Shooters began mostly as 2D games, like Contra, or in fixed angles wherein enemies came at the screen like Duck Hunt. The 90s are where the modern first-person shooter was born, and year after year, the genre grows. Now, there is a specific type of shooter game out there for everyone to enjoy, from pure adrenaline rushes like Titanfall 2 to more atmospheric haunted deep dives like Resident Evil Village.
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For anyone curious about how first-person shooters have evolved over the past three decades, they may want to check these games out. They are not as groundbreaking today, but they are still fun to play as history lessons.
Wolfenstein 3D
The Birth Of Modern FPS Games
Wolfenstein 3D
- Released
- May 5, 1992
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Wolfenstein 3D helped create the modern FPS experience, which was an evolution for the Wolfenstein series that started as 2D games. Players could go around a base, shooting enemies, collecting things like keys, and the HUD was illuminating because it displayed the hero’s health through the protagonist’s head.
Even though it looks dated by today’s standards and the layout is confusing, it’s undeniably fun to go around and blast Nazis with heavy artillery. Also, the final boss is worth getting to, or at least looking up, because in 1992, it was hilariously unexpected.
Half-Life
Breaking Through Environmental Storytelling
Half-Life
- Released
- November 19, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Half-Life was never designed to be a full-throttle shooter with minute-to-minute action like Wolfenstein 3D or Doom. Instead, it was the thinking man’s shooter that helped establish environmental storytelling without pausing the gameplay to go into a cutscene.
It was also one of the more horror-themed shooters that genuinely felt creepy to go through, thanks to the mutated humans possessed by Headcrabs. It also made players never look at a crowbar the same again in reality, as that became a steadfast weapon within the game when ammo ran low, and overall, this changed Valve as a company forever.
Counter-Strike
A New Standard For Multiplayer
Counter-Strike
- Released
- November 9, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Tactical
Counter-Strike began as a mod for Half-Life, as the game was very popular to mod in the 90s and early 2000s. Eventually, Valve liked it so much they helped push to make Counter-Strike its own experience, and while there are deeper multiplayer games today, it’s still played on Steam.
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There’s something satisfying about jumping into a match with solid rules of just going after the opposing team of agents or terrorists. Counter-Strike helped modernize what multiplayer shooters could be, so fans of online gaming definitely need to check out this game at least once.
Halo: Combat Evolved
FPS Games Come To Consoles
Halo: Combat Evolved
- Released
- November 15, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Halo: Combat Evolved was a launch game for the original Xbox, and without it, the system probably would not have sold as well. It can be thanked for establishing comfortable controls for console FPS games, which predominantly were better on PC.
Finally, console players had a benchmark to brag about, which wasn’t just serviceable, as the game ruled. Master Chief as a character was cool, the weaponry was inventive, and the ability to steal vehicles in pretty open environments was groundbreaking.
Red Faction
Destructible Environments To Play Your Way
Red Faction
- Released
- May 22, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Red Faction was not as good as Halo: Combat Evolved as far as console shooters went, but there was another reason why this PS2 exclusive shooter was lauded. Players could destroy walls, which would open up exploration, a thing that the Red Faction franchise would invest more in as it continued.
Blasting past a door to surprise enemies never grew old, and unfortunately, this idea never caught on that much in shooters compared to other trendsetters. Despite this, Red Faction is still a marvel at what it accomplished on the PS2 decades ago.
Metroid Prime
An Easy Transition To 3D
Metroid Prime
- Released
- November 17, 2002
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Violence
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Metroidvania
The transition to 3D for NES franchises either went smoothly, like Super Mario 64, or badly, like Castlevania 64. Metroid, thankfully, made the leap to 3D on the GameCube well with Metroid Prime, and not only that, it became a must-play FPS.
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The developer, Retro Studios, smartly decided to still incorporate some third-person segments, like when Samus turned into a Morph Ball. It was also proof that a Metroidvania could work in 3D, and thanks to the remaster on Switch, it’s a very easy game to go back to. Between exploring, solving puzzles, and shooting enemies, the haunting world of Metroid Prime is astounding.
Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Welcome To 2007
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
- Released
- November 5, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
FPS games didn’t evolve much for a while, but 2007 was a huge year, as that’s when Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released. It’s one of the first FPS games to feature modern combat instead of World War 2 scenarios, which were popular in both the Call of Duty games and the Medal of Honor franchise.
The shooting was even more solid than a Halo game on consoles, the campaign was varied and exciting, and the multiplayer is where things really shone. The way players leveled up through matches revolutionized multiplayer forever.
Borderlands
A Loot-Based Shooter Before Destiny
Borderlands
- Released
- October 20, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, FPS
The Diablo franchise helped create the loot-based RPG as a top-down action game, and Borderlands took that idea and applied it to shooters. The original game had four classes, each with a varied set of skill trees, and there wasn’t much in terms of an engaging story.
Still, it was a fun game to drop into alone or with friends, because looting for new guns was addictive, as they were weirder than normal FPS weaponry, like ones that shot fire or electricity. The Borderlands series improved greatly after this, and Destiny as a franchise further evolved what a looter-shooter could be, but it’s important to remember what Borderlands accomplished.
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