Serious Sam: The First Encounter

Lore & Background

The game follows the soldier Sam "Serious" Stone, who is sent back in time to ancient Egypt in 1378 BCE to uncover information about the technologically advanced civilisation of the Sirians that could help humanity survive the attacks of extraterrestrial forces in the 22nd century. In 2104, humanity was attacked by forces commanded by the alien overlord Mental. As their last hope, world leaders agreed to send Sam back in time using the Time-Lock, a Sirian device able to transport only one person.

In Their Own Story

The sun hangs low over the cracked asphalt, painting the gas station in shades of rust and amber. Sam leans against a pickup truck, chewing on a toothpick, watching the horizon. Then the horizon *screams*—a sound like a continent tearing in half—and the sky goes white.

He doesn't flinch. He just sighs, pulls a shotgun from the truck bed, and mutters, "Well. That's new."

The first wave hits the main street in a shower of chitin and green ichor. Sam walks through them like a man mowing a lawn, the pump-action thunder echoing off the adobe walls. Behind him, a tank rolls out of the alien column, treads grinding over the gas-station canopy. He looks at it. It looks at him. He looks at the tank, then back at the shotgun, then at the tank again.

"Alright," he says. "You first."

He doesn't wait for an answer.

Reader's Guide

As Sam, the player traverses fifteen mostly linear levels, either enclosed or set on open plains, and battles increasingly large waves of enemies with an expanding arsenal. The game contains ten weapons, including a combat knife, revolver, shotgun, Thompson submachine gun, minigun, laser gun, rocket launcher, grenade launcher, and handheld cannon. The player can pick up new weapons and replenishment for ammunition and health, as well as review strategic information via NETRICSA. Multiplayer includes two deathmatch modes (Scorematch and Fragmatch) and cooperative play for the single-player campaign.

Did You Know?

• Development began in 1996 after Croteam moved away from creating games for the Amiga family of home computers.
• The game's engine, originally called S-Cape3D, was later renamed Serious Engine.
• A vertical slice demo released in May 2000 helped the game gain popularity, especially after an interview on Old Man Murray.
• The game was released on 21 March 2001.
• The game received positive reviews, with critics praising its engine, gameplay, presentation, sound, and humour.