Best First Person Shooter games to play

First Person Shooters (or FPSes) are a staple genre of video games, growing and evolving over decades. Ever since the 1990s, FPSes have continued to be one of the cornerstones of the gaming industry.

Today, shooters have maintained their relevance, but have stiff competition from other genres. “Call of Duty,” one of the biggest games of the mid-2000s, has been dethroned and now enjoys a humble existence as simply being another AAA (high-budget) game. 

The First Person Shooter genre is vast, with thousands of great titles to choose from, so much like gaming as a whole, it can be intimidating to choose. 

To help you choose, Hey SoCal has picked some of the best First Person Shooters to play.

Guns and glory

DOOM (2016)

“DOOM” is the ultimate power fantasy, providing players with one simple goal: kill all the demons. From the opening scene where you are given control of the protagonist, the “Doom Slayer,” it’s a nonstop war against Hell’s ugliest denizens. 

Every gun and tool at your disposal only facilitates your crusade against the hordes of zombies and demons that want a piece of you. If you want to survive the constant onslaught, you’ll have to maneuver around the battlefield, cutting enemies down all the while. 

You’ll have an entire army’s worth of weaponry that all feels fantastic to fire and all have amazing sound design as the cherry on top. If catharsis is what you want out of your games, you can’t do worse than the remake of the FPS genre’s old king.

Available on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X, Nintendo Switch 

Titanfall 2

At some point in their childhood, owning a giant robot was the dream of many. Being able to ride around in one is only a fantasy until you get your hands on “Titanfall 2.” You play as Jack Cooper, a member of a militia group that is at war against the IMC (a militarized corporation). 

You are paired up with a Titan (a pilotable robot) named BT and have to finish your commanding officer’s mission. While the premise might sound very simplistic, it’s in the gameplay that “Titanfall 2” shines. 

Jack has the ability to jump, slide, and parkour around enemies to take them out quicker. The movement system encourages players to be incredibly mobile. In addition to your incredible mobility, you’re able to jump into your Titan to do some incredibly fun combat sequences. 

When you combine the two aspects of gameplay, you have one of the most polished shooting games to ever exist. With an incredibly fun multiplayer component to dive into after the stellar single-player campaign, “Titanfall 2” is a must-play for veterans and newbies of the genre alike.

Available on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X

ULTRAKILL

It’s thanks to the original “DOOM” from 1993 that Hell is such a popular setting for video games. 

“ULTRAKILL” is proof that something old can still be gold. Much like its inspiration, “ULTRAKILL” emphasizes diving into groups of demons with reckless abandon while cutting them down en masse. This time, instead of a soldier that goes to Hell, you’re a robot named “V1” who enters for as-of-yet revealed reasons. 

You’re encouraged to constantly switch weapons and zip around the battlefield in “ULTRAKILL.” The fast-paced, combo-heavy nature of the game borrows elements not just from other shooters but other genres as well. One clear inspiration is the “Devil May Cry” series of action games; this series emphasizes style and skill, both elements that “ULTRAKILL” takes for itself. 

Every level is crafted to facilitate both creativity and lightning-fast reflexes, all for the purpose of getting a high score at the end of every level. When you feel comfortable with the game’s systems, consider turning up the difficulty level for a true challenge. 

The only caveat with this game is that it is still in active development, existing right now as an “early access” game. This means that the game isn’t fully complete as of yet, but will be someday soon. As of right now, you can play two of the three proposed “Acts” that the game will have.

Available on PC

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Halo (Bungie era)

“Halo” shaped online gaming into what it is today. The original series of games developed by Bungie are known as some of Xbox’s system sellers. Starting with “Combat Evolved” and ending with “Reach,” the Bungie era of the “Halo” series are some of the finest FPSes to ever exist. 

You play as “Master Chief,” a super-soldier who is sent on missions that seem impossible. Turning the tide in a decades-long war and preventing an apocalyptic event are only two of the many feats you’ll accomplish in this epic series of games. 

The gameplay is elegant, encouraging aggressive but strategic gameplay. Enemies will rush you with their numbers but will perform various maneuvers to outflank and outfox you. On higher difficulties, it can feel like you’re fighting against an actual army. 

In addition to the fantastic single-player campaigns, “Halo” is known for its much beloved multiplayer modes. The second title, “Halo 2,” was the first game to use Xbox’s online feature known as “Xbox Live” for its multiplayer. This and the other titles in the series are widely played to this day, especially with the release of the series on PC.

Available on PC and Xbox One/Series X

SUPERHOT

The best shooters around are usually fast. But “SUPERHOT” walked into the industry with one simple change: slower gameplay. This might raise an eyebrow if you’ve only played fast-paced shooters, but just know that “SUPERHOT” is a must-play for anyone interested in FPSes. 

The core of “SUPERHOT” lies in taking time to plan out your attack. When you start a level, time moves extremely slowly and only speeds up when you move. Firing a weapon, running, throwing objects, all of these actions will make time move at a normal pace. 

This allows for not just player expression, but for truly exciting set-piece fights that look like a kung-fu movie. The level might start with you surrounded by enemies that all have guns; you can disarm them, bait them into shooting each other, or hurl random objects in the area at them. 

All the while you’re dodging bullets and making decisions that will either finish the level or send you back to the beginning. But when you get to the end of a level, your actions that play out in slow-motion are then replayed at full speed, creating an amazing action scene. 

With a simplistic but captivating art style, “SUPERHOT” is without a doubt, one of the more memorable FPSes to ever grace the gaming industry. 

Available on PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X, Nintendo Switch 

You can see games that are releasing in September here.

You can reach Eloin Barahona-Garcia at eloin@beaconmedianews.com