Where to get it

2004 · GSC Game World · First-person shooter · Shooter

FireStarter

In the year 2010, a malicious virus has infected a virtual reality machine, the FireStarter. The intruding program has caused the computer to malfunction. The rules of the simulation have been altered in a potentially deadly manner, with the player's consciousness trapped inside. There is only one possible way to escape, by completing the game with a period of 48 virtual hours. The penalty for failing to do so is the ultimate one – real death.

Released: 5 March 2004
Platforms: Windows
Genres: First-person shooter Shooter
Developers: GSC Game World
Publishers: Russobit-M
Perspective: First person
Themes: Science fiction
Country: Ukraine
Age ratings: USK 18 PEGI 16 ESRB M
Languages: English, Russian

About

FireStarter is a 2003 first-person shooter video game developed by Ukrainian GSC Game World and published by Hip Games for Microsoft Windows. Set in the year 2010, the player character's consciousness has been trapped inside of a virtual reality game with a deadly computer virus intending on making sure they will never be able to leave the game.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The player can choose from six different types of characters to play as. A few examples of which include the Agent (a women with excellent acrobatic skills), the Cyborg (a heavily armored man with cybernetic implants who can regenerate armor), and the Mutant (a four-armed mutant creature who has the ability to fire with all his four arms). The game has many role-playing elements and the player can unlock different skills for their various characters as they level up throughout the game.

Story

By the year 2010, video games have gotten so advanced that people are able to upload their consciousnesses into virtual reality machines to experience more realistic and lifelike simulations than ever before. The player character is the owner of one such gaming machine: called the FireStarter. However a malicious computer virus has infected the machine and it has trapped the player's consciousness inside with it. The game has been altered in a deadly manner and there's only one possible way for the player to escape the game with their life intact; they must complete the game within 48 hours or face certain death.

Reception

FireStarter received mixed to positive reviews upon release. It received a score of 6.2 from GameSpot, 7.5 from IGN, and 8.0 from Russian gaming magazine Igromania.