The Wheel of Time (PC Games, 1999)

Based on Robert Jordan's bestselling fantasy series of the same name, this first person shooter game follows a young Aes Sedai in her battle against Evil.

An FPS like no other, you rely solely on magical artifacts called ter'angreal to attack, defend yourself, and interact with the world. The over 40 ter'angreal featured in Wheel of Time allow for nearly any attack to be evaded, blocked, or even sent back after the caster. This adds a layer of strategy that is sadly missing in many FPS games.

Wheel of Time makes incredible use of the Unreal engine and was for its time one of the most beautiful games on the market. The architecture is very well done and contributes immensely to the dark atmosphere present in most of the levels.

While the single player is nothing spectacular — the story takes place in Jordan's world, yet does not focus on any of his characters — the multiplayer is completely different. Wheel of Time includes two multiplayer modes: Arena, a free for all mode, and Citadel, a team-based mode similar to capure the flag. The citadel mode allows players to place traps and even minions in their team's fortress to hinder the enemy team from capturing their ter'angreal. Sadly, these traps are often all too easily avoided. Yet, both multiplayer modes offer great strategic FPS action unlike that found in any other FPS.

Although few people still play this game online, this game offers one of the deepest and most refreshing FPS multiplayer experiences around and is definitely worth a try - regardless of whether you are a fan of Jordan's books or not.