One of the most popular video game genres is first person shooter, known as FPS for short. In first person shooters, you play the game via the perspective of your character, sometimes only visually seeing the weapon you’re holding. The goal is usually to shoot your way out of whatever situation is in front of you, but as games evolve so has the genre.
However, despite the popularity of first person shooters, some gamers don’t find the genre to be their cup of tea. If an FPS game doesn’t seem like something you’d regularly enjoy, consider the below options before you give up on it entirely.
1. Mass Effect 2
Known as the game that converts gamers into the FPS genre, Mass Effect 2 has a little bit of everything to offer. The game is primarily story-based with FPS elements, making easing into the playing style a lot simpler. There are targeting tools that you can alter based on your needs. You can even lower the difficulty to a story mode that allows you to experience the FPS perspective without the stress of worrying about someone leaping out and shooting you in the face.
2. Team Fortress 2
When most people think of the FPS genre, they think of dark, gritty games. War, death, and murder play prominent roles, and the gore isn’t spared. Team Fortress 2 is the opposite of all of that. In a cartoonish, team-based setting, you join fellow players in a simple goal: take out the other team. This hit game is also free, so Team Fortress 2 is an easy FPS to pick up and try out.
3. Overwatch
At first blush, Overwatch is everything you expect out of a typical FPS. It’s a multiplayer team-up style game, and you take on the perspective of your chosen character. Through that character’s special abilities and weapons, you pursue the objective with your team to try and beat the other team. Where Overwatch deviates is in the sheer number of selectable characters and the diversity of their functions. You can even choose to play as a team healer and forego shooting altogether. Though, if you choose this option, you better make sure you can keep your team alive.
4. Bioshock
If the multiplayer aspect of the FPS genre is what makes you hesitate to join, Bioshock might be the one for you. Like Mass Effect 2, the game itself is story-driven, though the world here is much more interactive. Bioshock somehow manages to combine an RPG with an adventure game and a shooter, making it all and none of those things at the same time.
5. Borderlands 2
Of all the games on this list, Borderlands 2 is the most stereotypical when it comes to what you might imagine in a first person shooter. It can be a little intimidating to start up, as the game thrusts you rather quickly into violent situations. But, the story and the world are compelling enough to keep you moving through it.
Technically, the first Borderlands game meets all the same qualifications, but overall Borderlands 2 is considered the better game. If you’re going to give a new genre a shot, you should make sure you’re playing the best the series has to offer.
6. Portal
This list wouldn’t be complete without Portal, another innovative addition to the genre. Like many other items on this list, Portal proves that games are much more likely to be successful (and fun) if they take on more than one genre. This first person shooter is also a puzzle game. Think Myst, but less likely to make you want to throw your computer out of the window.
7. Destiny 2
At the end of the day, sometimes you just want a standard loot and grind game to occupy your mind. Destiny 2 is that, but much more impressive. The story is much improved from the first game, and your ability to access local lore has improved substantially. However, what Destiny 2 is best known for is its superb gunplay mechanics. It’s a good FPS game to take for a test drive when you’re just starting out.
8. Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls series is a staple for any gamer, and Skyrim exemplifies the best of what a first person shooter can bring to a game. Instead of FPS being the focus of the gaming experience, it’s used as a tool to take you along your gritty and sometimes humorous adventure through the fantasy world of Skyrim. In addition to swords and magic, you wield your own voice as a weapon by way of “shouts” you pick up throughout the game. A creative spin on the FPS genre, and one that’s changed quite a few minds.
9. Splatoon
If Team Fortress 2 is cartoony for a first person shooter, Splatoon is a full-length feature animated film. It also has a built-in MMO aspect as you team up with other players, running around with a paint gun trying to paint the town… well, whatever color your team is. The goal is to paint everything before the other team can. It’s a light, fun way to integrate into the FPS genre.
10. Fallout 4
This edition of the popular post-apocalyptic series is lauded as one of the best Bethesda has ever released. After you’ve built your starting character, you’re introduced to the sprawling underground world of Vaults, where humanity managed to survive after the surface was destroyed. As you explore the world, you use the game’s built-in shooting tools to defend yourself. What makes Fallout 4 unique is the diversity of weapons you can equip, depending on which tool mechanics are easier for you to navigate. There are even rumors you can perform a pacifist run in this game and never use any weapons at all, surviving on charisma and stealth alone.
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