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FOV 90
Welcome to FOV 90, an FPS column from staff writer Morgan Park. Every other week, I cover topics relevant to first-person shooter enjoyers, spanning everything from multiplayer and singleplayer to the old and the new.
Welcome back to a special election day edition of FOV 90, the only FPS column that insists American readers vote twice today—first on important videogame matters right here, then on crucial *gestures at everything else* matters at your designated polling place.
Today we return from a totally planned hiatus, during which the PC Gamer community settled both the best RTS unit and best horror games, to dispute an issue of far greater significance: The greatest FPS mode of all time. Round 2’s matchups reflected an enthusiasm for classic team-based formats with a respectable turnout as well for modern arrivals like Battle Royale. I asked you to make some tough calls and you showed up.
Over 2,500 votes were cast across Round 2 matchups, and the results are in.
🥁drum roooooooooolllllllllllllll🥁
Round 2 Results
- Team Deathmatch (82%) wins over Battle Royale (18%)
- Conquest (63%) wins over Bomb Defusal (37%)
- Payload (77%) wins over Infection (23%)
- Capture the Flag (71%) wins over Attack & Defend (29%)
A decisive victory in each contest. Every mode I voted for came out on top, which I honestly didn’t expect. Sure, TDM over Battle Royale makes sense, but an 82% majority tells me that the most popular shooter format of today has not usurped the classics among PC Gamer readers (same). But even so, this is where I expected Conquest (a chaotic fight over territory) to accept a humble defeat to Bomb Defusal (the gold standard of competitive PvP). I’m glad I was wrong!
Not as much comment sparring went down this time, but I would like to highlight one reader comment that got me thinking:
And here’s how PC Gamer’s staff reacted to the results:
“What’s notable to me about the final four is that they mostly don’t put individuals on the spot. In Infection, Battle Royale, and Bomb Defusal, you can wind up being the last survivor, with all the pressure on you to bring it home. That’s not really the case in TDM, Conquest, Payload, or CTF, which usually allow unlimited respawns (or in the case of Conquest, end when respawns run out). CTF does require individual flag runner heroism, but as part of a team effort.”
“The continued dominance of Payload is vexing to me: I’ve always thought it was Fine, but an all-conquering hero? Maybe I’m just sore it bodied Gun Game in the first round—I was a fan back when it was a modded Counter-Strike mode first and foremost. If Payload beats out the all time classic, Capture the Flag, this round, we may have to reexamine this whole “democracy” thing.”
“CTF had its time, and was at its peak in the various iterations of Tribes, a context in which you could literally swoop in to snatch the banner. But I don’t think it stands up if we’re evaluating these as modern modes. Otherwise, it’s tough to see Bomb Defusal fizzle—Counter-Strike’s competitive mode holds up wonderfully as the premier FPS esport, which says a lot given that it’s asymmetrical.”
But alas, it’s time to bury our dead and move on. Round 3 is on!
The Bracket
Round 3 – Vote!
Read up on the matchups below and vote for your favorite. Round 3 voting closes on Sunday, November 8 at 11:59 PM PDT. The more votes we get, the more interesting the results, so tell your friends! Next week we’ll be back to share the results and begin the FINALS.
Team Deathmatch vs Conquest
AKA: Team Slayer (Halo) // Warfare (Hell Let Loose)
Intimate team-based action, or large-scale territory control?
Payload or Capture The Flag?
AKA: It’s always Payload and CTF, because they’re perfect names
Two modes about escorting an object where the other team doesn’t want it to go, but only one moves on.
