After three years of waiting, stunning new FPS game finally arrives on Steam

Okay, so here’s a confession: I’m a little bored with the whole ‘90s boomer shooter revival now. I love Doom. I love Half-Life. I love Quake, Blood, and Duke Nukem, but there have been so many spiritual revivals and variations on the formula over the past six years, and the material is starting to wear a little thin. Old-school-style FPS games don’t automatically charm me like they once did. So when I say that this new one, which was first trailed back in 2021 and has just arrived on Steam, is worth your attention, it’s not just because I’m a sucker for GoldSrc or id Tech visuals.

Welcome to Selaco, a glorious new FPS game from Altered Orbit Studios which, you might not be surprised to learn when you look at the gameplay footage, is built using the Doom Engine. The eponymous underground bunker is home to some of Earth’s final human survivors following an unknown disaster, but now Selaco itself is being invaded. Fluid, frantic, and with destructible environments that would make the office levels in Max Payne 3 look tidy by comparison, Selaco also boasts an ambitious, cohesive narrative.

Yes, the shooting is fantastic. Yes, the guns feel even more impactful than the FEAR shotgun. But if Selaco also pays homage to Half-Life, it’s owing to a compelling story, neatly told through set pieces, tightly constructed dialogue, and the environment itself. The first gameplay footage for Selaco arrived in August 2021. Since then, I’ve been eagerly following its progress, through trailers, demos, and playtests.

Now, the Steam Early Access launch is finally here. As of this writing, Selaco arrived on Valve’s storefront all of 13 minutes ago, and already has more than 500 players. If you want to try it yourself, it’s available now for $22.49 / £18.89. Just head right here.

Otherwise, enjoy some true classic shooters with the best old games, or maybe try some of the other best new PC games available right now.

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