When you think of staple genres of the video game industry, you’ll inevitably end up thinking about the first-person shooter. And though that kind of game can be applied to all sorts of fictional genre types, for this list in particular we’ll be focusing specifically on the military side of FPS games. Though even then, “military” is still a pretty broad term isn’t it…?
So, since I think we all get the idea of what to expect here without me going into terribly too much detail, let’s skip the pleasantries and jump headlong into battle, with this list of 15 of the best military FPS games that you can get today!
#15: Escape from Tarkov (PC)
Escape from Tarkov Beta — 0.13.5 Patch trailer (feat. Streets of Tarkov expansion)
We’re starting off strong on this list by first talking about Escape from Tarkov, a highly realistic and hardcore FPS that features RPG, simulator, and MMO elements along with a story-driven walkthrough. Escape from Tarkov takes place in the fictional Norvinsk region in northwestern Russia, where two private military companies, the United Security “USEC” faction, and the Battle Encounter Assault Regiment “BEAR” faction, engage in an all-out war against each other that continues to ravage the now-abandoned Norvinsk region. In Escape from Tarkov, players will assume the role of a rank-and-file soldier for either of these factions and then be sent out to engage in varying missions across different areas and maps, where they will have to fight for their lives against NPC enemies called Scavs just as well as enemy players in order to escape the mission zone in one piece.
Escape from Tarkov gives players the means to customize their weapons and all their constituent parts, ranging from the dust cover, the grip, the scope, and so on, in a degree of complexity that’s generally uncommon for most FPS games. With your ideal loadout equipped, you can either go in alone or with a squad of other players to complete missions in one of three modes, the online PMC Raid and Scav(short for scavenger) Raids, as well as a temporary offline mode, where you and your squad will spawn on one side of a large map and fight their way through other players and NPC enemies to reach the extraction point on the other side, or an extraction point located in the middle of the map that can be unlocked by completing certain optional objectives. Players will have to ensure that they go in prepared during these missions, as the game punishes recklessness by having players permanently lose all weapons, gear, and everything else they brought into the mission upon the player’s death, and they can only be saved either by your squadmates or if you had insured your items before the mission.
Escape from Tarkov has been compared to the Arma series for its intense sense of realistic gunplay and availability when it comes to ways to play the game. Though the game does hold immense promise, the fact it’s been in beta since 2017, along with the fact it can only be purchased on the game’s website at the moment, might be a bit of a deterrent to some players who were considering checking the game out. But if little things like that aren’t entirely a detriment and you’re just looking for well-developed gameplay about fast-paced suburban FPS action, then Escape from Tarkov might be what you’re looking for.
Experience hardcore suburban combat between two rival PMCs and the Scavs looking to profit from this city-wide war in Escape from Tarkov.
#14: Beyond The Wire (PC)
Beyond The Wire Launch Trailer
Players will be sent back to the blood-splattered muddy trenches of the Great War in Beyond The Wire, which immerses its players in the despair and brutality that was felt by the men on the front lines in World War I. Players will battle across massive 50v50 player maps, utilizing era-specific weapons and tanks, as well as a brutal melee combat system while playing as any of the ten historical factions available in the game.
Players will have to utilize actual tactical thinking in Beyond The Wire, as both teams can have up to fifty players at once which are broken into nine-person squads with a commander overseeing the chaos around them, meaning that there will be plenty of chaos and confusion to be had if you don’t plan and play accordingly… which isn’t to say there’s no room for goofing around and being silly, it’s a video game after all. But if you and your fellow soldiers-at-arms are to seek out a dominant victory over the enemy, you’ll have to coordinate on-the-fly tactics and chat in real-time with one another, while using the wide range of historically appropriate weapons to be found in-game. From rifles, pistols, shotguns, machine guns, and all sorts of other weapons big and small, including emplacement weapons and even highly destructive tanks. And of course, the highly thrilling set of melee weapons that can be used as well, giving players a high-risk versus reward option to use as well if they find themselves up close and personal with the enemy.
I tend to like my FPS games to be a bit on the abnormal side, at least abnormal from the “normal” or “modern” sense of an immersive FPS, which is why historically themed games like Beyond The Wire appeal to me a bit more since I can not only go running and gunning against plenty of other players online, but I can also get a sense for what a bygone piece of history was like, just without having to be there myself, thankfully. And while yes, we probably shouldn’t be relying entirely on video games to give us history lessons, for players like myself who like a splash of history thrown into their shooters, Beyond The Wire is an exceptional game to give you that kind of feeling, and a welcome addition to this list.
Experience massive 50v50 player battles across many authentic World War I era maps, where teamwork between you and your squad will be just as important as the gun in your hands.
#13: Six Days in Fallujah (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)
Six Days in Fallujah Early Access Announcement Trailer
Though this next game was only released this year, it was originally conceived back in the early 2000s and was originally slated for a 2010 release before the original development team Atomic Games went under due to their original would-be publisher Konami backed out, and they couldn’t find a new team. But the game would be picked back up by Victura, a company launched in 2016 by former Atomic Games president Peter Tamte, and after a final series of delays would finally release in early access in June 2023. The name of this game, of course, is Six Days in Fallujah, an FPS that focuses heavily on realism and specifically on the Second Battle of Fallujah of the Iraq War, which the game is entirely based on.
Six Days in Fallujah gets its name from an actual six-day period of the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004, which was experienced by the United States Marine Corps' 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines (3/1) as they fought the Iraqi insurgency present in Fallujah, Iraq. Over one hundred Marines and soldiers were interviewed about their experiences in Fallujah, as well as actual Iraqi citizens and insurgents, among war historians and other individuals, in order to make Six Days one of if not the most realistic military shooters ever created. You and your squad will have to use actual real-world military tactics to survive when you’re deep in enemy territory, where you never know what might be waiting for you around each and every corner.
Six Days features procedural architecture that ensures no two missions are the same and that there are no “golden paths” for players to take, as well as AI that can freely move anywhere across the battlefield at will to deploy a wide range of tactics against you, whether it be flanking you, ambushing you at the worst possible moment, and being able to coordinate against you and lure you into traps. Missions can vary from being in burning daylight that contrasts harshly with the pitch-black building interiors, being in the middle of the night where flashlights would only make you a target, and even dense sandstorms that cut out your comms just as well as your vision. Additionally, there are scenario missions that retell actual events experienced by actual soldiers who narrate during the mission.
When it comes to realism in your FPS games, you can’t get any more real than actual soldiers describing the details of their overseas missions while you play an in-game scenario that’s actively depicting what they’re saying. So if immersing yourself in the most realistic scenario you can sound like your cup of tea, Six Days in Fallujah is the FPS you’ve been waiting for.
Use real military tactics as you move from house to house as real-life U.S. Marines narrate over the virtual retelling of their actual experiences in 2004 Fallujah.
#12: Isonzo (PC/Mac/Linux/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)
Isonzo Launch Trailer
Isonzo is the third in a series of games centered around historical battlefronts from World War I developed by BlackMill Games. The game is heavily inspired by the two-year struggle to control the Isonzo River valley and the Alps during World War I and features immersive historical offenses where players can fight across various Italian landscapes, ranging from offenses on hillside fortresses to fierce urban combat across the ruins of cities, and of course trench warfare atop treacherous mountaintops that are as deadly as they are beautiful. Having only just been released in 2022, Isonzo elevates BlackMill’s WWI game series to new heights, both figuratively and literally.
Isonzo allows up to 48 players per server on PC, and only 40 for consoles, where they can choose from 6 classes that are based on historical combat roles, each with their own selection of weapons and items, like how the Officer class for example can fire flares then use a field telephone to call in various types of barrages or poison gas strikes. Players can have a direct effect on the battlefield itself by placing or building sandbag fortifications and barbed wire fencing, as well as placing trench periscopes among other fortifications, to hold back the advancing enemy team better. Players will be able to equip a wide range of iconic WWI-era weaponry that stays true to what soldiers would have carried back then, along with other equipment like bandages to stop bleeding and the trench whistle to signal the start of an assault, along with customizable cosmetic options like era-appropriate military attire. You can even equip several famous period-accurate mustache styles if you so desire!
BlackMill Games’ third game in its WWI game series continues to impress just as well as their first two games, Verdun and Tannenberg, giving players both the familiar sensations of any good FPS while bringing about enough newness to get you to sink your hooks into the game. Whether you’re here for the fun of a shooter or the immersion of the Italian war front of World War I, Isonzo will give you both in spades and keep you coming back for more.
Experience immersive historical offenses across treacherous mountains and other stunning Italian landscapes in Isonzo.
#11: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)
Reveal Trailer | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
Players will come face-to-face with historical figures and hard truths in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. This entry into the CoD series takes place in the early 1980s, where we find that Green Beret turned CIA agent Officer Russell Adler is tasked with stopping a mysterious international espionage threat known as Perseus. From Vietnam to the Netherlands, to the Soviet Union and beyond, players will travel across the globe in Cold War’s campaign mode to unravel an international mystery that threatens the very safety of the world as we know it.
The multiplayer aspect of Cold War remains the same as you generally would expect from a CoD game, with the usual selection of game modes featured in the game, including both the traditional 6v6 player style and the larger 12v12 style, with resized maps to accommodate for the increase in players. On top of the usual game modes, Cold War also includes the new “Fireteam” mode that features forty players spread across four ten-player teams, access to the free-to-play Warzone mode, and the ever-popular Zombies mode that features a new storyline titled “Dark Aether”.
When it comes to a Call of Duty game, you generally can’t go wrong this deep into the series. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newer one, Cold War will give you all the bells and whistles you’ve come to hope for in a CoD game, while still greasing the proverbial wheels with enough new content and features to hook you into buying it, and then subsequently have you put in enough hours to get more than your money’s worth. For fans of this long-running series, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is another fine addition to its ever-growing lineup of games. But if a 1980s thriller about the Cold War isn’t your speed, then maybe the next game on this list will be of interest instead…?
From Vietnam to the Soviet Union, travel around the world on a mission to stop the international threat known as Perseus to protect the stability of the world as we know it in a story inspired by actual events.
#10: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (2023) (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)
Campaign Trailer | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III
Jumping ahead from the early 1980s to the 2020s, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is the overall 20th game in the Call of Duty series set to release November 10, 2023, and continues the story of the rebooted Modern Warfare sub-series that was started in the original 2019 Modern Warfare reboot, and continues its story right where it left off from the 2022 MW II, where we see the return of Task Force 141, consisting of Captain John Price, Lieutenant Simon “Ghost” Riley, Sergeant Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, and Sergeant John “Soap” MacTavish. The game will also feature many other returning faces from the previous two games for our protagonistic squad to meet again, including the Ultranationalist terrorist and primary antagonist Vladimir Makarov, who continues to spread his message of terror across the world in hopes of sparking a third World War. Naturally, this ever-dramatic series of violence will force Task Force 141 to fight like never before to save the world.
The multiplayer aspect of the relaunched Modern Warfare III is getting just as much love as well. All 16 maps from the original 2009 Modern Warfare 2 return with modernized additions for new game modes and gameplay features available on launch, on top of over 12 new core 6v6 maps that will be rolled out via post-launch live seasons. And on top of old maps made new, fully new maps, and new gameplay features, the Zombies mode returns yet again with a brand new storyline that takes place in the largest Zombies map ever that allows for new open-world style gameplay, where you’ll be able to fend off new kinds of undead enemies fitted with new features, as well as new plenty of new secrets to discover across the game mode.
Though it hasn’t been fully released yet, Modern Warfare III is still shaping up to be another solid entry into both this rebooted sub-series and the overall Call of Duty franchise. Though starting in the third act of the overarching campaign storyline might not be the smartest decision if you’re looking to avoid spoilers, in terms of the multiplayer gameplay with all its features both old and new, fans of the original Modern Warfare games can’t go wrong with this latest addition to the story. If you want to get your hands on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, then keep your eyes on its swiftly approaching November 10th release.
Modern Warfare III continues the story of Captain Price and his squad, Task Force 141, as they race around the world once more in hopes of stopping the terrorist Vladimir Makarov and preventing the start of World War III.
#9: War of Rights (PC)
War of Rights - 300 Player Support Trailer
Jumping once again from the present back to the past, War of Rights is another historical standout FPS on this list that takes players all the way back to the American Civil War, and more specifically to the Maryland Campaign of September 1862. War of Rights developers Campfire Games strives to put historical accuracy first and foremost by immersing their players in the world of Civil War America, which includes era-accurate weaponry, military regiments, and even proper warfare tactics for the time.
Even when compared to other games that seek historical accuracy, War of Rights offers players an experience that you won’t be able to find in many other first-person shooters, as most of the time in this game you aren’t going to be running and gunning around the map seeking out personal glory, but instead you’ll be standing in line with dozens of other actual players, shoulder to shoulder with your fellow soldiers in firing lines as you await the order from your commanding officer to fire at the enemy forces mirroring yours across the battlefield. The game itself will reward you and your team with various buffs for sticking together and playing as a team, such as fewer team points being lost for player deaths and lessened suppression effects. War of Rights also features over 30 historically accurate skirmish areas to play in, and over 135 researched and recreated military regiments and batteries to play within, each supporting their own selection of period-accurate weapons and uniforms, as well as character classes and player ranks that range from Private to Colonel.
Whether you choose to play as a frontline Private firing in unison with your fellow soldiers on the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, as a Major General giving orders from his tent equipped with a map of the battle and constantly updated friendly and enemy soldier position alerts, or a rebellious soldier striking out on his own, War of Rights lets players experience virtually everything that those American soldiers experienced themselves during the actual Civil War all those years ago. So if you’re looking for fast-paced combat akin to the previous two games on this list, this might not be the game for you. But if you want to experience history and fight as a soldier who is willing to die for his American beliefs, then War of Rights will give you all that and then some.
Experience the American Civil War in real-time as you fight for either the North or the South, and see for yourself just how brutal it was to be a soldier who fought and died on American soil.
#8: Starship Troopers: Extermination (PC)
Starship Troopers: Extermination - Official Update Trailer
The deep-space mining colony on Planet Valaka, designation PE-59, is under constant siege from massive bug-like aliens known as the Arachnids, and it’s up to the forces of the Deep Space Vanguard to saddle up and take the fight to the Bugs. Up to 16 players can join together at once across a variety of missions ranging from retaking and rebuilding overrun bases, constructing refineries to fuel the war effort, entering underground cavern to bring the fight to the Bugs’ nests, and many more objectives and side objects to complete in the fight to retake Valaka. Are you ready to do your part in helping exterminate this skittering horde?
Starship Troopers: Extermination can allow up to 16 players to fight alongside each other at once in massive co-op missions, where the main aim of the game is to complete your set list of objectives as potentially hundreds of enemy Bugs swarm in on you and your team all at once. You can choose from the Hunter, Operator, and Bastion classes before setting out on one of the many mission types currently available, ranging from reclaiming and rebuilding bases overrun by Bugs, constructing refineries to further fuel the war effort, entering the underground caverns of the planet to bring the fight to the nests of the Bus, and plenty more of missions and side objectives to complete in order to wrest control of the planet from the bugs. On top of the different mission types, there’s also a range of scaling threat levels for missions that can bring out bigger and badder enemy types, meaning that you’ll have to hunker down and construct walls, towers, ammo stations, turret emplacements and more from resources acquired from planetside to stand a chance against the ever-growing swarm.
Although this game is one of the newer games on this list, as it only just released into Steam’s Early Access back in May of this year, Extermination still provides plenty of content that more than warrants its $29.99 price tag and then some. For fans of the original 1997 film, Starship Troopers: Extermination serves as a delightful love letter to the original film and its fans, and developers Offworld Industries(Who also published Beyond The Wire) promise to continue updating Extermination far into the future, to ensure that it can hopefully be molded into the best game it can be.
Saddle up and join the Deep Space Vanguard to bring the war to the Bugs infesting Planet Valaka using brutal tactics and cooperative teamwork! Are you prepared to do your part?
#7: Zero Hour (PC)
Zero Hour | Three-year Anniversary Trailer
Two teams of five players will go head-to-head in tactical FPS action in Zero Hour, a game that is set in a fictionalized Bangladesh that’s built with real-life scale and resource management to ensure the utmost immersion and realism when it comes to its tactical-based combat gameplay. Whether you choose to go in with other players or to play with nine dynamic AI players, you will experience an intense and slow-paced take on the FPS genre that mirrors what you would expect out of a real-life hostage rescue or bomb diffusion mission. Quick thinking and strategic execution are crucial if you want to not only survive in Zero Hour but to ensure that you complete your mission while staying in one piece.
On its surface, it’s easy to see Zero Hour’s inspiration from games such as Counter-Strike bleeding through in its gameplay, but the game still manages to build its own unique experiences on top of that groundwork of inspiration and does so in a way that makes Zero Hour stand tall all on its own. Zero Hour utilizes accurate and authentic gunplay and combat scenarios that require slow, tactical movements to ensure your team’s success, making the game as intense to play as it is rewarding to succeed in. The game gives both teams over 23 unique weapons to use during a mission combined with 18 utility items, such as grenades or door rammers and even allows you to meticulously customize your firearms down to the rails and sights to modify your arsenal to your particular liking.
Zero Hour’s slower-paced gameplay means that you will need to take caution with every action you take, from peeking around a corner to opening all possible doors to avoid getting caught off guard by the enemy team, whether they’re the terroristic team holding civilians hostage or the government operators trying to keep the peace. There are over 15 diverse maps to be explored across the game, each starting with a planning phase on the planning table where you can map out what routes and tactics you and your team should use across the map. Each map also has a series of unique features, such as functional elevators for vertical travel, bulletproof glass, dynamic shutters that could provide strategic access points, and plenty of additional new challenges and potential advantages to be found by players.
Zero Hour takes those familiar beats from plenty of other FPS games and mixes them up to make its own spin on the genre, and does so in all the right ways that help make this game an excellent standout among the rest of the genre. Plus, most importantly, the realistic tactical gameplay is fun to play too! So if you’re a fan of the more tactical side of your first-person shooter games, but you want to “slow things down” just a touch from the usual big-name examples, then give Zero Hour a try as soon as you can as it’s offering up everything you want and then some on a silver platter.
Use proper tactical thinking and strategic movements in Zero Hour, a slow-paced tactical infiltration game whose real-life scale and resource management bring players a grounded close-quarters combat experience.
#6: Pavlov VR (PC/PS5/Meta Quest 2)
Pavlov - Announcement Trailer
Pavlov VR immerses its players in an entirely different way from any other game on this list thanks to, if it wasn’t already obvious, its use of virtual reality technology. The game proudly boasts its status of being the most popular VR FPS game ever released up to this point, due not only to its release window in the more “early” years of VR gaming’s rise in popularity but also due to its attention to detail and sense of realism that’s doubled in effectiveness thanks to its first-person VR point of view. Just without actually having to get shot in an actual warzone, thankfully.
Pavlov VR features over 30 weapons for players to use, ranging from pistols to shotguns to rifles and more, each of which has to be equipped, aimed, and reloaded realistically in order to remain effective on the battlefield, leaving players entirely responsible for their own continued survival during a firefight. The game features 25 default maps overall(including day and night variants of some maps) with the ability for players to mod in custom maps through the Steam workshop, and 14 individual game modes to play across these maps. Some of these game modes are the “standard” you’d expect like Deathmatch, and King of the Hill, along with more unusual game modes like Gun Game, Zombies, and even classic game modes from Source engine games such as Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt from Garry’s Mod, and The Hidden, which is based off a Half-Life 2 mod of the same name. Pavlov also features both modern-day warfare modes and World War 2 warfare modes, each equipped with the appropriate maps, weapons, and even a small handful of usable vehicles like jeeps or tanks.
This game is a very specific kind of FPS thanks to its virtual reality setting, so naturally its popularity isn’t going to be as widespread as a normal FPS. But for those reading this that do own a VR headset of any kind? If you’re looking for a fairly well-made shooter to immerse yourself in from the comfort of your own home, Pavlov VR is certainly worth taking a look at if you haven’t tried it already.
Fight alongside other players in Virtual Reality across numerous game modes, including more the grounded modern and WWII warfare modes to the zombie survival and prop hunt modes, and much more to discover beyond that.
#5: Hell Let Loose (PC/PS5/Xbox Series X/S)
HELL LET LOOSE | The Eastern Front Official Trailer
Getting into the top 5 on this list now, we shift our focus back to the World War II side of the FPS sphere with Hell Let Loose, where prioritizing kill-death ratios is set aside for a focus on actual teamwork with your fellow soldiers. You and your squad will work together beneath the leadership of Officers and their Commanders to take out strategic targets across a battlefield populated by 50v50 player teams. Each player will be a crucial piece to the military machine in Hell Let Loose, as strategy is key when it comes to managing their team’s overall limited amount of resources and supplies that could help turn the tide of the battle, supplies that can range from soldier reinforcements to unlockable bombing runs from above that can help reinforce your defense or even give you new flanking opportunities.
Hell Let Loose features over ten massive to-scale maps that are accurate reconstructions of the actual battlefields the maps are based on, recreated using aerial and satellite imagery of real-life battle locations and bringing them to life in high-quality detail using Unreal Engine 4. Across various Eastern and Western fronts, ranging from Carentan, Omaha Beach, Stalingrad, Kursk, and even more, players will fight across a wide range of environments as they seek to take control of large capture sectors around the map that will shake up which areas of the map are currently being fought in once captured, which when combined with the overall 99 capture point variations per map means players can experience thousands of potential battlefield variations across the game. The players themselves are treated with accuracy and realism as well, since when playing as one of the 14 available character classes, Medic to Sniper, to Machinegunner, and even to Commander, the game recreates true-to-life ballistics and recoil patterns to in turn create satisfying and skillful gunplay, whether you’re using a small-scale rifle as a soldier or leveling entire squads using brutal tank warfare. However you choose to fight, you will come face-to-face with the brutality of war as you watch friend and foe alike get dismembered all around you.
As far as immersive World War II games go, Hell Let Loose does a good job of recreating the important sense of teamwork that real-life soldiers would be using in order to win the brutal battles they faced at the time. Individual glory can be achieved, but it’s not going to be what helps you win the war when out on these accurate-to-life battlefronts, as both the land itself as well as your fellow soldiers are torn apart by the theater of war. So if you want to prove that you can not only lead yourself but lead your entire team of fellow soldiers to a sweeping victory in the most brutal battles of World War II, then Hell Let Loose is a prime example of what you should look for in an FPS.
Experience the brutality of World War 2 as you do battle in accurately recreated real-life battle locations while fighting in massive 50v50 player firefights when playing Hell Let Loose.
#4: Insurgency: Sandstorm (PC/PS4/PS5/Xbox One/Xbox Series X/S)
Insurgency: Sandstorm - Launch Trailer
The cold and muddy fields of WWII Europe are replaced with the hot and sandy deserts of the Middle East in our #4, Insurgency: Sandstorm. Players will work together in tactical FPS combat that can put players in numerous PvP or PvE-based game modes, where realism is the name of the game and if you aren’t careful, you’ll get dropped in just a few quick shots just because you weren’t looking in the right direction. There are eight classes to choose from, ranging from the Marksman to the Demolitions and even the Commander, that can be played regardless of whether you’re fighting as the peace-seeking Security team or the terroristic Insurgents team which are both generally the same save for which weapons are available to them, with Security using weapons originating from NATO and Western countries while the Insurgents use a wider range of weapons originating from Russian or Chinese designs and beyond, for example.
Insurgency: Sandstorm features a realistic first-person perspective that strips away the typical HUD features like showing your current health and ammo, and forces you to rely heavily on working together with your teammates to survive, as once you die on the battlefield you’ll have to wait for your remaining teammates to complete the current objective for you to respawn. You and your team must move both swiftly and cautiously through the war-torn environments of the game’s fictional Middle Eastern setting, relying on tactics like door breaching and using smoke grenades to move through the expansive game locations while communicating with each other using the game’s positional voice-chat to realistically communicate with your fellow soldiers. You will also need to carefully manage your ammunition so you don’t get caught with an empty clip, and complete objectives not only to earn an ammo replenishment but also to unlock new combat features like airstrikes, light attack vehicles, and more additional means of securing victory.
The high-speed close-quarters combat of Insurgency: Sandstorm has led to high praise from both critics and fans alike since its original release in December 2018, and continues to see that same praise as it continues to see regular updates and communication from developers New World Interactive. The audio design of the game especially helps in adding to the realism factor due to its heat-pounding, and sometimes even fear-inducing ambient audio systems that will make you almost feel like you’re actually on a battlefield. And if you’re this deep into our list, I probably don’t even need to say that any fan of high-speed FPS action will be an instant fan of Insurgency: Sandstorm, right? But… well, guess I already did say it. How ‘bout that?
Experience the intense fast-paced action of lethal close-quarters combat, where death comes fast and the only thing keeping you alive is your wits and your ability to think tactically alongside your fellow soldiers.
#3: Battlefield V (PC/PS4/Xbox One)
Battlefield V – War in the Pacific Official Trailer
Standing as the eleventh mainline installment in this series, Battlefield V sends players across land, air, and sea as they’re sent headlong into mankind’s greatest conflict, bringing fans of the series into the theater of World War II using that signature Battlefield charm. Though this particular WWII experience is far from the most accurate retelling of the war compared to other games on this list, a fact which has been rather obvious since the original reveal trailer, what the game sacrifices in authenticity and historical accuracy it makes up for in fun and engaging gameplay that spans across several game modes both old and new. So don’t be surprised when you see that another player’s custom character doesn’t fit the theme of the current battle you’re playing, as you’ve now been warned.
Battlefield V gives players a wide range of ways to play the game, ranging from its massive multiplayer battles to the more story-based single-player campaign mode. The single-player mode is divided into episodic “War Stories”, ranging from the North African Campaign of the spring of 1942 to the encirclement of German Army Group B, also known as the Rhur pocket, during April 1945, among other brutal stories. The multiplayer side of things features what players would normally expect out of the franchise in massively sized maps that immerse the player in the setting, a feeling that’s paired with the intense and fast-paced fun that the gameplay itself oozes with. While including the usual modes like Conquest, Battlefield V also includes plenty of new modes, such as the Grand Operations mode that focuses on a match taking place across multiple objective stages to simulate a campaign from the war, along with the Firestorm mode that introduced a Battle Royale mode to the franchise for the first time.
While Battlefield V was panned for its historically inaccurate approach to a WWII game, a fact which is likely obvious to most people reading this post, the gameplay of Battlefield V itself was still just as fun as any other Battlefield game. The signature gameplay of the franchise is combined with the weaponry and technology of WWII-era warfare and is done so in a brilliantly fun fashion, thus earning this title a spot on our list. If you’re a fan of the Battlefield style of FPS action and are interested in experiencing it with a World War II coat of paint, then Battlefield V is certainly worth a look.
Experience the intense and world-altering FPS gameplay of the Battlefield series as it steps back into the setting of World War II.
#2: Arma 3 (PC/Mac/Linux)
Arma 3 - Launch Trailer
Both in terms of visual fidelity and accurate-to-life military gameplay, Arma 3 stands tall as one of the most realistic military sandbox FPS games ever released. The main setting of the game stretches over 290 km² of virtual Mediterranean island terrain on the fictional islands of Altis and Stratis in the South Mediterranean Sea, along with a handful of DLC locations released in post-game updates over the years. Players can choose either to play the single-player gameplay-driven episodic story of Ben Kerry, or they can launch into a vast amount of multiplayer modes that feature both officially supported modes created by the developers and a vast amount of community-created modes to play, both of which feature a vast array of PvE and PvP combat scenarios taking place across the expansive cities, the rolling hills, the dusty plains, and the many more diverse locations on the islands of Altis and Stratis.
The world of Arma 3 offers virtually limitless ways to tackle any combat scenario that’s presented in front of you. Players can pick from any of over 40 weapons to use in combat, each of which can be customized with short-to-long-range attachments however they see fit, and can engage in a battle either on foot or with one of the 20+ land, air, and sea vehicles available in the game. The game’s primary focus is on infantry combat across several unique combat scenarios and environments and zeroes in on this focus with brutal realism based on realistically deadly weapons that are heavily affected by external ballistics and recoil and combines this realistic gameplay with equally realistic high-quality graphics to further fuel the player’s immersion.
From choosing to go in running-and-gunning like any other shooter, infiltrating a base under the cover of night using night-vision goggles, or even using diving equipment and underwater firearms to engage in frogman operations, Amra 3 offers perhaps the most in-depth selection of military FPS action of any game on this list so far, and the game only continues to build on top of what it already has through post-launch updates and DLC content packs courtesy of developers Bohemia Interactive. If you’re looking for the most realistic simulation of modern real-life infantry warfare across any game on this list, and perhaps any FPS in general, then Arma 3 might just be exactly what you’re looking for. And hey, if the actual military part of this game isn’t enough, the dozens upon dozens of different community game modes you can find give a little bit of something for every kind of player.
Engage in land, air, and sea-based combat scenarios in both PvP and PvE combat modes that utilize realistic weapon mechanics and military tactics along with highly detailed graphics in one of the most immersive military shooters available.
#1: Counter-Strike 2 (PC/Linux)
Counter-Strike 2 - Launch Trailer
What was previously known as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was recently upgraded with the largest technical leap in Counter-Strike history in a free update that upgraded the game to Valve’s new Source 2 engine, leading CS: GO to be relaunched as the new and improved Counter-Strike 2. The gameplay aspect of CS: GO remains the same in CS2 with each weapon and map from the previous rendition being ported over, with the only changes being entirely on the graphics and sound design of the game. With new realistic physically-based rendering, state-of-the-art networking, and upgraded community tools to allow players themselves to enjoy the vastly upgraded visual and audio changes, the release of Counter-Strike 2, although still recent, has already cemented itself as the new standard for realism across gaming going forward.
And though the classic objective-focused gameplay that was pioneered by the original Counter-Strike in 1999 remains the same underneath this fresh coat of digital paint, it hasn’t gone completely untouched. The most obvious examples are that CS: GO’s “Tick Rate” system has been updated so that certain instances where delays between your button presses and the game server recognizing your actions no longer happen, and the game now recognizes your button presses the instant they happen. Along with that, smoke grenades no longer create what’s essentially just a field you can’t see through that resides within certain limits, as instead now smoke can seep through open doors and windows or expand across long hallways, on top of being affected by certain gameplay events such as bullets or explosions momentarily dispersing the smoke itself, allowing for both even more detailed realism and even more focus on thinking tactically if you don’t want to get killed. The game’s audio systems have also been updated to better reflect the physical environment of the game, leading to more accurate detailing of where enemies are moving for those paying enough attention.
All in all, Counter-Strike 2 continues to hold the standard for one of the most widely recognized titles in the entire video game industry and lifts that legacy to brand new heights with an impressive update to virtually every detail across the game, which is no surprise considering Valve’s expansive history of pushing the limits beyond what was previously thought possible. And though there still are a handful of bugs and glitches that need to be hammered out, the future of the Counter-Strike franchise certainly looks to be bright if this change of pace is any indication of the promised future updates yet to come. So whether or not you’re a longtime fan of the series, this major update serves as the perfect excuse to get your hands on Valve’s new and improved Counter-Strike 2. As if the free-to-play tag wasn’t already enough of a selling point, right?
Valve’s new Source 2 engine shows off everything it has to offer and then some with the newly relaunched Counter-Strike 2, which brings the highly praised objective-focused gameplay of the series to life in its most realistic and in-depth incarnation to date.
Conclusion
And that’s the end of today’s list that featured just a handful of some amazing military-themed FPS games that you can go out and get today. And while yes, let’s not kid ourselves, this is a pretty good list of some pretty good games, I still want to take the time and ask you, the readers, what do you think about it? Are you a fan of every game listed? Is there another game or two you wish was mentioned here instead? Whatever thoughts you might have, or if you just want to interact for the sake of interaction, then please feel free to leave a comment below this post so I can see what’s on your mind! I’d love to get even a small piece of what others might think about the things I write about.
But still, whether you choose to comment or not, that’s all that I have to say for this particular post, so now I’ll be taking my leave. So if you’ve made it this far into the post, thanks for reading it, and hopefully you’ll come around for the next one.
