Serious Sam: The First Encounter

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 425 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 339 out of 425
  2. Mixed: 74 out of 425
  3. Negative: 12 out of 425
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  1. HowardR.
    Jul 8, 2001
    10
    GREAT GAME!!
  2. Hellwolf_36
    Mar 9, 2003
    10
    Wuts not fun about killing 1000+ enemies with a chaingun?
  3. Foker
    Dec 20, 2001
    10
    Awsome game, speciali in multyplayer .. Cooperative mode RoX.
  4. DillS
    Sep 9, 2009
    10
    Wowsa. Just re-beat this game! What a classic it is to me now. I think I first played it when I was eight or ten... This day in age, seeing that many units with no point but to "kill them to open the door" gets boring. Well, it would, if Sam weren't cracking jokes so much. End-game is awesome! Music isn't great, or even good, but everything is amazing. Even nowadays, I am Wowsa. Just re-beat this game! What a classic it is to me now. I think I first played it when I was eight or ten... This day in age, seeing that many units with no point but to "kill them to open the door" gets boring. Well, it would, if Sam weren't cracking jokes so much. End-game is awesome! Music isn't great, or even good, but everything is amazing. Even nowadays, I am surprised by how HUGE the environments are. I ran off into the desert for easily ten minutes.… Expand
  5. [Anonymous]
    Apr 26, 2005
    10
    An unbelievable bargain game and one of the most fun yet simple games ive ever played.
  6. Falling_Hammer
    Jun 14, 2011
    10
    This is a great game made by Croatian Game industry: Croteam, It is fast, funny, totally crazy, I love it. I bloody love it..... hell it is one of the best games of 21st (so far)
  7. murut87
    Dec 26, 2012
    10
    From my childhood memories,this game is still exist in my mind and its the game that is still kick ass till now,the graphics are much impressive for old times and it runs really Fluently without slowdown at all.And humor that is funny for the old time,for me...this game deserve 10 and its the best 2001 game ever made,till now,people still playing this game :)
  8. Helmore
    Apr 5, 2012
    10
    Just plain fun. If you're looking for a game where you just want to have fun, mindless fun and nothing but this is it. It also has a ton of funny and interesting easter eggs.
  9. UncleDave27
    Nov 25, 2012
    10
    The best kill-them all shooter. I like it for hardcore. Good graphic, difficult missions and dynamic gameplay. Classic Shooter. I played for many times.
  10. GameBurger
    Nov 9, 2013
    10
    Definitely the one you should start the game series with. A very efficient way to unleash your rage. Don't worry about the plot and graphics you don't need them.
  11. Rizwan
    Oct 3, 2014
    10
    The best game of 2001. Excellent gameplay,super enjoyment,outstanding multyplayer, charming environments, great story. Fast, funny,brutal,devastating game. Serious Sam series games are always my favourite games. Serious sam is my favourite FPS series. Thanks to croteam for this game. I have played SS3. Its now my favourite game.I also want SS4 Soon
  12. batsam
    Apr 8, 2016
    10
    This is a great game, this is old school, this is more blood, this is epic soundtrack, this is hardcore, this is one of the best schooter for all the time
  13. Al89ex
    Feb 6, 2018
    10
    The game is the best classic shooter. It's great non-stop action. It is worth plaiyng
  14. voditelnlo
    Dec 19, 2018
    10
    This is a great game made by Croatian Game industry: Croteam, It is fast, funny, totally crazy, I love it. I bloody love it..... hell it is one of the best games of 21st (so far)
  15. harMlos2781
    Feb 5, 2021
    10
    Отличная игра. В этой игре очень классный геймплей, Это вам не глупый шутер как far cry или call of duty, а это смертельный танец с врагами.
  16. Bloodnes
    Jan 31, 2020
    10
    Шедевр игровой индустрии и можно сказать первая моя игра на PC. Сколько в ней потрачено времени...Сколько эмоций, игра на все года и ничего подобного даже в 2020 не сотворили. 10/10
  17. SeyeerGame
    May 28, 2021
    10
    Крутая игра, но концовка конечно такоооооооое деремище, словно назад в будущее два посмотрел ваще пиздец
  18. sam90211
    Aug 14, 2020
    10
    The best game is better than doom. In this game, you fight against aliens and big aliens.
  19. HakanS
    Oct 12, 2020
    10
    İt's a Classic! İf you want classic fps game go download Serious Sam The First Encounter.
  20. KuroZerro
    May 9, 2022
    10
    best old school shooter i dont know what to say more they want me to write more
  21. Vilera
    Jun 7, 2022
    10
    Игра пройдена почти 10 раз, если вам скучно, можно попробывать режим КРУТОЙ или МАСТЕР.
  22. LT_Gruber
    Jan 13, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The true definition of a classic video game.

    Serious Sam: The First Encounter is a classic and a game that had a big impact on my gaming history. When I first installed it, I was overwhelmed by the excellent action right at the start and the fine combat mechanics. You just shoot stuff and hope to make it to the next level, but this game nailed the FPS category by a long shot. Sure, the FPS genre already had its masterpieces named Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein, but Serious Sam was a fresh, new, fully 3D First Person experience that I did not experience yet in my life.

    In Serious Sam: The First Encounter, the earth is under attack by Mental and his alien horde and earth is overrun, lost completely in disarray. In a desperate attempt to turn the tide, you are teleported back in time to ancient Egypt to, hopefully, change the course of history in favor of humanity. You travel to different parts of Egypt, including Karnak, Luxor, the suburbs of ancient Cairo and the Valley of the Kings.

    On your journey, hordes and hordes of Mentals monsters attack you from all directions and you blast your way to the Great Pyramid, where you defeat Ugh-Zan IV, Mentals most powerful general. After that, you leave a phone message for Mental, telling him that you are coming for his ass and then fly away in your spaceship, which is put down by stupid Serious Sam fans flying in a rocket crate cart and crash into you, starting the Second Encounter.

    I loved the many different weapons you collect and use in the game. The double-barreled shotgun, the minigun, the laser, they all feel great to use and the satisfying gurgle of enemies when you pump them full of bullets, or explode them into a thousand pieces, is amazing.

    Serious Sam: The First Encounter plays and controls fluently. It is faced paced, responsive and very smooth. Changing weapons is easy, there are a fair amount of health and ammo pickups and the overall balance in the game is perfect. Yes, the game is incredibly hard on Serious difficulty, but even then, you got a fair chance. If you die, it is on you.

    The graphics are amazing for its time. You got big, detailed levels that all runs flawlessly on the Serious Engine. Animations are nice and they somehow managed to increase the draw distance to a level in which it seems that your rockets fly for all eternity, well outside the boundaries of a level.

    The music is epic, just epic. The Croatian Band Undercode made almost all of the metal soundtracks that play in boss battles, and they sound amazing. The Egyptian themed ambient music in the other levels is iconic and to this day, I remember every track.

    The boss fights are really cool. When I first played them as a kid, I did not have the balls to wake up the big Arachnoid Adult that was sleeping over the Ankh, I was really nervous for Ugh-Zan IV who was chasing me towards the Great Pyramid and the horde of frogs in the Oasis level came as a total surprise to me. Croteam knows how to impress their players.

    The multiplayer in Serious Sam is excellent, it is on par with Quake, plays fast paced and is well balanced. Weapons are scattered nicely throughout the map and for the platforming experts, the strongest of weapons can be reached on high platforms or forgotten rooms on the map. To my surprise, it is still active today.

    In the end, I can only praise Serious Sam. It is a masterpiece of a game, a true classic and one that I can boot up anytime.

    Definitely recommend it.    … Expand
  23. SeriousSam1Fan
    May 31, 2023
    10
    This game is very good in terms of a first-person shooter, Sam's arsenal is huge. The number of cards to pass inspires as well as the number of enemies (the most infuriating of which is the Кleer Skeleton). The phrases of The Main Character are simply gorgeous. Definitely 10/10.
  24. armadonpower
    Jun 9, 2023
    10
    The original Serious Sam is wild, non-stop action-packed adventure with hordes of enemies and fun weapons. A cult classic gem.
  25. JonathanH.
    May 21, 2001
    9
    Wow, as good as the reviews all say. "Doom" for 2001. Buy it.
  26. RossRulz
    Nov 9, 2001
    9
    This game has sweet guns, tons of opponents, cool scenery, and a pretty cool boss. A Must buy if you like 1st person shooting.
  27. iseeall
    Dec 14, 2015
    9
    An excellent shooter which doesn't take itself too seriously. You are frequently challenged with huge armies of enemies running at you from all directions. The battles of such large scale and intensity were novel at the time time game came out.
  28. Pepelinojosefo
    Apr 15, 2013
    9
    Jamas disfrute tanto un FPS, ya no hacen muchos juegos de este estilo, muchos monstruos, un lugar extremadamente amplio y un arsenal de armas para utilizar. Disfrute cada minuto de este juego, y si lo jugas en la dificultad mas alta, es todo un desafio. La historia no es para nada buena, pero el gameplay, los sonidos, los graficos, el estilo de los mosntruos, las armas, casi todo esJamas disfrute tanto un FPS, ya no hacen muchos juegos de este estilo, muchos monstruos, un lugar extremadamente amplio y un arsenal de armas para utilizar. Disfrute cada minuto de este juego, y si lo jugas en la dificultad mas alta, es todo un desafio. La historia no es para nada buena, pero el gameplay, los sonidos, los graficos, el estilo de los mosntruos, las armas, casi todo es perfecto en este juego!… Expand
  29. arostislavna
    Nov 29, 2021
    9
    great game!!!!great game!!!!great game!!!!great game!!!!great game!!!!great game!!!!
  30. Panica3643D
    Jun 17, 2018
    9
    Нет смысла писать про игру, которую и так все давно знают
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Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PC Game of 2001
6
#6 Most Discussed PC Game of 2001
11
#11 Most Shared PC Game of 2001

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 31 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 31
  3. Negative: 1 out of 31
  1. Computer Games Magazine
    80
    This is the best dose of pure visceral excitement to hit shooters in years.
    Read full review
  2. Armchair Empire
    80
    Just firing this beast up, and blasting some bad guys without a care in the world feels very refreshing.
    Read full review
  3. Da Gameboyz
    86
    If you like mindlessly shooting things (like me), buy this game! Well worth the bang!
See all critic reviews »