I tend to panic and blow myself up when the echoing sounds warn me I'm about to be swarmed. The bone-like clatter of the kleer skeletons also freaks me out a bit. Their approaching wail warns of your eminent demise because as soon as they get with a dozen feet, they explode, taking you with them. I still get chills when I hear the distant screaming of the headless kamikazes. The game's constant eye on detail also adds enormously to the immersion into the game, from reflecting pools of water to spattered blood, Serious Sam has it all. Overall the graphics are clear and well lit, if not a bit cartoonish. This game uses everything on the screen as a platform for bad guys, from rooftops to pits, you have to keep a sharp eye-open for ambush. The game does tend to lean heavily on big rooms and desert plains, but where else can you squeeze in all of those creatures? Besides the few villages you walk through more than make up for the slight open-space repetition. The proprietary 3D engine renders the game's enormous levels - typically wide-open spaces with grandiose pyramids and intricate interior structures - with little effort. One thing I love about Serious Sam is the smooth frame rate, you can have 30-40 creatures on the screen and still get even flow, and that's not because graphics are cheap - it's the engine. The game also features a relatively unique split screen multiplayer option that allows up to four players to play on the same computer and actually works. You can play in cooperative or death-match modes online in a very stable system. Luckily Serious Sam's multiplayer modes are as robust as the rest of the game. There's something satisfying about mowing through dozens of creepy-crawlies with your friend at your side. Don't worry - skill and strategy make it possible. Fact is, Serious Sam is gonna overwhelm you with creatures and there will be times when all you have is your self-replenishing six-shooters. You would think that with all of the creatures you'll be facing, this game would be chock-full of power-ups, health potions and ammo, but think again. Run through a level and the whole screen will be awash in creatures, walk through and snipe the baddies as they appear and you may survive. You'll also find that the more advanced levels require that you pace yourself. Now toss in a few grenades from the launcher and suddenly your prospects brighten. From twin six-shooters to the awe inspiring cannon, Serious Sam's eight weapons pack a serious fire-power punch.įor instance, using the mini-gun when faced with three dozen kleer skeletons will eat through your ammo and leave you open to a smack-down. Luckily for you the weapons are as bad as the creatures. I mean this game has not one, not two, but three headless baddies waiting to blow you away with guns, missiles or even by exploding in your general vicinity. From chain gun packing mutant scorpions to the large-mouthed horned toads, Serious Sam creatures take the cake for the strangest menagerie you'll ever find in a shooter.

Did I say bizarre? Well, bizarre - or any single word, really - can't capture the truly disturbing creatures you'll find in seething packs in Serious Sam. And good thing too, because you're not going to have a lot of time to perfect your shot without getting overwhelmed by the seemingly endless hordes of bizarre creatures the game throws at you from the get-go. Excellent default controls make tinkering with the keyboard and mouse set-up unnecessary for all but the most anal of players. Serious Sam plays like most First Person Shooters, just a lot faster.

Serious sam free download full version