Summary
As is implied by the name, bothfirst- and third-person shootersrely heavily on the strength of theirgunplayto keep players interested for an extended period of time.While other aspects of gaming are still important, from art direction to movement systems to narrative, the primary form of gameplay that players will interact with will be guns, as shooting bad guys is the aim of the game.
This list looks atshooters,both first- and third-person, that have some ofthe best gunplay on the market. Each entry provides something a little different, with the focus on guns being the main throughline. From live service to short single-player experiences, these games cover the whole spectrum of the shooter genre, with something for everyone.
Counter-Strikehas been a landmark FPS for years, withCounter-Strike: Global Offensivebeing the most popular iteration of the tactical shooter franchise. Pitting two teams against each other—one terrorists, the other counter-terrorists—CSGOoffers players an intense competitive environment that, without the tightly crafted gunplay present in-game, would never have worked.
CSGOis truly a game of skill, forcing players to learn the patterns of weapon fire, with no way to aim down sights, and most weapons capable of one-hit kills, every shot counts. Recently,CSGOunderwent a significant overhaul, transforming it intoCounter-Strike 2, with several changes to the game’s key mechanics. While no longer the titan of the industry it once was,Counter-Strikestill rules over the tactical shooter genre and competitive FPS market with an iron fist.
The second title in theWarhammer 40,000: Space Marinefranchise,Space Marine 2provides the player with some of the best third-person shooter gameplay out there. With a variety of weapons, from short to long range,Space Marine 2offers the player a wealth of firearm options for any situation players find themselves in, and all of them can be customized in the game’s PVP mode. Carrying on the story of Titus, the player character from the first game,Space Marine 2sees players facing off against swarms of Tyranids as they attempt to save a planet from destruction.
It is possibly the easiest onboarding vessel for any player looking for a way into the vast world ofWarhammer 40,000, especially when compared to the corpus of strategy games that make up alarge percentage of theWarhammervideo game catalog. With the upcoming release ofWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine Master Crafted Edition, now is the perfect time to get into these fantastic third-person shooters and help the brothers of the Ultramarines eradicate the xenos.
While more recentBorderlandsprojects have fallen somewhat flat, the earlier entries in the franchise are some of the most entertaining, bonkers, and bombastic games ever made. It is impossible to pick out a specific entry from the franchise, as each iteration on the formula created by the original game, released back in 2009, adds just enough to keep the series fresh without changing its identity.
TheBorderlandsgames are first-person shooters with randomly rolled loot, making for almost endless possibilities for unique guns to appear, with each playthrough yielding entirely new results. The guns are often over-the-top, yet still manage to remain satisfying to use, thanks to the base gunfighting systems providing a rock-solid foundation.
Call of Dutyhas a long history of being at the forefront of popular FPS titles, alongside franchises likeBattlefield.However, many regard the modern entries as having fallen short of their predecessors. The remake ofCall of Duty: Modern Warfare,released in 2019, is an exception to this, boasting an incredible gunplay system where each weapon feels snappy, powerful, and, most importantly, fun.
With one of the best-received single-player campaigns of recentCoDreleases,Modern Warfarewas the full package for anyone looking for a classicCoDfix with the polish of modern games.Modern Warfarealso saw the initial release of the hugely successfulCall of Duty: Warzone, a battle royale game mode that offers players a whole new way to experience the traditionalCoDformula.
Metal: Hellsingeris truly a unique beast. It’s a cross between aDoom-like first-person shooter and a rhythm game in which the player takes control of a voiceless entity known as “the Unknown,” with a talking skull voiced by Troy Baker narrating the story of a battle through hell. The gunplay inMetal: Hellsingermay appear as a second thought, with the incredible soundtrack crafted by several legends of metal being at the forefront of the player’s mind while they slay demons.
Despite this, every weapon the Unknown can acquire offers a new and equally satisfying way to dispatch foes, from the dual pistols to the shotgun to the set of throwing scythes. What makes this game so satisfying and infinitely replayable is the way the player has to match the beat of the music to effectively deal damage, avoid incoming attacks, and build up a score, so they can then constantly try to one-up their previous high score.
Doom (2016)andDoom Eternalreshaped the way many modern gamers look at first-person shooters,reworking the classic boomer shooter franchiseinto a tight, punchy, and incredibly addictive FPS experience. Fighting through hordes of demons across the surface of Mars or the bowels of Hell has never been this fun, bloody, and satisfying.
From the moment the game puts a gun in the hands of the Doom Slayer, the player is transformed into a demon-slaying machine, churning out viscera as they carve a path to whatever objective the Slayer has his sights set on. While these games do have multiplayer, what most players focus on is the single-player campaign, which involves an intense quest to rid Mars of demons after a portal to hell opens on the planet’s surface. Gunfights are fast, frantic, and ridiculously satisfying, making for some of the finest first-person shooter power fantasies of any era.
Titanfall 2is a story of wrong place, wrong time. It was released in the wake of a poorly received predecessor, and smack between the yearlyCall of DutyandBattlefieldgames, which cemented its fated fall into obscurity. However, since its initially middling release, many players have since returned toTitanfall 2to find a game that is undeniably incredible. With a campaign that is way better than it has any business being, filled with truly heartwrenching moments, and ultimately exploring the deep connection between Titan and Pilot,Titanfall 2was a true gem.
What kept many people playing for years after its release, however, was the incredibly addictive multiplayer, and its impeccable combination of the greatest FPS movement system ever crafted and precise, responsive gunplay. Every weapon felt weighty, purposeful, and unique, with no single gun feeling overtly awful to use. Best of all, players could jump into hulking mechs and battle it out on a massive scale, putting the cherry on top of an already phenomenal dessert.
The final entry on this list may be a controversial choice. However, the gunplay inDestiny 2is undeniably second-to-none. There is a reason players have been coming back for almost 8 years, and if community sentiment is anything to go by, it isn’t the ongoing stories or monetized DLC system. While no professional competitive PvP experience exists forDestiny2, there is a thriving PvP community that continues to play day in and day out. It’s all thanks to how good the guns feel to use, especially when hitting an enemy player in the head.
This is only emphasized in the PvE game modes, where enemies pop with a satisfying sound and animation, guns feel intentional and unique, and players are given complete freedom over what they wish to use in any given situation. WhileTitanfall 2may have the better movement system,Destiny 2’s gunplay feels unlike anything else, and with it being free-to-start, there is no reason not to give it a go.
