Laser Arena

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.

Since its release in 2000, LaserArena has never seen any surge of popularity. Many potential buyers were scared off by the fact that this was a budget title, and because the market for non-violent shooters is small. There is only one known mod for this game, the LaserArena Homebase Mod, which enhances certain aspects of the game like sounds, and has useful key bindings to make the game more enjoyable.