Summary
- Overwatch 2 offers refined hero shooter gameplay with MOBA aspects and strategic character types.
- Team Fortress 2 features deep character abilities requiring coordination for success, standing the test of time.
- Ultrakill is a fast and gory boomer shooter with a love for old-school designs, offering a unique and intense experience.
Whenever the FPS genre is mentioned, it is hard to avoid mentioning Call of Duty, as the impact that the franchise has had on the gaming world goes far beyond just the shooting. There have been iconic titles year after year, with fans across the globe jumping in every time to enjoy the simplistic shooter gameplay that the series is most known for over 20 years after the original released.
29 Great Story-Driven FPS Games
These FPS games aren't just about moving from gunfight to gunfight. They also tell a great story as players progress.
But sometimes, players often want something a bit different while still maintaining all the satisfaction that comes from gunning down enemies. From hero shooters to fast-paced arena battles, there are plenty of games in the genre that provide something different for players to enjoy, departing from the CoD formula that has been successful for so long.
8 Overwatch 2
Class-Based Mayhem in a Highly Competitive Environment
Overwatch 2
- Released
- August 10, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Overwatch 2 takes the concept of a hero shooter and refines every system to deliver one of the best of its kind. With scientists, soldiers, and super-intelligent hamsters, the cast of characters is varied and offers plenty of choices for players of all kinds and all playstyles.
What sets it apart from the typical shooter game is the MOBA aspects and different character types that add more depth to the gameplay than a basic shooter. There are tanks that hold down the frontline with powerful shields and supports that can heal and buff allies in a variety of ways, so the game has a lot more strategy and coordination than the basic run-and-gun gameplay found elsewhere.
7 Team Fortress 2
Movement Techniques Beyond Your Wildest Dreams
Team Fortress 2
- Released
- October 10, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
Team Fortress 2 is the quintessential class shooter that has stood the test of time, and despite receiving no major updates for many years, it remains one of the most popular FPS titles on the planet. Part of what makes the game so enjoyable is the level of depth that each character has. At first, things seem basic, but over time, players learn that there are so many tricks and pieces of tech that transform characters in insane ways.
Another big reason the game feels so distinctive from games like COD is the level of coordination that goes into every play. In order to push through and take control of a point or capture an objective, players need to sync up their shots and execute with no errors, providing an extra incentive to work together in order to succeed in a game that is otherwise pretty chaotic.
6 Ultrakill
Fast, Trippy, and With Tonnes of Blood
Ultrakill
- Released
- September 3, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Ultrakill takes the concept of a boomer shooter and pushes it to its limit, adding in even more gore and insanity than most other games in the genre. Comparing the gameplay to Call of Duty feels like night and day, as the level design and aesthetics of Ultrakill feel completely distinct and offer a much more frantic experience for players looking for that extra level of speed.
8 Best FPS Games For Frantic & Intense Gunplay
These FPS games provide players with a fun and chaotic thrill-ride thanks to the frantic intensity of the gameplay.
Every level feels like a love letter to the old-school boomer shooters, while still keeping things modern and feeling good throughout. Movement is key, and with so many guns and enemies to kill, players will be constantly sweating and firing off rounds in what is one of the best and most well-rounded shooters released in the past few years.
5 Hunt: Showdown
Taking Extraction Shooters to the Wild West
Hunt: Showdown 1896
- Released
- February 22, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Crytek
- Publisher(s)
- Crytek
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Extraction
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Hunt: Showdown takes the extraction shooter genre and moves away from modern warzones or futuristic environments, instead opting for a more gritty, horror feel that sets it apart from the rest. Players pick their character and jump into a dark and gloomy world full of monsters and fellow bounty hunters, all eager for the same prize.
Things are a lot slower and more methodical than other shooters, as players need to manage both the main bosses and the other players who are looking to get in on the action. The biggest difference maker is the loss of an entire character on death, meaning that any loadout can be lost at any time if the player gets caught off guard during their escape.
4 Neon White
Dating Sim Meets Time-Trial FPS Action
Neon White
- Released
- June 16, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Angel Matrix
- Publisher(s)
- Annapurna Interactive
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Puzzle
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Neon White is by every definition an unconventional FPS game, as rather than giving players hundreds of bullets to shoot through their enemies, they are instead granted a limited supply of weapons that need to be used perfectly in order to clear each level.
It's a fast-paced thrill ride that feels more like a puzzle game at times, and outside of the actual gameplay lies a dating sim-style hub where players can interact with characters and learn more about their place in the world. It looks great and feels incredibly unique, scratching the itch for both satisfying movement and rewarding gunplay.
3 Doom: The Dark Ages
The Original Boomer Shooter Returns
DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Released
- May 15, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Publisher(s)
- Bethesda Softworks
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Doom: The Dark Ages reinvents the formula with a whole new setting and even more demons to slay. Doom Guy is back, and this time he's rocking a serrated shield and plenty of iconic weapons to combo together and shred through anything that gets in his way.
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Fans of the Warhammer universe have plenty of fun FPS games to choose from!
The game really levels up with the addition of different level types like the dragon flights, giving players a break from the main gunplay loop with a cinematic flying experience. At no point does the game ever slow down, and there is never a dull moment throughout one of the most entertaining and absurd Doom campaigns of all time.
2 Destiny 2
Combining MMO Mechanics With Fast-Paced Gunplay
Destiny 2
- Released
- August 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bungie
- Publisher(s)
- Bungie
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC, Stadia
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Destiny 2 is the perfect genre blend that takes the concept of an MMO and brings it over to the FPS space to deliver an unforgettable intergalactic masterpiece that continues to amaze today. Rather than having individual classes to swap between on the fly like in CoD, players instead level up their character and find progressively more powerful loot through intense missions and multiplayer battles.
The gunplay itself is also pretty distinctive, trading grounded military warfare for fantastical, futuristic space combat involving plenty of explosions and movement abilities to keep things feeling fast and skill-expressive. Both the PvP and the PvE deliver on all the expectations that players had for a sequel, providing near-endless amounts of content.
1 Counter-Strike 2
Tactical Matches Full of Strategy and Skill
Counter-Strike 2
- Released
- September 27, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Counter-Strike 2 is the king of esports and is at the top of the list when it comes to tactical shooters that really test players' skills. Everyone is on an even playing field, with no items or levels to inhibit players from enjoying the game right from the start, meaning that anyone can jump in and quickly pick up the fundamentals and work on their aim over time.
Rather than the traditional spray-and-pray strategies or more aggressive approaches found in CoD, players instead need to hold angles and slowly clear corners, all while ensuring perfect crosshair placement at all times. It requires an immense amount of patience, and few games offer the same level of mastery for players to strive for, with a near-endless skill ceiling to aspire to.
The Hardest FPS Games Ever Made, Ranked
First-person shooters are a tough genre to get into if someone has never played them before. Some get so hard that they are nearly impossible.