At first, the graphics for Serious Sam seem a bit dated. The engine looks and feels like some of the earlier Unreal and Quake II engine games. Character models are good looking, but would look splendid with a higher polygon count. The same statement applies to the map textures, which are nice, but are outdone by the stunning offerings in recent titles like Tribes 2 and Giants. Yet, once you get into your first major fight, any notion that this is a second rate engine will go out the window.
Frame rates are smooth even with ludicrous amounts of movement and models loaded on the screen.
Everything about this game is well optimized and efficient. The toned-down graphics were necessary for the game though, due to the incredible number of enemies that can be onscreen simultaneously. Also, the levels are quite large and often have uninhibited views, which would really up the workload for your videocard if the graphics were top notch. Sound effects in Serious Sam are perfectly reasonable they too are good enough to get you into the mood without calling too much attention to themselves. The weapon explosions are satisfying and monster s herald their approach with clattering hooves, rumbling, and screams.