FPS games are incredibly popular, and the genre has so many different games that each brings something new to the table. Among them all, Destiny 2 is widely considered to be one of the best from a gameplay perspective, having a level of intensity and satisfaction that is hard to find elsewhere.
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With that said, however, there are still plenty of other games in the space that manage to deliver a slightly more enjoyable and captivating gameplay loop. From sci-fi adventures to fights against demons, these games demonstrate that the action can be more than just gunning down everything in sight.
Titanfall 2
More Chaos And Even More Action
Details:
- Larger-scale fights that have deep mechanical depth
- Bigger emphasis on fast movement rather than abilities
Titanfall 2 excels by turning movement into the heart of its gunplay. Players will constantly find themselves on the move, jumping between structures and avoiding gunfire, adding so much mechanical depth to the combat purely from the traversal alone.
The standout feature is obviously the Titans themselves, being towering mechanical killing machines that look as deadly as they are in-game. Being able to jump into one of these giant machines adds a whole other layer to the multiplayer gameplay, making each match feel distinct from the last in a way that Destiny 2 simply cannot compete with.
Overwatch 2
A More Well-Rounded Team Experience
Details:
- Individual heroes with distinctive playstyles
- Greater emphasis on teamwork than individual play
Overwatch 2 has cemented itself as the premier hero shooter, and that title doesn't look to be switching owners any time soon. The game offers something for every play style, whether players want to run and gun as a DPS hero or be more supportive and heal the team, creating an interesting dynamic that is both highly complex but also very accessible.
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When it comes to the actual teamfights, there are so many tiny interactions and pieces of tech that players will learn over time, giving even basic-looking characters a completely different level of depth. There is also a big push for teamplay, which does exist in the PvE of Destiny 2 but not so much in the PvP, rewarding players heavily for working together and coordinating their abilities.
DOOM Eternal
Cinematic Beyond Belief
Details:
- Explosive fights that unfold far quicker
- More engaging enemies throughout
DOOM Eternal sets a new standard for one of the FPS genre's most iconic franchises. Everything from the movement to the gunplay has been leveled up and given a heightened level of weight that ensures even single bullets feel impactful against the hordes of demons.
Where Destiny 2 has players stopping to hold positions or solve puzzles along the way, Eternal keeps the same speed going from start to finish. Players can quite easily run through the entire game without stopping for more than a few moments, ensuring that there's never any downtime, and instead, just non-stop explosive action.
Apex Legends
Testing Aim And Movement All At Once
Details:
- Satisfying gunplay, no matter what weapon is used
- Huge mechanical depth in gunfights
Apex Legends has managed to remain one of the best battle royale games out there, despite the heavy competition in the space. From the moment players land, they are constantly being tested in every way possible, from their awareness of their surroundings to their physical aiming abilities with whatever firearms they happen to find.
The lack of certainty makes engagements and matches feel far more unique on a case-by-case basis, something that Destiny 2 certainly struggles with over time. And, despite being so easy to pick up, there is also an insane amount of mechanical depth to absorb, allowing players to virtually never hit a ceiling in terms of raw mechanical skill.
Witchfire
Sending Extraction Shooters To The Dark Ages
Details:
- Brutal and weighty combat
- Super engaging world design that encourages exploration
Witchfire distinguishes itself from virtually every other FPS game on the market by delivering an extraction shooter experience that is entirely single-player. The lack of other players may sound like it makes the game easy, but the enemies are incredibly tough, and individual decisions become much more important for making it out alive.
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The spellcasting is for sure a standout mechanic that feels far more integrated into the combat rather than a supplementary feature. The semi-open structure also encourages exploration and careful planning, rewarding players for going out of their comfort zone, rather than allowing them to breeze through every mission unscathed.
Borderlands 4
The Leading Name In The Looter Shooter Space
Details:
- Constant swapping to better weapons and skills
- Challenging bosses that require significant inputs to avoid
Borderlands 4 is a huge step up from the previous game in the series in basically every sense. Players don't need to wait long before sinking their teeth into the fast and fluid gameplay, and no matter how far into the campaign they may be, there will always be surprises hiding around every corner.
Being in the same looter shooter space as Destiny 2, the game manages to go further by ensuring boss battles don't feel like basic bullet sponges, instead quickly becoming bullet-level tests of endurance and skill. Add on the billions of weapons, and suddenly, players have a huge amount of armaments to use, each with their own distinctive strengths that can be swapped between on the fly without ever slowing down the gameplay.
The Finals
A Complete Adrenaline Overload
Details:
- Evolving maps with environmental destruction
- Rewarding PvP combat that favors skill above all else
The Finals takes the concept of making environmental destruction and makes it a core mechanic in every match, rather than just a gimmick. Destiny 2 might feature some impressive arenas, but The Finals allows entire buildings to collapse, walls to be demolished, and cover to vanish mid-fight, forcing players to constantly adapt to their surroundings.
A lot of the combat is defined by verticality, as players can jump between structures and find themselves on an entirely different level in a matter of seconds. The different modes also add different focal points that alter how games play out, whilst also opening the doors for plenty of playstyles to all be equally viable.
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
Darker, Deeper, And Way More Deadly
Details:
- Challenging hordes of relentless foes
- Deep skill trees and progression for each class
Darktide may share a lot of PvE elements with Destiny 2, but the overall gameplay loop feels far more engaging from the moment players load up the game. All of the combat is close-quarters, requiring a good amount of teamwork to avoid getting overrun by the endless hordes of enemies.
Melee weapons rule supreme, letting players get up close and personal with a wide range of tools and skills that all empower the bruiser-like approach. But if players prefer a more traditional shooter experience, the gunplay is just as fun, regardless of whether players are wielding a beefy shotgun or a laser-accurate sniper.
Deep Rock Galactic
Something Entirely New For The Genre
Details:
- Unique blend of mining and horde shooting
- Difficulty levels for all kinds of players
Deep Rock Galactic builds its gameplay around procedural environments that players are forced to explore in order to uncover treasures and minerals galore. The destructible terrain opens the doors massively, letting players carve out their own routes to objects and also creatively avoid enemy hotspots by simply digging the other way.
Each class fulfils a distinct role that directly impacts everything from traversal to actual combat, which means that players will always feel like a crucial part of a larger team. And the actual shooting is pretty great as well, and with so many creatures to shoot, players are more likely to run out of bullets than actual enemies.
Ultrakill
Unmatched Brutal Energy
Details:
- Endless depth of mastery
- Steeper learning curve to overcome
Ultrakill delivers an uncompromising test of mechanical skill that takes every core tenet of the boomer shooter genre and dials it to eleven. The game focuses entirely on speed and precision, punishing mistakes heavily but rewarding players who are willing to learn with a thrill ride that never truly slows down.
The depth goes far beyond just aiming well, and players will quickly find plenty of extra hidden tricks that can help them improve scores or clear stages just a bit faster. The progression might not have the same range, but the pure rush of hitting a series of combos and shots is far above anything in Destiny 2.
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