Natural Selection 2
Developer: Unknown Worlds Entertainment | Release Date: October 31, 2012 | Steam Page: Natural Selection 2 | Original Game: Half-Life
Natural Selection 2 is the sequel to the “Natural Selection” mod for Half-Life. The game combines elements of first-person shooters with those of real-time strategy games. The mod was released on October 31, 2002, and was one of the most played modifications for Half-Life in 2008.
The sequel, Natural Selection 2, was released exactly 10 years later on October 31, 2012. In the game, two teams compete against each other. One team as frontiersmen, trying to destroy the enemy base with firearms, grenades, and teleporters, and the alien Kharaa, who rely on natural weapons like poison and physical attacks.
An important distinguishing feature from ordinary shooters is the command center, where one player from the team takes on the role of commander and commands his team from a bird’s-eye perspective. He also conducts upgrades and establishes blueprints that can be built by the players.
You can watch the trailer for Natural Selection 2 here.
Red Orchestra
Developer: Tripwire Interactive | Release Date: March 14, 2006 | Steam Page: Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41–45 | Original Game: Unreal Tournament 2004
Red Orchestra began with a call from the graphics card manufacturer NVIDIA, urging up-and-coming developers to create modifications. The Red Orchestra: Combined Arms mod won the competition, which had prize money and impressed the publishers.
The modification quickly became a full-priced title. The complete game, Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41–45, was released in June 2006, and it received a sequel, Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad, in September 2011. The game series takes us as soldiers into World War II and fully emphasizes multiplayer mode.
You can watch the trailer here.
DayZ
Developer: Bohemia Interactive | Release Date: December 13, 2018 | Steam Page: Dayz | Original Game: ARMA 2
DayZ is a zombie modification based on the military simulation ARMA 2 and especially gained hype in 2012 and 2013. The game is characterized by its tough gameplay, which consists largely of looting supplies to obtain better weapons and equipment without being killed by zombies or other players.
The standalone version was fully released on December 13, 2018, after being developed in early access for several years. Even over 10 years after the hype surrounding the modification, around 50,000 – 60,000 players still play the zombie survival shooter simultaneously during peak times.
A unique feature of DayZ is that due to the unexpected success of the modification, mods of the mod also emerged. Many hobby developers joined the hype and developed their own maps, vehicles, weapons, or entire systems like a base building system.
You can watch a video about DayZ here.
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