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Shooters is a broad genre of video games that encompasses all titles that feature gun fights as the primary form of in-game combat.
These games are presented from a first-person or third-person perspective and rely on the players' aim for pinpoint accuracy. For this very reason, shooters are some of the most popular games as they allow players to test out their hand-eye coordination while also having fun.
Titles like the original Doom and Quake defined many of the characteristic traits that shooting video games have to this day. Other titles like Halo introduced elements to elevate such games to even greater heights, with responsive weapons, intelligent enemy AI, and most of all, some very well-designed gunplay.
Gunplay is the overall feel of firing of a gun and its bullet impact inside a video game, which has become an iconic term for shooter games. Since Halo, many titles have showcased some of the best gunplay in the industry, making shooters fun to play even if they might sometimes have lackluster stories.
To showcase the best that the genre has to offer, here are five video games that feature some of the best gunplay.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.
5 times gunplay was the best part of a video game
1) Destiny
Bungie was the developer that introduced some of the most genre-defining traits with Halo in 2000. After it departed the franchise, it went ahead with a new game series of its own. Destiny launched in 2014 and was received quite favorably with praise for its gameplay, graphics, and homage to Halo.
Out of all the things to like about the game, its gunplay was the most beloved feature. With fast-paced action from a first-person perspective, a diverse range of weapons, and every armament having a unique feel, this was the gunplay everyone had fallen in love with in the first Halo video game.
Destiny’s story had always been slightly criticized as being somewhat poorly written, but that was never enough to dissuade players from logging into it. It was successful enough to launch a sequel, Destiny 2, which features similar and somewhat improved gunplay but is a free-to-play title unlike its predecessor, at least for all the main game content.
2) Doom (2016)
Doom was one of the original video game shooters that brought the genre to recognition. After a long period of slumber, the series saw a resurgence when developer ID Software came out with a soft reboot of the title, which saw players return to play the iconic protagonist, now known as the Doom Slayer.
Despite its rather simple story, the title was a spectacular hit due to its immensely fun gunplay. Described as “meaty,” the overall action of this reboot was a 1:1 recreation of the N64 game brought to current gen. The game featured several different weapons with which to shoot demons full of lead, with distinct functionality for each of them.
Even the pistol, which is a starter weapon, has a kick to it with such a responsive recoil that it is hard not to get pulled into the excellent gunplay from the very beginning. While there are melee weapons that players can occasionally use, the guns can potentially carry the player through most of the game.
3) The Last of Us Part 2
An example of a rare occurrence when a third-person shooter game delivers some great gunplay, The Last of Us Part 2 has some spectacular bullet mechanics that deserve a shoutout. The second game in The Last of Us series was developed by Naughty Dog and was released on June 19, 2020, and is a PlayStation exclusive.
While the game’s core gameplay is mostly stealth, combat is in the form of ranged weapons such as guns and other projectile equipment. The ballistics work quite realistically and take into account many factors one would not expect from a third-person perspective video game.
Well-placed shots have very visceral results, such as shooting an enemy's neck, which can result in them choking on their blood. The stopping power of weapons is also realistically applied in the game, with larger projectiles having the ability to push characters to their backs. These little details further elevate gunplay in the game, at least for third-person shooters.
4) Apex Legends
Respawn Entertainment showed off their skills with a first-person shooter video game in Titanfall 2. However, they only came to global renown with the free-to-play battle royale game, Apex Legends.
The hero shooter contains a large cast of characters to choose from that the players can play as, but consists of an even larger line-up of assorted guns.
The game’s gunplay specialty comes from two of its iconic features: the fast-paced mobility afforded to the player, a feature not normally seen in FPS games, combined with the versatility of its different weapons. Players can shoot while running, jumping (incredibly long distances), and even while flying to an immense height.
The weapons are a marvel on their own, with many functioning in distinctly different ways. As such, players develop a taste for their favorite weapon, which works well with the playstyle that they have established along with the hero which they generally choose. It's no wonder this game is one of the most played battle royale games, three years after its release.
5) Halo: Infinite
After Bungie departed from Halo, developer 343 Industries took over the franchise. After stumbling a bit at the starting line, 343 showed that they were indeed capable of making a good Halo game with 2021’s Halo: Infinite.
Returning the series to its iconic roots, this latest game took the action back to a Halo ring and featured the return of many things that players loved about the older titles.
343 never had any trouble with gunplay in their original games, although the types of weapons featured had been criticized. This was also fixed in Infinite with the return of Covenant weapons, the stable of the first trilogy in this video game series. Iconic weapons like the Needler and Plasma Pistol were back and looked better than ever while functioning just like they did in the original game.
Halo: Infinite also introduced a grapple shot, which players could use to grab weapons or fuel cells from far away, as well as hook onto enemies and the environment to pull themselves in close. This significantly increased the players' mobility, which pushed the levels of Halo gameplay to new boundaries.
