Ten best first person shooters of all time

When you talk first person shooter, you always think hours of shooting against impossible odds and the amount of fun we have in doing just that. Since the first ever FPS games, that formula has worked and over the years, FPS games have evolved in manners we never dreamed of.There are games like Serious Sam and Painkiller which basically just helps us blow off steam, tactical shooters like Rainbow Six and Star Wars Republic Commando that work our brains, and popular franchises like Halo and Call of Duty which help shooters dominate the video game landscape. Shooters have continued to evolve and remain relevant to gamers longer than most other video game genres. Making a list of just 10 of the best amongst them is a mountainous task as you can’t compare unique key elements that these games have within. However, we’ve still given it a shot and listed what we think are the best FPS games of all time (at least till now). Such lists can be varied and non-exhaustive, but for us these are the games that take home the prize.

#10 Quake II

Released- 1997

Quake was an event that shifted the very base of the PC gaming landscape but it’s Quake II that makes it to the list. There is huge improvement in quality from Quake to Quake II. This game provided out-of-the-box OpenGL support, and stunning visuals. The new mission driven campaign levels were far more diverse, and the arsenal of weapons was revamped as well, taking this game to another level of multiplayer shooting fun.

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#9 Counter strike

Released- 1999

Of all online shooters, the meanest and most competitive of them all is Counter-Strike, where the key to survival is teamwork, planning, and quick thinking. What gets CS on this list is the fact that it is one of the most played games since its release almost a decade ago in 1999. There are many elements, to why this game is special and one of them is its distinctive arsenal of actual world weapons, such as the Desert Eagle and P90 SMG among others, all of which are meticulously balanced with clear tasks in combat. It's also home to many of gaming's classic maps, most notably de_dust and its iconic ramps and tunnel.

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#8 Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare

Released- 2007

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare redefined the Call of Duty franchise as well as set a new benchmark for modern first-person shooters. With the visuals and cinematic qualities of a big-budget action film but the riveting interactive experience of a usual shooter, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's single player campaign had players in the gunner seat of an AC-130 during a high-speed mountain chase, evading a Russian attack helicopter. It also marked the arrival of the perks and kill streaks systems, which added new multiplayer dynamics and more robust class personalization and have now become standard for its franchise.

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#7 Half life

Released- 1998

If you go back through the history of first-person shooters, you can clearly distinguish a pre-Half-Life era and a post-Half-Life era. In November of 1998, all that we knew about FPS games changed. Suddenly all shooters wanted to do what Half life was doing. Using scripted events like the classic opening tram ride and the slaughter of the scientists, Half-Life gave us the impression that this isn't a world that you go up and about shooting everything but it’s a world where something horrible and strange is happening, and we’ve just walked right into it. This approach to storytelling has become the cornerstone of first-person-shooter design today and reason this game is held in such high regard.

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#6 Bioshock

Released- 2007

Due to the mesmerising opening visuals and how it looks, many gamers don’t realize that the game has begun as they sit there floating in the ocean for a few minutes. That first glimpse of the underwater city of Rapture was amazing while the game itself was quite challenging. The game-play was innovative, too, where you had to creep amongst the shadows while collecting plasmid upgrades to take on Big Daddies and Splicers. The varied, satisfying weapons combined with inventive Plasmids created wild, exhilarating fights with Bioshock's grotesque range of foes.

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#5 Halo 2

Released- 2004

For Halo 2, developer Bungie put all their revolutionary ideas into one basket. While most players may have criticized Halo 2's cliff hanger ending, they were again going gaga over its multiplayer option. It was an ambitious effort; one that applied a PC-centric way of thinking to create an online community for Xbox Live. Bungie already had this lineage from their PC-developer days, so it made sense when Halo 2 introduced a bevy of retooled online options. All these inclusions like Clan lists, matchmaking playlists, and expanded options custom game types transformed Halo 2 from a mere sequel into one of the most important exclusives of its time.

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#4 Far Cry 3

Released- 2012

Each Far Cry game has taken a hugely different approach to its predecessors, and Far Cry 3 was no exception. Instead of the savannah setting and malaria mechanics of Far Cry 2, this game was set in a lush tropical island packed with pirates and lethal wildlife that could get you killed. Furthermore, the storyline was very compelling; a story of madness and obsession. This game had so much more elements than other FPS games. To illustrate what I’m saying, imagine sneaking through a pirate base, with only a bow in hand, only for all your efforts to be undone by a stray tiger.

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#3 Killzone: Shadow Fall

Released- 2013

Set some 30 years after the events of Killzone 3, Shadow Fall follows a new set of characters and two rival factions who live side by side divided by a vast wall. You play as an elite soldier crossing swords with an intelligence operative. This PS4 launch title was the first to really deliver on the promise of next-gen console gaming using 1080p, 60fps game-play. The visuals and feel of the game was absolutely stunning. The game also took criticism in its stride and came out with a 4-player co-op update to address complaints that the game was a little too linear, making it one of the most enjoyable FPS games and earned a place on our list.

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#2 Crysis 3

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Released- 2013

The original Crysis is a great game in its own right but, it was Crysis 3’s success that caused the franchise to expand onto the console platform. Set in the future in New York City, your character works in the signature Nanosuit, making you use advanced weaponry to take down your enemies and prevent the extinction of mankind. There were two game-play style players could choose to confront enemies, either through direct confrontation or a more stealthy approach to finish off enemies, and as to be expected, it's visually stunning and the game’s complaints only came from PC gamers about the jump to consoles.

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#1 Battlefield 4

Released- 2013

One of the best first person shooter games and another game that guided in the era of next-gen gaming is Battlefield 4. This game's multiplayer experience is out of this world. With 64 players fighting it out across a battlefield where every building is destructible and with state of the art weaponry and vehicles like tanks, choppers, and boats, it's an overwhelming sight. Couple this with Levolution which allows the landscape to change in real-time with interactive surroundings that react and respond to your every move and it ensures that no two matches are ever the same. A truly marvellous experience, Battlefield 4 is a true winner amongst the FPS games.

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