What do you do when your reflexes tap out, but the games keep getting faster?
The last FPS I played properly was Unreal Tournament 2003. Not the remake. Not some nostalgic retro spin. The actual 2003 release. That was the last time I cared about accuracy, headshots, or keeping my mouse sensitivity dialled in like a sniper scope.
And I loved it. It was fast, brutal, and didn’t care if you were ready. There were low-gravity arenas, jump pads that hurled you into open gunfire, and frantic Capture the Flag matches that turned into full-on brawls. You had vehicles in some modes, turret placements in others, and weapons that felt like they were designed by someone who hated quiet. You either adapted or exploded.
I miss that energy. But I don’t miss the genre.
Modern FPS games are a different beast. They demand a kind of constant commitment I don’t have anymore. Every match is a sprint against time, reflexes, and players who’ve been grinding the same three maps for weeks. And they’re good. Too good. They’re running pre-built loadouts, sliding around corners, and snapping headshots in a quarter of a second like their hands are powered by caffeine and regret.
There’s no middle ground. You’re either a sweatlord or a corpse. Every new FPS launch is the same. You try to dip in. You pick your class. You equip a gun. You spawn. And then you’re dead. You didn’t see the person. You didn’t hear the shot. But the killcam shows they saw you five seconds before you even moved.
And don’t tell me to “play casual.” Casual’s a lie. Everyone’s still trying to climb some invisible ranked ladder, even if they’re playing on a potato with a dodgy connection. There’s no chill. There’s just who gets to win the fastest. And if you’re not tuned into the meta, you’re dead weight.
The problem isn’t just how fast these games are. It’s how they’re built to keep you grinding. These games are built for obsession. Progression systems that drip-feed dopamine. Battle passes that nudge you into playing every day. Guns locked behind challenges that make no sense. Play the game long enough and it starts feeling like a second job you’re bad at.
Maybe it’s just age. Maybe it’s patience. But I don’t want to spend an hour being told I’m not good enough just because I didn’t memorise the recoil pattern of some made-up rifle. I don’t want to get fragged by a 14-year-old who plays like his self-worth depends on it. And I definitely don’t want to be yelled at by someone half my age because I “didn’t rotate fast enough.”
I’d rather play a turn-based strategy game. Something where I can stop. Think. Make decisions that aren’t tied to the speed of my wrist. Or an RPG where you explore instead of respawn. Or a management sim where no one’s shouting in my ear.
That doesn’t mean FPS games are bad. There’s some brilliant design out there. I see the clips. I read the updates. I respect what they’re doing. But I don’t want to be part of that anymore. I’m not in the mood for twitch-based combat and sensory overload every time I load into a match.
I’ll watch. I’ll comment. I’ll laugh at the patch notes. But I’m not joining the lobby. I’m not grinding for a skin I’ll never use. I’m not pretending I’m going to learn the map rotation. I’m done. And I’m fine with that.
Games are meant to be fun. And right now, the idea of getting repeatedly dunked on by teenagers isn’t my idea of a good time.
Which FPS was your last? And did it go out on a high or just grind you into the dirt?
