiller, and other movement-driven shooters should feel at home, while newcomers should be ready for a tougher, more relentless style of FPS design.