*Update*

I reviewed this game back in 2012 and here we are 5 years later and the team is still putting out large and meaningful updates. Not just bug fixes, but major updates. Natural Selection is a great game from a truly passionate team. That is why I'm nominating it for the "Labor of Love" Award this year.

*End Update*

NS1 was an amazing experience. Built as a Half-Life Mod there was excitement when the Source Engine came out and people started to clamor for NS:Source. Work begain on NS:S but quickly the team realized that what they wanted to do was make their own engine and put out their own full release. NS2 is (finally) right around the corner. The long beta has been refining that NS experience that started back with that original Mod but has evovled into something so fresh and new while still having a comforting familiarity. The new engine is beautiful and creates a moody atmosphere that really emmerses the player either behind a rifle or behind a set of razor sharp teeth. The new engine isn't just to make things look pretty, there have been a number of gameplay elements that weren't possible before. But perhaps the most key element has remained in tact; the RTS/FPS hybrid. The ability for a player to jump into the commander role and give orders from a top down view makes Natural Selection 2 epic