Top 9 First-Person Shooters Every Gamer Should Play in 2024

First-person shooters (FPSs) occupy a very important place in the video game market, and this is something that has been the reality since the very beginning of the genre establishment, i.e. since the end of the 1990s. Surely, if you haven’t played, you’ve at least heard of games like Doom or Quake. Those games, in the opinion of many experts, were considered the originators of first-person shooters, games that so to speak made the genre famous and helped lay the foundations of it among players.

Doom Eternal (Screenshot youtube.com/@revive) 

Why Are FPS Games So Attractive to Play?

First-person shooter games have always had a distinct place in the video game industry. First-person perspective puts players in the thick of violent battle scenarios in these action-packed, heart-pounding games.

Important features of FPSs

• First-hand view

First-person shooter games place players in the protagonist’s shoes by simulating the character’s perspective and vision. Players get the impression that they are a part of the game environment because of this immersive perspective.

• Combat-focused gaming

FPS games are mostly about fighting. In order to accomplish goals or vanquish adversaries, players participate in gunfights, frequently against swarms of enemies, employing a variety of weapons, including explosives and firearms.

• Diverse settings

First-person shooter games frequently have a variety of immersive and varied environments, from futuristic alien realms to gritty metropolitan scenes. These settings provide the game with more depth and open up new exploration avenues.

• Multiplayer modes

Numerous FPS games come with multiplayer options that let users team up or compete against other players online. The growth of eSports and competitive first-person shooter games is a direct result of this competitive element.

• Narrative

FPS games are primarily about action and gameplay, but many also have interesting narratives. As the game progresses, players develop an emotional attachment to the story.

The Rivalry Between First-Person Shooters and MOBAs

Even though there are many different genres of video games available to suit a wide range of preferences and play styles, the only genre that can measure up with FPSs is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA); these are the two of the most played gaming genres.

In brief, in multiplayer online battle arena games, you take control of a single team member from a top-down or isometric graphic perspective. To defeat hostile structures and accomplish goals, coordinated planning is prioritized over ceaseless warfare. As players take on several hero roles and well-coordinated activities, cooperation is essential.

When we say that first-person shooters and MOBAs are the most played video game genres, we mean an eSports competitive gaming realm too. The multiplayer online battle arena genre is actually slightly more exploited in eSports than FPS due to the established battlefield, where each player operates just one protagonist with an assigned function that contributes to the team’s overall strategy, and the overarching goal of these games is to take out their opponents’ major structure.

This group of such games includes League of Legends and Dota 2, which contribute to the genre’s ongoing popularity among players, viewers, and – not to forget this segment of gaming – bettors who found The International and other important seasonal eSports events a great source of extra profit when placing wagers on e.g. the best Dota 2 betting sites according to the online bookies’ rating platform, Bookmaker Expert.

Today there’s a huge number of FPSs. Some are very good, some are very bad, and most of them are solid, but only a few enter the group of those who can be given the epithets of excellent or best first-person shooters.

What are the excellent or even the best FPSs that you should play later this year, if you haven’t already (and if you have, why not “repeat the material”)? Read more about these games below!

Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus has earned a guaranteed spot on every list of the best first-person shooters, thanks to its enticing cocktail of superb first-person action, strong weapon customization and crafting, and an atmospheric post-apocalyptic setting. The single-player campaign is filled with brilliant characters, painstaking world-building, and some of the best survival horror moments you’ll ever encounter in a game of this genre.

The “Enhanced Edition”, which is included by default with the purchase of the next generation and PC, boasts truly beautiful graphics with Ray Tracing capabilities, and we wouldn’t be exaggerating when we say that this is one of the best games on the Mac platform today. If your prerequisites are a brilliant story and an impressive world, know that this game will delight you, especially if you’re a fan of post-apocalyptic survival horror games.

• Platforms: Windows, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, macOS, and Linux

Doom Eternal

Doom Eternal is the sequel to the already phenomenal Doom from 2016. The brutal, fast-paced arena shooter is much harder this time but will reward the player greatly once they’ve mastered switching weapons and quickly targeting weak points. There are several great sets and plenty of visual variety, thanks to a great story.

With consistent post-launch support through Master Levels, DLCs, and various minor content updates, Doom Eternal has remained fresh, even for players who have poured hundreds of hours into it. It now also supports Ray Tracing and DLSS. But more than the excellent visuals, the game really stands out for its sheer intensity that’s unmatched by anything else on the market today.

• Platforms: Windows, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch

F.E.A.R.

F.E.A.R. or “First Encounter Assault Recon” is certainly one of the best FPSs for many reasons. It’s a game that perfectly combines several elements: an action element, an excellent horror atmosphere, an interesting and mysterious story, and kung-fu elements that seem to have come out of one of John Woo’s numerous films.

F.E.A.R. is a game that came out way back in 2005 when some of us were in high school and we remember excitedly talking about this then-new and very revolutionary game. Looking at the screenshots every now and then helps beat nostalgia.

The game seemed different at first glance and it just had to be played instantly. Even if acquired a copy, it wouldn’t work very well if you owned a weak computer that was mostly meant for work, not gaming. Experiencing F.E.A.R. in full glory required newer and more powerful computers at the time. The game was developed by Monolith Productions and was released for Windows PC in October 2005, while it was released for Xbox 360 in October 2006 and finally for PlayStation 3 in April 2007.

After you finish the game you’ll want to play more. Fortunately, there are two expansions available: “Extraction Point” and “Perseus Mandate”. Being the game that’s clearly inspired by action movies, F.E.A.R. is an action horror title that focuses on the player and their story, which as you play the game, uncovers sinister secrets behind the supernatural events, which become more and more evident as you play. All in all, even today, 19 years later, F.E.A.R. is still one of the best and most exciting first-person shooters out there.

• Platforms: Windows, Xbox 360, and PS3

Return to Castle Wolfenstein

Although this is an older game, we could even say “classic”, Return to Castle Wolfenstein is still one of the very high-quality FPSs today.

What is it about?

As for the Wolfenstein franchise, it all started with Wolfenstein 3D. It’s a game that came out way back in 1992 and was already revolutionary in many ways. It’s often considered one of the pioneers of first-person shooters (along with Doom and Quake) and is worthy of the genre title, as there was nothing like it at the time. It’s clear that Maze War was an FPS that came out years before, but Wolfenstein 3D was essentially the one that paved the way for every single first-person shooter we know and love today.

An additional episode called “Spear of Destiny” was eventually released and then we didn’t see another entry in the series until it was rebooted in 2001 with Return to Castle Wolfenstein. That sequel later spawned a multiplayer-only spinoff called Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory which was originally intended to be an expansion, but the single-player component was never completed and was removed, and Enemy Territory was released for free as a standalone multiplayer-only title.

All in all, if you don’t mind the retro graphics and want to enjoy a great FPS with a great story, fantastic atmosphere, interesting gameplay, and enemies, give Return to Castle Wolfenstein a try.

• Platforms: AmigaOS 4, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Xbox, and PlayStation 2

Prey

According to some gamers, Prey is the best first-person shooter they’ve played since Half-Life 2. Prey achieves a similar atmosphere with its futuristic setting of aliens on a space station. Arkane Studios set out to create a spiritual successor to System Shock (1994), and frankly, they managed to get a lot of things right. At its heart, Prey is a Sci-Fi simulation with a strong focus on problem-solving.

But the game also has enough action and weapons that every FPS fan will be very satisfied. Your quest to discover what went wrong on the space station brings you face to face with otherworldly features, but thanks to your arsenal of weapons and some superpowers, you always have a way out.

• Platforms: Windows, PS4, and Xbox One

DEATHLOOP

Another first-person shooter that has the dimension of time as its premise, DEATHLOOP, traps you in a time loop on an island. The mix of frenetic action, invisible survival, and puzzle-solving blends into a unique experience.

The main idea of the game is to learn as much as you can about your targets and environments so that you can create a plan for your next play sequence, which will allow you to eliminate the targets as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, if you’re cornered by a rival assassin, you must escape; otherwise, you start over.

• Platforms: Windows, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X

Left 4 Dead 2

While both games in the franchise focus on collaborative and cooperative multiplayer gameplay, both games also feature a single-player mode. Although the first Left 4 Dead was released in 2008 and brought fast-paced action based on taking down a huge number of zombies, its sequel, which came out a year later, brought many improvements, many new features, a new story, and some other things that made it this “zombie-shooter” has reached a new level.

Overall, Left 4 Dead 2 is a post-apocalyptic shooter and a sequel to the 2008 co-op game Left 4 Dead. The game features 4 player co-op action horror gameplay set in different environments, as well as Infected vs Survivors multiplayer mode, but there is also a single-player mode. Face hordes of ravenous zombies alongside other survivors in Left 4 Dead 2, the sequel to Valve’s iconic and award-winning post-apocalyptic action horror game Left 4 Dead.

Play alongside your friends in a 4-player co-op campaign where you’ll face thousands of infected in a variety of locations, from burning hotels to fog-covered swamps. Watch out for unique types of zombies with special skills, such as tanks that can plow through almost anything in their path, hunters that can pounce on unsuspecting survivors, and jockeys that ride survivors and steer them into danger. Use a wide variety of real-world weapons to do so, from powerful sniper rifles to sharp cast iron pans.

Choose to play as the Infected and play against another team of Survivors in “Versus” action mode. Tired of regular gaming? Check out the Steam Workshop for a huge variety of mods that breathe new life into your game. Even today, years after its initial release, Left 4 Dead 2 is still just as interesting, immersive, and fresh, and with that in mind, it’s still one of the best FPSs out there.

• Platforms: Windows, Xbox 360, Mac OS X, and Linux

Half-Life 2

It’s impossible to talk about excellent or even the best first-person shooters without mentioning the legendary Half-Life 2.

In June 1999, just six months after the release of the original Half-Life became a huge success for the debuting video game company, Valve decided to begin work on a direct sequel. Their goal was simple and incredibly ambitious for a studio with only one title; two if you count April 1999’s Team Fortress Classic: creating the best FPS, not just of the early 2000s, but of all time.

Five years later, after a lengthy and troubled development period that saw multiple delays and even a high-profile theft of the game’s engine source code, Half-Life 2 was finally released on November 16, 2004, launched simultaneously at retail and on Valve’s platform for delivery of digital games, to Steam. At the time of its release, it received praise from critics and excellent reviews, which strengthened and established it at the very top in terms of quality.

One of the biggest changes in Half-Life 2 compared to its predecessor and its expansions was the jump in graphical fidelity. Furthermore, Valve made this very clear, focusing on their then-revolutionary facial animation technology in the first moments of the game. Half-Life 2 picks up after the events of the first Half-Life, an unspecified amount of time later, which later official media would clarify as almost two decades, with Gordon Freeman awakened from stasis by his new “employer”, a mysterious figure known only as the G-Man. After a few vague choice words about Gordon’s role in all of this, he, and thus the player, is thrown onto a train bound for a new destination: City 17.

And that’s where your adventures begin, which spanned as many as two expansions, called “The Episode One” and “The Episode Two”. Unfortunately, the third episode is still not out. But regardless, even today, in 2024, almost 20 years after the game’s release, Half-Life 2 is an excellent first-person shooter that you must play.

• Platforms: Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac OS X, Linux, and Android

Far Cry 3

Before Far Cry became focused on overthrowing military dictators, Far Cry 3 seemed like the perfect formula: set on a mysterious and very hostile island with a dangerous and colorful villain, Far Cry 3 will have you hooked very quickly after the opening scenes and immerse yourself in your world.

All the elements of the game have come together perfectly to fuel your revenge spree against a frenzied opponent. Considering the story, the environment, and the way of fighting, Far Cry 3 is the best of the Far Cry games and as such, one of the best FPSs that you can and should play in 2024.

• Platforms: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PS3

For the End

Of course, in addition to those listed, there are a huge number of other first-person shooters that could eventually be found on this list. Here are some titles worth mentioning: Doom (2016), Titanfall 2, Call of Duty: World at War, Halo Infinite, Quake II, Serious Sam: The First Encounter, and Dusk.