In a time when shooters are more refined than ever and ports out the wazoo, making a list like this is no easy task. Nevertheless, there’s a little something for everyone from classics, online matches, and even gritty narratives. Choose your playstyle and get shootin’.
15. Terminator: Resistance (Xbox One, PS4, PC, PS5)
Terminator: Resistance - Announcement Trailer | PS4
If you’ve ever wanted to join John Connor in the war against the machines, now is your chance. Terminator: Resistance is set in a post-apocalyptic 2028-29 Los Angeles where players take on the role of Jacob Rivers, a soldier from the Resistance, led by Connor, who fights against Skynet itself.
Apart from the clumsy voice acting, there is a lot of potential here, including a great variety of player choice that offers multiple endings depending on your decisions. The game stays true to the lore and tone of the Terminator films (we’re talking just the first two -- thank God) right down to the iconic Terminator score by Brad Fiedel. Sure the game could use a bit of variety in enemy and set design, but if you're a Terminator fan, this a stellar backdrop for a modern day shooter.
14. Hell Let Loose (Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5)
Hell Let Loose - The Eastern Front Launch Trailer
I think it's safe to assume: World War II never gets old. Hell Let Loose is a multiplayer, tactical FPS where players fight in iconic battles of the Western and Eastern Fronts of WWII at the platoon level.
What an undertaking for an indie game, and it deserves all the praise it can get. The battlegrounds are super authentic as you ship off to the shores of the greatest battles ever fought. With combat so realistic, this is probably the closest veterans will ever get to war reenactments, and with COVID-19 still an effect, better on a screen than in the park.
13. Far Cry 6 (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS5, PC)
Far Cry 6 - Launch Accolades Trailer | PS5, PS4
Fary Cry returns players to a vast, tropical setting, this time in the Cuba-inspired, war torn nation of Yara. You can play as either a female or male revolutionary going up against the forces of none other than Giancarlo Esposito himself in the fight of your life.
In true, Ubisoft style, there’s an endless laundry list of things to do in Yara; but hey, if you’re committed to the cause, it probably won’t bother you that much. There’s a cool variety of travel modes including car, horseback, speedboats and helicopters that allow you to get around with ease and give you that true essence of war when unruly encounters inevitably come your way.
12. Dying Light 2 Stay Human (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC, PS5)
Dying Light 2 Stay Human - Parkour & Combat | PS5, PS4
Not all open-world’s are safe and friendly, and this game takes it to a whole new extreme with enemies both human and monstrous. It’s 15 years after a zombie outbreak took over humanity, and you play as Aiden on a quest to find his lost sister.
This world gets dark -- both literally and figuratively. Not to mention how sprawling the land is that can make it that much more intimidating. You will have to travel from settlement to settlement, gather good resources and really perfect both your aim and your resolve in one of gaming's most inhospitable worlds yet.
11. Deathloop (PS5, PC)
Deathloop - Launch Trailer | PS5
In case you ever had the sick fantasy of living through Groundhog Day like Bill Murray but with a warzone in place of suburbia then Deathloop has you covered. You play as Colt, an assassin stuck in a time loop who has to kill eight different targets in one day lest he be stuck in said loop forever.
Deathloop grants you a hefty arsenal of experimental gadgets and weapons for your day’s delight. The game thrusts you into a playground of activity where you are expected to find your own way of getting the job done that will leave you feeling like one badass assassin when you finally do.
10. Metro Exodus (PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC, PS5)
Metro Exodus - Launch Trailer I PS5
This game is definitely not for the faint of heart. Metro Exodus has you trekking across a post-apocalyptic wasteland ravaged by nuclear war where wildlife have been replaced by mutated monsters lurking in the dark.
Stealth and upgrades are a rewarding experience as you refine your character through all of the creature encounters you’re bound to run into. When you’re heart is not pounding after bludgeoning a demon to death, there’s a rich world to explore and interesting characters to interact with.
9. Borderlands 3 (PS4, Xbox One, PC, PS5)
Borderlands 3 - Next-Level Mayhem Official Trailer | PS5
Fast paced, fun and with a ton of replay value, Borderlands 3 cares not to reinvent the wheel and honestly, it doesn’t need to. You play as one of four Vault Hunters to stop an insane cult on reaping the powers of lost, alien tech.
Here you can venture off Pandora to awe striking worlds across the galaxy. The controls are as slick and refined as ever and whether co-op or single player, the game never grows stale and is an absolute blast, both literally and figuratively.
8. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5)
Rainbow Six Siege - Next-Gen Reveal Trailer | PS5, PS4
While more of a tactical shooter, Rainbow Six Siege brings in some cool looting mechanics to its game design and is still worth checking out even 6 years later. This is a high-precision, tactical shooter that prioritizes careful planning and teamwork.
With the massive expansion this game has received over the years, drilling through enemies in Siege has never been better. This is a stand-out experience where you are rewarded for using tactical gadgets and working together. While gunplay is still prominent, this will definitely put your wits to the test. Grab your friends and hop to it.
7. Destiny 2 (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5)
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen - Launch Trailer | PS5, PS4
How about that? Another free, long standing game that’s still worth dropping into. Destiny 2 is a looter shooter that combines the traditional shooter experience with RPG and MMO elements. You play as a Guardian, a once-dead human resurrected by the Light of a paracausal being called the Traveler.
If you like online shooters in a dense hybrid world of fantasy and sci-fi, this is the kind of environment that caters to you. There’s a great array of class choices and customization with an abundance of stat options and weaponry. There’s a never ending list of things to do and new expansions still on the horizon, definitely one to check out for any kind of gamer out there.
6. Call of Duty: Warzone (PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5)
Call of Duty: Warzone Pacific Launch Trailer
What’s that? This game is free?! That’s right, jump into Call of Duty: Warzone, a massive Battle Royale mode and Plunder where up to 150 players battle for loot, armour, and other rewards to shoot your way to the top.
There’s been a lot of changes since its initial release and yes, it’s still worth a drop in. Though this is another controversial game in terms of weapon bundles, at least you're getting upgrades from Modern Warfare and Cold War into these maps. With such a hefty variety, players are bound to be unique with their tactics. Gameplay is still that classic MW gameplay that players love and the game itself seems to be hacker proof. If you love looter shooters, this is as fun as it gets.
5. Splitgate (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PS5)
Splitgate - Season 0 Launch Trailer
Portal is great and all, but did you really not expect some game developer to repurpose it for a combat arena? Splitgate is a fast-paced, multiplayer shooter featuring portal combat and all the FPS elements that make shooters great. Not much in the way of story, but hey, who needs that with all the high-flying, multi-dimensional chaos going on?
The portals really do create a whole new dimension to shooters (pun intended), and you would be hard pressed not to fall in love with it immediately, especially if you’ve played Valve’s famous IP. With refined controls, familiar weaponry, cool space sets, and unique gameplay, what’s not to love? Grab your friends and get hoppin’.
4. Turbo Overkill (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC, PS5)
Turbo Overkill (Announcement Trailer)
Shooters have always been great, but now you can shoot with style. Turbo Overkill has you playing as Johnny Turbo, a cyberman who’s returned home to Paradise, only to find it’s been overwhelmed by a rogue AI called Syn.
The gameplay is in its title; it's fast and over the top in the best way possible. You want to talk rollercoasters? This game literally has you surfing along the metallic streets where you can build momentum and decimate foes with all your pent up energy. While the game takes inspiration from other classic shooters, it truly knows how to be unique and up the ante where FPS’s are concerned. And for an indie title, that’s impressive.
3. Deep Rock Galactic (Xbox One, PS4, PC, PS5)
Deep Rock Galactic - Playstation Launch Trailer | PS5, PS4
Snow White’s seven housemates’ have got nothing on these dwarves. Deep Rock Galactic is a 1-4 player cooperative FPS in which players work together to explore destructible, procedurally generated caves.
This is a great time with friends as you gather loot and plan your expedition through the icky, monster filled caverns a la Ridley Scott’s Alien. When you’re not shooting through the unique cave sets, then you’re winding down at the base with bobbleheads, mini-games and a robot bartender. This game can certainly set a mood and is one for those who value beer and comradery.
2. Quake (SNE, Sega Saturn, N64, PC, Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS5)
Quake - Official Trailer (2021)
Damn. Still a classic. In Quake, you take on the role of the unnamed protagonist, (well, Ranger as he’s named in later installments), sent into a portal in order to stop an enemy code named “Quake”.
This game proves that you don’t need high-end graphics and Oscar-worthy voice talent to create a fun experience. Yes, the remaster has enhanced graphics and has smoothened out some bugs from 1996, but that’s the whole point! Everything that made the game great is still intact, plus, all four expansion packs are included, AND, there’s even crossplay multiplayer! If it wasn’t obvious enough, this is remasters done right.
1. DOOM Eternal (Xbox One, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PC, PS5)
DOOM Eternal – Official E3 Story Trailer
Just when you thought Doom couldn’t get any crazier, enter: DOOM Eternal. You play again as the Doom Slayer, as you spend time in what looks to literally be hell on earth surviving and maiming legions of demons and monsters.
Everything here works like a dream (or a nightmare depending on how you look at it), from game design, to refined controls, to set design, the smooth platforming, and the balance of old school and new school game mechanics, this is both Doom and FPS at their best. If you’re ever in the mood for mindless action that provides one hell of a rollercoaster ride (pun intended), pop this one in, you won’t regret it.
