If you have been gaming for some time, you could be remembering the bygone arcade attractions, which marked the beginning of shooter games. With time, the genre evolved to desktop games and then console titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield. And you may actually be surprised to discover that about 1.8 billion shooter game apps were downloaded in 2023 alone.
So, if you are stranded about which shooter game to stir your adrenaline, you have just arrived in the right place. Why don’t you stick around to discover for yourself?
Counter-Strike
Any game provider can agree that maintaining dominance can be challenging, especially now that innovations seem to be the order of the day in this industry. Well, looking at the Counter-Strike franchise, the statistics speak for themselves. Imagine, for about two and a half decades now, this game has been allowing players to participate either as terrorists who perpetrate acts of terror or counter-terrorists to prevent the moves of the terrorists.
Although the initial games were exclusively multiplayer, later successors like Counter-Strike (Xbox) added bots for in-game use. The modern versions have three official scenarios:
- Hostage rescue: Here, 3 to 5 individuals are held hostage by terrorists in official maps, with most maps featuring 4 hostages. Victory will only be attained when the Counter-Terrorist team rescues the hostages and leads them to a hostage rescue zone.
- Bomb defusal: A bomb has to be planted at one of the two bomb sites. Once it has been planted, it will take some time before exploding. At this time, Counterterrorists have to try to defuse the bomb—if the bomb explodes, the terrorists win; otherwise, the Counterterrorists will be victorious.
- Assassination: It is less popular and features a single player on the Counter-Terrorist team who plays a VIP role and must make his way to a VIP escape zone. If the Terrorists successfully take out and eliminate the VIP, they win.
Half-life
Developed by Valve Corporation and published by Sierra Studios, Half-life was first released in 1998. The game allows you to take the role of Gordon Freeman, who, after a disastrous scientific experiment, must escape the Black Mesa Research facility that has been taken over by alien creatures.
The major elements of the game include:
- Combat
- Exploration
- Puzzles
Something that actually made Half-Life different is that Valve did not just want to develop a shooter game like the others but one that would be more immersive and engaging. This allowed players to have uninterrupted control of their characters, as the storyline was mostly organized through scripted sequences rather than cutscenes.
As a result, Half-Life has won more than 50 PC Game of the Year Awards. Just recently, a few updates, like adding the Half-Life: Uplink demo and rendering improvements, were made.
Halo
Who has never heard of the Halo genre? Actually, the franchise has sold more than 81 million copies, and more than 10 million players have participated on PC. Its widespread popularity has continued to inspire content creators from other sectors. Perhaps you know about The Halo Graphic Novel, which features four short stories. Another comic book, Halo: Uprising, was published by Marvel Comics to bridge the gaps between the events of Halo 2 and Halo 3.
From this data, it is evident enough that many people love the shooting game genre. Realizing this, other sectors, like online slots, are integrating such themes to appeal to wider audiences. For instance, you can now spin the wheel in the Fire in a Hole slot as you interact with shooting themes like explosions.
Left 4 Dead
It was almost illogical to think that Leaf 4 Dead would become successful, especially after the announcement of its sequel was initially met with skepticism. However, the skepticism did not stop the developers from refining the game further to make it more appealing.
As a result, many people have actually come to love the game, with critics on Metacritic rating it at 89% for both Xbox 360 and PC. AI dubbed the ‘Director’ controls level pacing and item placements in all modes to offer players an engaging experience.
As one of the best shooting games ever made, Left 4 Dead has won several publication awards and distinctions from institutions like the British Academy of Film and TV Arts.
Battlefield 1942
If you prefer both single-player and multiplayer gaming, this game caters to all these preferences. In the game, you can assume the role of one of the five infantry classes, including Engineer, Anti-Tank, Scout, Medic or Assault. You also can fly several World War II fighter aircraft and bombers, man coastal artillery defenses or navigate capital ships – the options are just many.
The battle is mainly between the Axis powers and the Allies. Where you will be located will determine the nation-specific armies you will use. For instance, if you are on the El Alamein map, the armies will comprise Germany and the United Kingdom.
Quake
Quake has been heavily inspired by Doom, its predecessor. Many players love it for its 3D rendering technology and healthy mode scene, which led to the machinima style of filmmaking in game engines. And are you aware that Quake actually laid a good foundation for Call of Duty and Team Fortress 2?
This franchise has four sequels, including:
- Quake II
- Quake III Arena
- Quake 4
- Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Team Fortress 2
In October 2007, Team Fortress 2 was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 and later ported to the PlayStation 3 after about two months. Electronic Arts manages the retail and console versions, while Steam oversees its online versions.
You can either join the RED or BLU team and choose among the nine character classes to play as. Several critics have praised the game for its art direction, humor, gameplay and character development.
BioShock
Do you love horror-themed storylines that combine with action-adventure? If you do, why don’t you consider BioShock? You will be urged to turn everything into a weapon as you explore the underwater dystopia, Rapture. This may include biologically modifying your body with Plasmids, upgrading weapons, hacking devices and so on.
Call of Duty
Of course, we cannot end this list without talking about the popular Call of Duty, which was published by Activision in 2003. Initially developed by Infinity Ward, this game has had several spin-offs and handheld games made by other developers. A more recent title was released in November 2023, with another version set to be released in October 2024.
Doom
Doom has been around for more than thirty years now. Here, you assume the role of a space marine, which fights through the hordes of undead humans and demons. Starting on the Moons of Mars and ending in hell, you will traverse different levels until you defeat the final boss.
