Laser Arena
Encyclopedia
Laser Arena is a FPS
PC
game designed to simulate laser tag
. Play modes include Free for All (Deathmatch
), Team Match, Duel, Domination and Mega Target. Players have 3 "health canisters", and every hit diminishes one of them. After three hits, the player counts as "dead" and has to respawn after a delay.
The game is based on a heavily modified Quake engine
, and despite being a budget-title, features some elements that were unique at the time of release. For example, the game models "Lasertag Grenades" which emit a vast number of shots in all directions, tagging every player in the vicinity.
The "Mega Target" game mode is rather novel in that it requires players to hit three targets strewn across the playing arena, before they are allowed to enter a "core" in which they shoot a final target to score a point. As an added element, automated defense turrets shoot at enemy players, and some can be converted to fight for your team by shooting at a sensor above the turret. This disables the turret for a few seconds and, if it's a convertible turret, makes it fight for your side until an enemy deactivates/converts it again.
The game does not feature different weapons, instead the player can collect powerups that increase the firing rate or the hit damage (thus reducing an enemy's energy canisters by two instead of one) for a limited time.
The graphics engine offers Glide, OpenGL
and software rendering. Multiplayer supports up to 8 players either competitively or against bots via LAN
or Gamespy
. Although not officially supported, the game is moddable, and a single mod named "LaserArena Enhanced" exists, improving textures and sounds as well as adding some useful keybinds that were not available in the original game.
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
game designed to simulate laser tag
Laser tag
Laser tag is a team or individual sport or recreational activity where players attempt to score points by tagging targets, typically with a hand-held infrared-emitting targeting device. Infrared-sensitive targets are commonly worn by each player and are sometimes integrated within the arena in...
. Play modes include Free for All (Deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
), Team Match, Duel, Domination and Mega Target. Players have 3 "health canisters", and every hit diminishes one of them. After three hits, the player counts as "dead" and has to respawn after a delay.
The game is based on a heavily modified Quake engine
Quake engine
The Quake engine is the game engine that was written to power 1996's Quake, written by id Software. It featured true 3D real-time rendering and is now licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License ....
, and despite being a budget-title, features some elements that were unique at the time of release. For example, the game models "Lasertag Grenades" which emit a vast number of shots in all directions, tagging every player in the vicinity.
The "Mega Target" game mode is rather novel in that it requires players to hit three targets strewn across the playing arena, before they are allowed to enter a "core" in which they shoot a final target to score a point. As an added element, automated defense turrets shoot at enemy players, and some can be converted to fight for your team by shooting at a sensor above the turret. This disables the turret for a few seconds and, if it's a convertible turret, makes it fight for your side until an enemy deactivates/converts it again.
The game does not feature different weapons, instead the player can collect powerups that increase the firing rate or the hit damage (thus reducing an enemy's energy canisters by two instead of one) for a limited time.
The graphics engine offers Glide, OpenGL
OpenGL
OpenGL is a standard specification defining a cross-language, cross-platform API for writing applications that produce 2D and 3D computer graphics. The interface consists of over 250 different function calls which can be used to draw complex three-dimensional scenes from simple primitives. OpenGL...
and software rendering. Multiplayer supports up to 8 players either competitively or against bots via LAN
Län
Län and lääni refer to the administrative divisions used in Sweden and previously in Finland. The provinces of Finland were abolished on January 1, 2010....
or Gamespy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
. Although not officially supported, the game is moddable, and a single mod named "LaserArena Enhanced" exists, improving textures and sounds as well as adding some useful keybinds that were not available in the original game.