Summary
- Titanfall 2 offers a dynamic campaign with new gameplay variations and mechanics at every level.
- Half-Life 2 balances gunplay and puzzles, introducing the innovative gravity gun mechanic.
- Red Faction revolutionized FPS with "Geomod", allowing players to dig holes and manipulate environments.
For the longest time, the FPS genre got the rep for being one of the most brainless video game genres out there. There's nothing wrong with running and gunning through a horde of demons, but there's lots more to this genre than just that. Because of their relatively simple formula, FPS games have had to frequently innovate to stay fresh.
7 Most Iconic Protagonists In FPS Games
Just because a game is primarily in first person doesn't mean there can't be iconic characters in the story.
Some of the most intelligently designed games out there are in first person, and a surprisingly high number of them are shooters—and extremely fun ones, at that. So, players who are into Doom: The Dark Ages but want more, there's no better time to check out some of the most original FPS games on the market.
9 Titanfall 2
Don't Underestimate TF2's Intelligence Just Because Of Its Size
Titanfall 2
- Released
- October 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Titanfall 2 is as action-packed as it gets, but players shouldn't be fooled into thinking it doesn't feature one of the best and most dynamic campaigns ever made. Though relatively short compared to most FPS campaigns, Titanfall 2 applies the same rules later popularized by Hazelight's Joseph Fares: trying new things with every level.
That's right, playing as a regular soldier or as a big robot isn't the only gameplay variation players will find here. Every single level will introduce new and increasingly more interesting game mechanics until the very end of the campaign. Anyone looking for an FPS that will leave a lasting impression after just a few hours of playing should look no further than Titanfall 2. Here's hoping the elusive Titanfall 3 materializes one day.
8 Half-Life 2
Foreseen Consequences
Half-Life 2
- Released
- November 16, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence
- Genre(s)
- Shooter
Though Half-Life 2 is already well-known for upping the ante on its already very smart predecessor, it'd be unfair to ignore the game that best balances (oftentimes literally) gunplay and puzzle action in the genre's history. The addition not just of physics but of the Gravity Gun, a genius invention that pushed the boundaries of what everyone thought the limits of FPS games were, remains one of the best design decisions in the history of gaming.
Though Half-Life 2 no longer looks as graphically impressive as it did upon release, it remains as much of a blast to play and, let's be honest, it still looks pretty damn great.
7 Red Faction
Mining Without Crafting Can Be Just As Fun
Red Faction
- Released
- May 22, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
The original Red Faction might have been the first FPS to literally break the mold of what an FPS could be. This game, where players embody a martian miner amid a revolution, introduced something the devs called "Geomod," an appropriately revolutionary mechanic that allowed players to dig holes through walls, whether to go around closed doors, or just for the sake of fun.
Understandably, this doesn't sound all that fascinating in a post-Minecraft world, but it felt earth-shattering back in the early '00s. The later entries in the series sadly ditched most of what made the original special, including the first-person perspective, but—terrible Red Faction 2 aside—they remain great fun in their own way.
6 Jurassic Park: Trespasser
Failed Just Like The Titular Park, But Shouldn't Be Forgotten
Trespasser - Jurassic Park
- Released
- October 28, 1998
- ESRB
- T
- Developer(s)
- DreamWorks Animation
Most people who aren't Gabe Newell, who cites Jurassic Park: Trespasser as a huge influence on the physics-based gameplay of Half-Life 2, might not know how huge a deal this game was. It was one of the first games to feature actual physics, an aiming system not seen in any other shooter, a lack of HUD information in favor of diagetic health display for added immersion, and a huge open world filled with dinosaurs that players would have to deal with.
Sadly, great ideas don't automatically turn into a great game, and Trespasser ended up more as a lesson than as a great experience. However, as far as Jurassic Park shooters go, this one is a standout.
5 Superhot
Slow Reflexes? No Problem
Superhot
- Released
- February 25, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Drug Reference, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
From its inception until February 2016, the FPS genre belonged to players who were fast on their feet and quick on their trigger. Superhot changed that completely. Instead of having to move all the time, Superhot gives players all the time they need to think their way into winning a shootout, so long as they don't move while doing their thinking.
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Mind Control Delete makes some much needed changes to Superhot's usual formula. This is how it differs from the original.
Unlike most games, which players put on pause when they don't want to play, Superhot automatically goes on pause when players aren't moving, giving them that time to plot their actions. Superhot only tries to kill the player when they try to fight it off, thus creating one of the most interesting FPS titles ever made.
4 Deathloop
Groundhog Death Day
Deathloop
- Released
- September 14, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Groundhog Day- style stories—a time-loop narrative where one character has to repeat the same day of their life again and again until they break the cycle—aren't new to movies, nor games, really. Still, Deathloop was the first time it was attempted in a big FPS, and it sure did work out. On top of featuring a lot of awesome new Dishonored-inspired mechanics that grant the main character various abilities which greatly enhance the fun factor, players will also be playing a game unlike anything else.
Though Deathloop has a plot that players can follow with as much linearity as they choose, it is the best FPS at inspiring players to try to take out their designated targets in whatever way they please. The result will always be fun—no matter how many times players have to die and redo everything before the end credits roll.
3 Prey (2017)
Prop Hunt But Make It Spooky
Prey
- Released
- May 5, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
An alien invasion will never not be scary, but it's even scarier when the aliens are already hiding among people, and nobody knows it. 2017's Prey invites players to go on a prop hunt match on an AAA scale, using their wits and the game's unique arsenal to find the alien threat and neutralize it.
In addition to its original premise, Prey excels at having players brainstorm how to use their items to create physical pathways to navigate through the levels of the Talos 1 space station, blending Arkane's knack for immersive-sim design with FPS-style action. Here's hoping a sequel will one day materialize.
2 Prey (2006)
One Of The Most Underrated Games Of All time
Prey
- Released
- July 11, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Plot twist: Prey, the original that has nothing to do with the stellar game of the same name from 2017, is even better. On top of doing the gunplay part as well as any big-name FPS, the original Prey was absolutely fearless when it came to experimentation. In Prey, players see the main character abducted into an alien spaceship, and it does a masterful job at making everything feel as alien as it should. Walking on walls and ceilings, becoming small in a huge area, and making use of Portals before Portal was even a thing, it's all just a normal day in Prey.
Prey 2 May Never Happen, But Judas Could Be the Next Best Thing
Although a sequel to Arkane's Prey will probably never see the light of day, there is at least one upcoming game that may fill its place.
Though it never snowballed in terms of popularity the way many of its contemporaries did, Prey remains one of the most original and interesting shooters ever made. There was even a sequel announced (with an absolutely stellar gameplay demo), but alas, it was canceled in 2014.
1 Cruelty Squad
A Beautiful Nightmare In Video Game Form
Cruelty Squad
- Released
- January 4, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Simulation, FPS
In Cruelty Squad, the player is put in the shoes of an assassin, but Hitman this is not. Though simple in the mechanical sense, Cruelty Squad features fantastic mechanics. Take its reload, which requires players to pull back their mouse as if they're really emptying the gun—a tremendous adrenaline-heightening feature to deal with during firefights—and that's just the beginning of it.
Cruelty Squad also has players investing in its in-game stock market, which looks nothing like its real-world counterpart, but, in the end, is no more absurd than what inspired it. The elephant in the room should not be ignored, though. Visually, Cruelty Squad is one of the most unique games on this list—maybe to the point of feeling off-putting for some—but players should really give this one-of-a-kind game a chance.
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In order to survive the grueling battles found in these co-op FPS games, players will need to have trust in one another's abilities.