The best FPS games to play are those with tight controls, badass weaponry, and gameplay that tests you to your very limits. The following games certainly do that as you blast your way through enemies with a typically powerful arsenal.
Apex Legends remains to be one of the best battle royale games out there, while Doom Eternal provides single-player fans with a juicy campaign packed to capacity with thrill. Here are all the best FPS games you can play right now.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a battle royale that came out of nowhere in 2019, courtesy of EA and Respawn, and has taken the world by storm. Moving around the world is excitedly energetic as you can slide and wall climb anywhere you please. Each character has their own ability to add to the chaos, such as Caustic dropping poisonous canisters onto the battlefield and Gibraltar summoning a bombardment toward their foes. It’s free to play and is crossplay compatible, so you can join games with your friends in a snap as well. The costumes you can buy are also pretty out there — as you can see in the picture above.
Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3, despite releasing more than a decade ago, still warrants playing today. The shooting feels spot-on and feels heavier than the likes of Call of Duty and Titanfall. The bigger maps allow for thrilling sniping action, and you can ride vehicles like tanks across the battlefield. There are some smaller maps like Operation Metro as well that will test your skills with its narrow hallways and diverse battle environments. This game has a strong map variety. The Battlefield series focuses more on teamwork as you can resupply your pals on the squad and revive them from death; it’s much more strategic than a game of Team Deathmatch. It would be great if the Battlefield series could stand tall again.
Borderlands 2
Borderlands 2 is my most nostalgic FPS, and it could be yours too. It has a hilarious script with a devious, unruly antagonist who thinks too much of himself. However, the main highlight is collecting loot. As you defeat enemies and bosses around the world, you’ll collect all sorts of weapons each with their own stats and gimmicks to use on foes. I remember laughing and playing with my online friends every week. The game’s so entertaining that I beat the game through the mediocre streaming service OnLive and still enjoyed it.
Its sequel Borderlands 3 looks better and runs impressively, but to me, the more engaging experience is the second entry in the series due to the characters and weapons you’ll find.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 brings everything you love about the series. A spectacular array of weapons, detailed multiplayer maps, and a thoroughly entertaining campaign. This series is the pinnacle of the FPS genre as each gun feels impactful and the controls are on point. The new maps, which include Breenbergh Hotel and the Valderas Museum, are also highlights — presenting depth and a wide range of scenarios from short-range to long-range combat. It’s just a shame this game is such a storage hog!
Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red weaves an intriguing story led by the custom player character, V, and their companion, the mysterious Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves. Somehow, Silverhand slowly takes over your mind, narrating a fascinating plot from beginning to end.
And if you soured on Cyberpunk at launch, now may be the time to revisit. CD Projekt Red has pushed a ton of updates since launch, and the heavy patching was enough to draw mass player attention two years later. Even if the story isn’t your thing, the gunplay’s still decent, with all manner of weapons to find among the open world of Night City and beyond. There’s also the badass Phantom Liberty expansion that features Hobbs & Shaw actor Idris Elba.
Counter-Strike 2
The most intense FPS you can play is Counter-Strike 2. Available as a free-to-play title, this game offers intuitive shooting controls and will require precise shots from you to win. Beloved maps like “Dust 2” and “Office” require deep strategy as you manoeuvre through their tight corners. The system in which you buy each weapon also adds to the pressure of the game — Spend too much and you’ll be stuck with a pistol for one round.
Left 4 Dead 2
This one’s an oldie but a goodie, and it’s likely almost all of your friends on Steam have it. In Left 4 Dead 2, hordes of zombies rage toward you and three other unlucky companions as you relentlessly unload against decaying foes. There are multiple types of swarming undead like the Spitters, who blast acid, or bulky infected that charge in without a moment’s notice—aptly named, you guessed it, Chargers. It’s intense, as the chaos demands you need to be alert at all times. However, Valve does provide some levity within the game’s funny dialogue. Left 4 Dead 2 certainly has aged well; the dedicated community proves as much.
Doom Eternal
If multiplayer isn’t your bag and you want a shot at some intense FPS gameplay, Doom Eternal will call you. You’ll be ripping and tearing through demons as you shred bullets into them with your powerful weapons. The environments look unique as they’re hellish and post-apocalyptic. In addition, the music will keep your heart pumping while you take on some of the toughest bosses in gaming. If you decide to pick up Doom Eternal, you’ll be in for a thrilling time.
Rainbow Six Siege
If you’re tired of Counter-Strike and want to dive into more gadget-based encounters, Rainbow Six Siege should interest you. You’re setting up barricades, blasting explosives, and using an axe to dent the walls to either save the hostage or keep hostiles away. The shooting is intense as only a few bullets can seal your fate, and that rush of danger is what keeps many players coming back for more.
Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Prime has never looked better, thanks to Nintendo and its fantastic remaster. The game has stellar design, entertaining puzzles, and thrilling bosses to face along the way. The exploration of the world is key in the game and returning to past areas with new abilities is super satisfying. The remaster has improved the game significantly with a more modern two-stick control method.
The remaster has impressed us with its graphical upgrade. “Metroid Prime Remastered is a fantastic renewal of the classic GameCube title,” said Zoey Handley in their Destructoid review.”It now looks like how our brains tell us it looked the first time we played it.” It’s one of the best FPS games to play as it offers a great opportunity to get caught up on the lore before the fabled Metroid Prime 4.
Immortals of Aveum
Immortals of Aveum may have flown under the radar for FPS fans, but it’s certainly worth gearing up for. The magic-based take on the genre is refreshing, with spectacular effects and outstanding (and demanding) graphical capabilities all around.
The story is dull as hell, but the combat is a constant thrill. You’ll take on mighty bosses—like the mega-nasty dragon, Howler—with all manner of tools at your disposal. We’ve got a running list of Immortals tips and tricks outlining some of those special abilities, shields, and the game’s handy whip (which also works for traversal).
Overwatch 2
I will go out on a limb and declare Overwatch 2 is one of the best FPS games you can play right now. It doesn’t have the best support from its developers with dull events, but when you can talk about the general gameplay, few other games match it. This hero shooter has characters each with their own abilities that can change the state of battle.
Tracer can rewind time while Pharah can leap into the air and reign down rockets from above. Everyone has their role to play and like Battlefield 3, if each team member contributes, it can feel incredibly rewarding. The maps are well-designed with capture points that keep you on your toes too. While I think Blizzard has dropped the ball in recent years, I won’t forget the incredible memories of playing Overwatch with my friends; that’s why Overwatch 2 is on this list.
SUPERHOT
Superhot is an incredible FPS, especially if you play the game in VR. This post-modern graphical style is matched up with a unique gameplay system. Time stops when you are standing still, but when you move, your foes will move towards you and fire their weapons. You can shoot with a pistol, but there are other tools at your disposal you can grab, use, or throw like a sword or an assault rifle.
“It’s a shooter at heart, but Superhot brings something fresh and unexpected to the FPS genre,” said our review. “It mixes thrilling, action-packed combat with meticulous, precision planning, and somehow these opposing ideas are able to unfold simultaneously.” This mix of a puzzle game with an FPS is a fantastic way to spend your weekend.
Titanfall 2
Before Apex Legends, there was Titanfall 2. This shooter has clever level design within its single player campaign and somehow manages you to care for this mech robot that assists you during battle. You can even get inside the mech and cause chaos below to your victims. There’s wall-jumping, intriguing platforms to jump on top of like being in the middle of an apartment-making factory, and cool weapons to utilize throughout the campaign. The campaign is the star event for me, but others say the multiplayer is a fantastic time too.
Valorant
Last up is Valorant. It combines the fluidity of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the ability-focused gameplay of Overwatch to create a triumphant FPS in and of itself. The maps are fantastically designed, and the weapons all feel great to control. It’s heroes’ abilities add further strategy to the original Counter-Strike-like formula as you create barriers with toxic gas, resurrect fallen allies, and activate seismic charges to shake up the opponent’s standing.
