Sparkling gems and new releases from the world of Free and Open Source Software
Multiplayer FPS
Cube 2: Sauerbraten
Sauerbraten is an old-school first person shooter (FPS) that's also really old. The previous major release was in 2013. Since then it has been languishing on SourceForge. The game itself offers the usual fare of reflex-fast baddy blasting through everything from dark Medieval corridors to tropical islands in the sky. There's also the usual array of weapons, from shotguns to sniper rifles and era-defining heavy metal music. You can play capture the flag and team tactics, among a huge variety of other modes, and you can spawn bots if you'd rather practice against your CPU than other people's brains. This is all what you'd expect from such a game. But there are some original elements too, such as being able to edit the map in-game, and the almost 200 new maps that come in this first major update for so many years.
These kinds of games are never judged on their originality. Instead, they're judged on their playability, and this is a difficult quality to define. It often takes hundreds of playing hours to decide whether an FPS has got it, and there are enough people still filling the online lobbies of Cube 2 to suggest it's a game that does. Certainly, the limited, twitchy fast movement, small area, and weapon accuracy make each map a seriously challenging environment that needs to be mastered. The good news is there's little modern complexity, such as roles and upgrade trees. Because the graphics are old, they're now lightening fast even on old hardware. This release ports the graphics to SDL2, so the game will continue to work for some time yet. But more importantly, there are still many people playing it, and it's a perfect way to spend 20 minutes after a day of video calls.
Project Website
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you've found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
The GNU Project Celebrates Its 40th Birthday
September 27 marks the 40th anniversary of the GNU Project, and it was celebrated with a hacker meeting in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland.
-
Linux Kernel Reducing Long-Term Support
LTS support for the Linux kernel is about to undergo some serious changes that will have a considerable impact on the future.
-
Fedora 39 Beta Now Available for Testing
For fans and users of Fedora Linux, the first beta of release 39 is now available, which is a minor upgrade but does include GNOME 45.
-
Fedora Linux 40 to Drop X11 for KDE Plasma
When Fedora 40 arrives in 2024, there will be a few big changes coming, especially for the KDE Plasma option.
-
Real-Time Ubuntu Available in AWS Marketplace
Anyone looking for a Linux distribution for real-time processing could do a whole lot worse than Real-Time Ubuntu.
-
KSMBD Finally Reaches a Stable State
For those who've been looking forward to the first release of KSMBD, after two years it's no longer considered experimental.
-
Nitrux 3.0.0 Has Been Released
The latest version of Nitrux brings plenty of innovation and fresh apps to the table.
-
Linux From Scratch 12.0 Now Available
If you're looking to roll your own Linux distribution, the latest version of Linux From Scratch is now available with plenty of updates.
-
Linux Kernel 6.5 Has Been Released
The newest Linux kernel, version 6.5, now includes initial support for two very exciting features.
-
UbuntuDDE 23.04 Now Available
A new version of the UbuntuDDE remix has finally arrived with all the updates from the Deepin desktop and everything that comes with the Ubuntu 23.04 base.