Over the 21st century, the first-person shooter genre has become known for epic firefights, massive explosions, and awesome vehicles. It’s easy to see why so many FPS games are hugely popular, as the sheer amount of diversity and fun they present simply keeps fans coming back for more again and again.
There are dozens and dozens of quality franchises out there, but in the end, only a few of them can be called the best of all time. Borderlands is great, likewise is Titanfall, but neither made it to the end! Let’s see what did make the list.
Halo
The fact that the entire world has been waiting on tenterhooks for the release of the next game says a lot about this franchise’s popularity. There were small pieces of information at the latest E3 Expo, but other than the game being called Halo Infinite, there is not much in the way of news. Since the first Halo dropped in 2001, FPS fans lapped up the impressive visuals, appealing story, smart enemies and cool and varied weapons. Even though we never get to see our main protagonist’s face, the Master Chief still manages to be engaging and interesting, primarily through his connect with the AI character, Cortana.
Call of Duty
One could argue that every Call of Duty game is basically the same, simply with a new lick of paint, and they’re probably right, but Call of Duty is an unstoppable force when it comes to releasing solid FPS games. The great thing that the franchise manages to do is to keep fans on their toes by releasing games in different settings. There’s Black Ops, World War II, Modern Warfare, and even a futuristic Advanced Warfare. Plus, multiplayer modes and the fan favorite Zombie mode keep things fresh and exciting with every release.
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike has risen to prominence chiefly through the best entry into the franchise: Global Offensive. This is a multiplayer-based FPS which relies on a lot of teamwork, strategy, and a very quick trigger-finger. The games have a huge following thanks to quality matchmaking by developer Valve on its servers, but fans also love the fact that they can host their own servers and set up leagues with players they already know. This option, for example, makes Counter-Strike: Global Offensive a lot more inclusive than the likes of Call of Duty or Halo, as the multiplayer modes in those games is often criticized as being too unfair for beginners.
Battlefield
Battlefield (not to be confused with Battlefront, a Star Wars-based FPS) is fairly similar in gameplay to that of Call of Duty and Medal of Honor, in that it mostly focuses on WW2 combat. Despite a few modern settings in recent games, Battlefield really carved out its own corner with the release of Battlefield 1, which is set in WW1 and gives players an interesting glimpse into a war that rarely gets featured in video games. However, unable to resist for long, the upcoming Battlefield V will go back to the WW2 setting, but this time also including a battle royale mode along with the single-player campaign.
Far Cry
Far Cry is perhaps one of the best FPS franchises to take the most risks. Beginning in 2004, Far Cry games have often focused more on jungle combat, but the games also go in a very different course, largely with Far Cry Primal, which was set thousands of years ago in prehistoric times (full of saber-toothed tigers and woolly mammoths), and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, which was essentially an 80s action movie parody and far more tongue-in-cheek than other titles.
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