According to Wikipedia, “Shooter games are a subgenre of the action game, which often tests the player's speed and reaction time.”
The adrenaline rush generated by this genre ensured that the game developers invested heavily in shooter games during the last two decades, which has led to the creation of some of the truly spectacular titles of all time that have managed to redefine what a shooting game could be.
Let us not wait any longer and look closer at the top-10 shooter games available across all platforms:
| Top 10 Shooting Games | Metacritic Ratings |
| Halo: Combat Evolved | 97 |
| Half-Life 2 | 96 |
| BioShock | 96 |
| Portal 2 | 95 |
| Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | 94 |
| Gears of War | 94 |
| Quake | 94 |
| N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance | 94 |
| Unreal Tournament 2004 | 93 |
| Medal of Honor | 92 |
#1 Halo: Combat Evolved
The first game in the hugely successful Halo franchise set a benchmark for FPS games during its release way back in 2001. Halo: Combat Evolved, the launch title for the original Xbox console, received critical and commercial success, making it one of the greatest games of all time.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 97
User Score: 8.6
#2 Half-Life 2
Like Halo: Combat Evolved, Half-Life 2 completely revolutionised the FPS genre, giving birth to a new breed of shooter games for years to come. Despite being released in the year 2004, the game still is very high on the entertainment value, making it one of the finest games ever built by Valve Corporation.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 96
User Score: 9.1
#3 BioShock
Developed by 2K Boston, BioShock is a first-person shooter that was initially released in 2007. The game also influxes seamlessly elements of role-playing into the game, offering a much more immersive experience to the gamer. BioShock received critical acclaim and also took home numerous Game of the Year awards.
Also, other games in the BioShock franchise, too, are some truly fantastic games across all the platforms.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 96
User Score: 8.9
#4 Portal 2
Portal 2 is not by definition a regular shooter game, but the presence of the shooting mechanics combined with the puzzle-based gameplay mechanic allowed it to become another wonderful release by Valve Corporation.
Simply put, players in Portal 2 are tasked to solve puzzles by “shooting” (placing) portals and transport between them. Despite carrying a very simple objective, the game manages to grow on players right from the first day one starts experiencing the title.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 95
User Score: 9.0
#5 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – the first CoD game that was set in the modern times revolutionised the franchise, breathing a new life of fresh air with slick gameplay and a brilliant story. The multiplayer mode, too, was one of the finest during the time of launch with many calling it the best Call of Duty game ever made.
Furthermore, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is also a highly rated FPS from the CoD franchise.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 94
User Score: 8.4
#6 Gears of War
Created by Epic Games, Gears of War initially hit the stores in 2006 and is the first game of the series. It is a third-person shooter that requires the player to take advantage of cover to eliminate the enemies and progress further in the game. Gears of War took home numerous Game of the Year awards and is recognised as one of the most important games of the seventh-generation consoles.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 94
User Score: 8.3
#7 Quake
Quake initially hit the stores way back in the year 1996 where the players are tasked to find a way through maze-like environments while battling numerous monsters. Not only on the single-player front, but Quake also established itself as a formidable multiplayer game, as well, for it popularised the Deathmatch game type.
The polished game for the PC version ensured that it became one of the best shooters to grace the platform.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 94
User Score: 8.8
#8 N.O.V.A Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance
Developed by Gameloft, N.O.V.A is primarily a first-person shooter game that was initially launched on the iOS platform. With its slick controls for touch-enabled devices, N.O.V.A earned praise from all sections of the society with many calling the game the best FPS experience on the mobile platform.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 94
User Score: 7.1
#9 Unreal Tournament 2004
The last entry in the franchise is arguably the best game in the Unreal series. Specifically designed for engaging multiplayer, Unreal Tournament 2004 features loads of interesting scenarios that ensure that players are kept engaged for long durations of time.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 93
User Score: 8.8
#10 Medal of Honor
Released in 1999 as a PlayStation exclusive, Medal of Honor explores the WWII scenario in detail. The FPS game received critical acclaim upon its release and soon went on to become one of the best games of all time across all platforms.
Moreover, interestingly, Medal of Honor’s story was created by Steven Spielberg.
Metacritic
Critic Score: 92
User Score: 8.7
