Summary
- FPS games and open-world games are popular individually, but combining them creates successful open-world FPS games.
- Games like Generation Zero and Homefront: The Revolution had rough starts but improved over the years.
- Titles like Rage 2, Dying Light, and Cyberpunk 2077 offer great gunplay in open-world settings despite initial setbacks.
If there are two things that a lot of gamers seem to love, they are FPS games and open-world games. First-person shooters like Call of Duty top bestseller lists every year, and some of the biggest franchises in gaming are open-world ones.
So, it's no surprise, then, that mixing the two genres together is often a recipe for success. Some of the best open-world games of all tim e are FPS games, after all. In fact, there are so many awesome open-world FPS games that it can be hard to choose one, especially since they can take so long to complete. To avoid personal bias, they're ranked by their review aggregates, but it'll also be pointed out if these scores were a bit controversial.
Updated on February 19, 2024, By Robbie Mitchell: Originally, this article was only limited to "true" open-world games and ignored those with "zoned" open-worlds, like Borderlands. The article has been updated to include some games that feel open-world even if they make use of zones (loading screens aren't that bad). We've also added some games that didn't get the warmest critical reception but plenty of people seem to have enjoyed them. A couple of games that can be played in first-person have also been added in, although it's not the default option. All entries maintain an emphasis on the shooter part of a first-person shooter.
16 Generation Zero
A Great Concept Spoiled By A Rough Launch
Generation Zero
- Released
- October 18, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
Anyone who played Generation Zero at launch will likely be surprised it made this list. A buggy mess when it was launched back in 2018, the game was widely panned by critics and gamers alike. However, the developers never gave up on this one and things improved over the years with frequent updates, even if the game is still far from perfect.
A co-op, alternate-history survival shooter, Generation Zero mostly makes this list for what it tried to do. If one can overlook all the bugs, the game had some really cool ideas. The game's alternate 1980s alternate setting feels like a mash-up of games like Horizon Zero Dawn and the weirder aspects of the Far Cry franchise. Playing with friends the combat can be fun but challenging and the game makes the player work for any progress earned. Generation Zero was full of potential, but it just scrapes in at the bottom of this list.
15 Homefront: Revolution
Never Quite Lived Up To The Hype
Homefront: The Revolution
- Released
- May 17, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Dambuster Studios
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
Homefront: The Revolution was a victim of its own success before it was even released. There was so much hype about the game's supposedly super dynamic open-world and inventive mission design that it was never going to live up to expectations.
But, this article is all about open-world FPS games and Homefront's open-world was great, in places. The game's world was split into a handful of different zones which ranged from "meh" to "really cool". The so-called yellow zones, the heavily occupied areas, were full of creative environmental storytelling and nailed the oppressive atmosphere the game's devs were going for. Unfortunately, the mission design never managed to be quite as impressive. Homefront: The Revolution has plenty of faults, but with the hype train firmly in the rearview mirror-it wasn't a bad game and in places its world-building was excellent.
14 Rage 2
A Great Looking Open-World And Excellent Gunplay Make Up For The Games Flaws
Rage 2
- Released
- May 19, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Avalanche Studios, id Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
There was a lot of hype surrounding Rage 2 before its 2019 release. The original Rage had become somewhat of a cult classic, loved for its impressive world-building and tight gunplay. Fans went crazy for the idea of a bigger, better, open-world version.
Unfortunately, Rage 2 was a bit of a disappointment. It was by no means a bad game, it just lacked the depth and longevity fans had come to expect. Beware of the hype train. However, in hindsight, Rage 2 is a pretty slick open-world FPS. While lots of open-world games take themselves a bit too seriously these days, Rage 2 is an excellent switch-your-brain-off FPS with exhilarating FPS gunplay and very pretty graphics. It's 73 on Metacritic feels both a little mean and, conversely, completely fair.
13 Dying Light
Brutal First-Person Zombie Killing, Awesome Parkour Movement, And An Authentic Feeling of Open-World
Dying Light
- Released
- January 27, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Techland
- Genre(s)
- Open-World, Survival Horror
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Looking back, it's kind of amazing Dying Light's Metacritic score is only a modest 74. As an open-world FPS survival horror game with a focus on parkour, Dying Light was pretty revolutionary. Except perhaps for Mirror's Edge, there had never really been a game like it before.
15 Best Parkour/Free Running Games
These are some of the best parkour games involving free running mechanics for exploration.
Killing zombies was a lot of fun in Dying Light, and it's still one of the best co-op zombie games. By the end of the game's lifecycle, it had a truly insane number of weapons to squish zombies with, including a few guns. Dying Light's gunplay was always pretty simple, and the guns themselves were limited in choice, but head-shotting a zombie always felt great. Gamers looking for a pure FPS experience might want to look elsewhere, but for everyone else, Dying Light is an awesome choice.
12 STALKER: Shadow Of Chernobyl
An Iconic FPS Survival Horror Classic That Revolutionized The Genre
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
- Released
- March 20, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Platform(s)
- PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
- Genre(s)
- FPS, Survival Horror
The older STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl becomes, the more impressive it gets. One of the best alternative history FPS games, the game is set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, except in STALKER's version, which has mutated monstrosities. The game blends survival horror with open-world FPS gameplay and features a world designed to feel dynamically alive.
In STALKER, resources are scarce, and the player must plan for every eventuality. The story is non-linear and rewards players who explore and dare to make tough decisions. While the actual FPS shooting feels simplistic by today's standards, everything else about the game remains incredibly impressive (except perhaps its graphics). The only real downside to the game is that trying to get it to run on modern hardware is no easy task. Thankfully, we now have STALKER 2 for gamers looking to explore this amazing world on modern hardware (even if the game is remarkably demanding to play). STALKER 2 may not have kept everyone happy, but it does service to the franchise's legacy.
11 No Man's Sky
Forget About An Open-World, This Is An Open-Universe FPS
No Man's Sky
- Released
- August 9, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Hello Games
- Cross-Platform Play
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, Nintendo Switch 2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Next to Cyberpunk 2077, No Man's Sky is probably the biggest redemption story in the history of gaming. Hyped to ridiculous levels before its 2016 release, its developers over-promised a procedurally generated, dynamic universe that players could explore and interact with at will. Instead, what they got was more like a walking simulator crossed with a knockoff of Minecraft. While the original release was more than a little disappointing, years of updates have turned No Man's Sky into something exceedingly special.
8 Open-World Games That Reward Player Creativity
These open-world games are even more enjoyable for players who know how to flex their creative muscles.
The game has so many systems at this point it's hard to keep track of, but FPS gunplay is certainly one of them. FPS combat has never been a focus of the game, but it is there, and the originally basic gunplay has been expanded. Players can build their own weapons, and hunt, and kill an endless variety of enemies. They can even hop into a mech loaded with firearms. That being said, No Man's Sky's focus is definitely on the exploration and open-world side of things.
10 Starfield
An Ambitious Game That Didn't Quite Live Up To The Hype But Is Still Plenty Of Fun
Starfield
- Released
- September 6, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Bethesda
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Some readers might take issue with Starfield being ranked quite so highly here. It's easy to see why. There was a lot of hype surrounding the game before release, and Bethesda fans could barely hide their excitement, but sadly, many found the game more than a little disappointing. While gamers could overlook the usual Bethesda bugs, the sad truth was the game's world failed to live up to the likes of Skyrim and Fallout.
Starfield promises a whole galaxy to explore, but that galaxy is heavily zoned. Even for a Bethesda game, it has a lot of loading screens. It also features a lot of obvious procedural generation (imagine a Fallout where every other structure was an identical Red Rocket). These complaints aside, the game has moments where it achieves what the developers were aiming for. The first-person shooting is the best the studio has achieved, and, in its more structured sections, the world-building is just as good as its siblings. Bethesda seems to have realized this and the recent Shattered Space expansion offered a more traditional Bethesda open-world experience.
9 Metro Exodus
Made Up Of Three Huge Sandbox Areas
Metro Exodus
- Released
- February 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- 4A Games
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Before Exodus, the Metro franchise had always had open-air areas, but the emphasis was always on claustrophobic subterranean areas. The clue was in the name. Exodus blew that out of the water. It still had plenty of underground areas full of mutated nasties, but this time the emphasis was on three outdoor, open-world areas.
Rather than being truly open-world, most of Metro Exodus is split between the flooded Volga region, the desert Caspian Sea, and the forested Taiga. Each area is relatively large and feels open-world, even if some of the areas aren't actually that big by modern standards. More importantly, each area was distinct and a hoot to explore, with important upgrades and side objectives hidden all over the place. Impressively, these large, open areas didn't dull any of the horror fans expected from a Metro game and everything else about the entry felt polished.
8 The Outer Worlds
A Spacefaring Adventure Where Every Decision Counts
The Outer Worlds
- Released
- October 25, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
Like Starfield, The Outer Worlds is a heavily zoned space-faring game that tries to feel open-world. The difference is that The Outer Worlds was less ambitious and therefore much more successful in achieving this goal. Inspired by old-school Fallout, the game is made up of several zones, each with an open-world structure where the player is free to explore and take on side quests at their own speed.
Obsidian has a serious pedigree when it comes to world-building, and that's on show here. Likewise, the decision-based quests do an excellent job of making it feel like the player's choices actually matter. On the downside, the actual first-person gunplay is just ok. The Outer Worlds is an RPG first, shooter second and that shows in the gameplay.
7 Cyberpunk 2077
Epic Moment To Moment Gameplay, Gorgeous Visuals, And An Entertaining Story
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Cyberpunk 2077 was released in a shockingly broken state, especially on consoles, and it's only after years of updates that its immense potential has finally been realized. Today, it is one of the best-looking open-world games ever made and arguably one of the most fun. That 2.0 update did a lot of heavy lifting.
Not just pretty to look at, Cyberpunk 2077 has a brilliant, choice-laden story that offers a fair bit of replayability. Its open world is fairly massive and packed to the gills with hidden content, side quests, and activities for the player to hunt down and complete. While many games of a similar size eventually outstay their welcome, Cyberpunk remains fun in its entirety. That's largely down to the epic moment-to-moment gameplay. Cyberpunk offers a ton of different ways to play, but whatever the player chooses, guns are likely to still play a role. Cyberpunk's FPS gunplay is gory, over-the-top, and lots of fun.