Best FPS Games For Fast-Paced Gameplay

Speed is key in some games, especially first-person shooters. Rather than worrying about stealth and immersion, some games emphasize making a game feel like a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. Some developers execute this by featuring non-stop gameplay that keeps the player moving at breakneck speed, while others feature non-stop shooting.

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By  Harry Ted Sprinks

First-person shooters come in all shapes and sizes, dating back to the early 90s. Those kinds of games still influence modern games, from linear shooter campaigns to online multiplayer games, leaving players feeling as if they haven't blinked in the previous half hour, but in the best ways possible.

10 Quake 2

The Sequel Changed Directions And Made Things Harder

On top of the increased speed, Quake 2 traded demons and sorcery for a dark sci-fi adventure. With the rogue extraterrestrial race known as the Strogg around every corner, the player still has to run and jump to stay alive while listening to memorable metal music.

Quake 2 was developed by iD Software and their thumbprint is all over it. It maintains much of the gameplay from the first Quake and the classic Doom games but with almost twice the difficulty. Combined with advanced visuals for the time, Quake 2 is a classic that still holds up over 25 years later.

9 Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger

Taking Out Western Outlaws In An Arcade-Like Shooter

Where Red Dead Redemption is all about immersion in a gritty version of the Old West, Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger is a more romanticized Western meant for fun. The player controls a bounty hunter going after famous outlaws such as Billy the Kid and Jesse James, with each level playing out linearly.

Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger plays out almost like an on-rail shooter arcade game but with direct controls. It’s just running and gunning through different towns, hideouts, and other typical Western locations. The endless violence is complimented with an art style reminiscent of classic wanted posters, making it a thrill ride worth checking out.

8 Bulletstorm

Players Are Rewarded For Inventing New Fatalities

Bulletstorm seems like a generic sci-fi shooter at first, but the irreverent humor mixed with unique gameplay mechanics help it become a memorable experience for both single-player and multiplayer. Blasting through an alien planet as Grayson Hunt to get his revenge goes by so fast that it results in a shorter campaign that leaves players wanting more.

The campaign seldom takes a break in Bulletstorm, keeping things going with an endless swarm of enemies. With the ability to freeze enemies in stasis, pull them toward the player, kick them away, and more, the game rewards players with points for eliminating foes in unique ways, especially if they are fast enough to keep combos going.

7 Apex Legends

A Battle Royale Meant To Be Played With Friends

From Fortnite to Call Of Duty: Warzone, battle royale games are commonplace now, but typically have a slower pace. Apex Legends changes the formula with first-person shooter gameplay that makes it nearly impossible to hold still, with almost every match being an endless battle. It forces players to learn how to run, fight, and loot within the span of a few seconds.

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Unlike most battle royale games, Apex Legends is based entirely on teamwork. Some players might be skilled enough to carry themselves, but the game is designed for cooperation, with teammates covering each other as they rush to outrun the ring and defeat enemy teams. This means they are forced to stay on their toes, as the different heroes make things difficult with their abilities.

6 Aliens Versus Predator (2010)

The Deadliest Monsters In The Galaxy At Players' Fingertips

With three forms of gameplay: the Colonial Marine, the terrifying Xenomorph, and the deadly Yautja Hunter, Aliens Versus Predator is action-packed as it is scary. Playing as a Marine encourages constant movement and spatial awareness, as Xenomorphs can appear out of nearly any nook and cranny to hunt, moving across all surfaces accurately to the movies.

Even when playing the Predator, leaping through the trees and performing executions is always at breakneck speed, and it’s double that speed when controlling the Xenomorph. Each race has its own campaign and can be played in online multiplayer, allowing for plenty of chills and thrills.

5 Titanfall 2

Respawn Created Something That Competed With Call Of Duty

Before Apex Legends, Respawn Entertainment surprised the world with Titanfall 2, which takes place in the same universe. It took the rapid gameplay of playing as an exo-suit-wearing soldier and their giant robots known as Titans and amplified it, which included a memorable but short story campaign.

Titanfall 2 has bits of the Apex Legends template, including many of the same weapons, so fans of that game can adjust quicker to it. However, the parkour elements and the Titans helped turn Titanfall 2 into a still unique shooter, with an online multiplayer that is just as punishing as Apex Legends as it requires paying attention to all directions, high and low, to survive, along with wall-running and jet-packing.

4 Doom (2016)

Proof That iD Software Is Still The Royalty Of Shooters

When iD Software and Bethesda brought back the Doom franchise after a long hiatus, many were concerned it would not feel like the original. However, the 2016 sequel/reboot went back to the styles of the original Doom with a little bit of Quake, mixing a brutal and violent shooter with difficulty that even longtime fans of shooters can struggle with.

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Doom could have stuck to being about a random marine speedrunning killing demons and undead on Mars and fans likely would have been happy. However, the 2016 game added a story and even gave the main character an official title: the Doom Slayer, which, combined with the new weapon mod system and massive levels, resulted in the perfect comeback for the series.

3 Ultrakill

A Gory Throwback To Classic Action Games

An independent game that surprised many, Ultrakill takes the lightspeed-quick gameplay of the new Doom games and mixes in the combo-based action of Devil May Cry. It’s bloody, violent, and a total blast that has won the affection of many gamers and critics since it launched in 2020.

Similar to Bulletstorm, Ultrakill rewards the player for mixing up tactics and coming up with creative kills. The low-polygons and pixel art are perfect for gamers who grew up with first-person shooters of the 90s and early 2000s, while also allowing for smooth framerates that keep the game moving at an ideal speed.

2 Metal: Hellsinger

Shooting To A Beat Makes For A Challenging Rhythm Game

Shooting up demons is fun, but Metal: Hellsinger throws in the twist of also being a rhythm-based game. Running, dashing, jumping, and even shooting are all timed to the beat of an award-nominated soundtrack or any song put into the game for those on PC via modding, which makes the game as catchy as it is fun.

The music can make the game a memorable experience for multiple reasons, as Metal: Hellsinger features sections that test gamers’ reflexes and timing. Even on normal difficulty, the latter half will make fingers feel sore after a certain amount of time, but that also helps people learn how to keep a beat going if they are thinking of pursuing music.

1 Doom Eternal

Bigger, Bloodier, And Better In Every Way

Whether it’s slaying demons or traversing through the bowels of a corrupted version of Earth, Doom Eternal takes everything that the 2016 game did so well and improves upon it. A sequel could have stuck to being identical to the previous game, but Doom Eternal adds new weapon mods, abilities, forms of traversal, and many more enemy types to help it stand out.

If someone found the previous Doom difficult, Doom Eternal might be an ultra-nightmare for them. Later stages incorporate all old and new enemy variations combined with environmental puzzles with even faster gameplay. Something as simple as blinking at the wrong time could be disastrous, and there is essentially zero time to sit still as the Doom Slayer.