The 7 Absolute Best First-Person Shooter Games of All Time

First-person shooter (FPS) games have thrilled gamers since maze shooters like Spasim pioneered the concept in the 1970s. For 50 years, iconic FPS titles have landed headshots on what makes great games: tight gameplay, immersive worlds and innovative features that push the genre forward.

FPS titles now drive a multi-billion dollar industry, but a select few crown the genre as both trailblazers and all-time classics. These FPS masterworks set new standards in their time for level design, weapon variety, multiplayer and storytelling. More importantly, their compelling worlds make you forget you’re tightly clutching a mouse and keyboard.

Join us on a tour of FPS royal bloods from 1992‘s Wolfenstein 3D to today as we spotlight the seven FPS games that define first-person greatness.

What Makes a Great FPS?

Before highlighting the best, let‘s review core FPS gameplay elements that date back to early maze shooters like Spasim.

In an FPS, the player views the world through the eyes of the protagonist. As opposed to third-person games like Gears of War, you see only what your character sees through their viewfinder.

While early FPS encounters involved shooting at anything that moves, modern FPS feature more complex, team-oriented multiplayer matches as well as intricate sci-fi, fantasy and military single-player campaigns.

Key FPS gameplay elements include:

Exploring the game world from the first-person perspective
Arsenal of ranged weapons like pistols, plasma rifles, RPGs or sniper rifles
Variety of enemies from aliens to counterstrike forces to zombies
Reflex-dependent gameplay that rewards sharp aim and quick thinking

Add in explosive set pieces, squad mechanics, upgrade trees and end bosses, and FPS form a core gaming genre that tests our trigger fingers to this day.

Let’s see which FPS titles best brought the heat over their crosshairs.

#7: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Infinity Ward’s military epic represents Call of Duty’s peak as an FPS franchise thus far. Its kinetic campaign picks up right after 2007’s smash Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare with fan favorites Captain Price and Soap MacTavish.

Set in contemporary times, its globe-hopping missions set new standards for cutscene presentation and use of celebrities like Lance Henriksen. Meanwhile, fiendishly balanced online multiplayer cemented Call of Duty as an FPS eSport darling.

Upon arrival in 2009, GameInformer called Modern Warfare 2 “an even better version of one of the best shooters ever made.” Its Metacritic (PS3) holds at a superhot 94%.

Key Features:

Cinematic single-player campaign with memorable characters
Multiplayer introduces custom killstreaks and loadouts
Special Ops mode supports co-op missions

#6: Halo 2

As Xbox’s flagship console exclusive, Halo 2 became the biggest entertainment launch of all time upon hitting shelves in 2004. The sequel to 2001’s genre-redefining Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 introduced online multiplayer to the Halo universe as Master Chief squared off against new Covenant baddies.

Both a critical darling and financial smash, Halo 2 sold over 8 million copies and currently charts a 95 on Metacritic for Xbox. The Washington Post applauded its graphics and called it “a definitive role model for future games in this genre.”

Key Features:

Play as the Covenant Elite character for the first time
All-new weapons like the Energy Sword
Support for groundbreaking Xbox Live online multiplayer
Graphics engine optimized for Xbox

#5: Goldeneye 007

Beyond customary licensed cash-ins, game adaptations of movies are hit-or-miss at capturing what made audiences love the film. The abrupt cancellation of the Xbox One‘s Perfect Dark reboot, which shared Goldeneye‘s studio Rare, shows that magic is hard to recapture.

Goldeneye 007 is the glaring exception. Beyond featuring Pierce Brosnan’s mug, Rare’s N64 shooter expertly translated Goldeneye’s sly spy action to controllers. What‘s more, its local 4-player battles are among the most vicious in gaming once proximity mines get involved.

Launched in 1997, Goldeneye has sold over 8 million copies to date and boasts a 96 Metacritic for N64. Edge Magazine praised its excellent conversion of the Bond essence in their 9/10 review.

Key Features:

4-player local multiplayer with 10 maps
28 weapons including Golden Gun one-shot kills
Adaptation of story and characters from 1995 James Bond film
Context-sensitive soundtrack by Grant Kirkhope

#4: BioShock

2K’s BioShock brings together a chilling retro setting with provocative themes that separate it from typical FPS games. Set inside an underwater city called Rapture, this steampunkish first installment immerses players in mystery as they unlock strange powers to battle warped citizens.

With average review scores of 96% for Xbox 360 and 96% for PC, BioShock melded tight FPS gameplay with environmental storytelling that tackled complex philosophies. GameSpot applauded its willingness to "pose questions and let players answer them with their own actions.”

Key Features:

Plasmids give unique offensive/defensive abilities
Moral choices that influence the game‘s outcome
Combination of FPS action and roleplaying upgrade elements
Iconic, mysterious setting in underwater 1950s city

#3: Halo: Combat Evolved

The original Halo blasted onto Xbox in 2001 to drive platform sales to 24+ million consoles. Its core gameplay loop of dispatching colorful Covenant baddies with beefed up weapons still feels fantastic 20 years later. Yet beyond the shooter thrills, Halo: CE built a mysterious universe that compelled gamers to keep thumb-sticking.

As Xbox’s killer app, Combat Evolved warrants much credit for establishing console online multiplayer as we know it. Critics praised its orchestra-backed soundtrack and epochs-spanning story in addition to innovations like recharging shields. It currently averages 97% on Metacritic.

Key Features:

Sci-fi setting with memorable characters like Cortana and Guilty Spark
Health recharges shields pioneer eventual genre standard
Variety of human and Covenant weapons like pistol and Needler
Multiplayer map Blood Gulch perfected vehicle-meets-infantry combat

#2: Metroid Prime

Beyond a fresh lick of FPS paint, Nintendo’s 2002 GameCube release captured the sense of foreboding exploration central to the Metroid franchise. By modernizing Samus’ adventures on Tallon IV as a first-person shooter odyssey, Metroid Prime retains speedrunner-favorite mechanics like Morph Ball while introducing new gimmicks.

Eurogamer dubbed Metroid Prime “the most absorbing gaming experience available on any platform," ultimately awarding a 9/10. This title averages 97% on Metacritic, a score matched only by the following FPS masterwork.

Key Features:

First successful transition of classic franchise into FPS format
Isolationist world ripe for sequence breaks and speedrunner tricks
Clever integration of Metroid gear like the Morph Ball
Addition of Phazon as a weaponizable substance

#1: Perfect Dark

While Goldeneye made FPS console gaming a blockbuster, its Rareware sister title Perfect Dark cemented Nintendo 64 as an FPS darling in 2000. Boosted by 4-player local battles and bonus missions, its feature set still represents astonishing ambition from an era before ubiquitous internet connectivity and updates.

With a Metacritic of 97%, Perfect Dark outpaces Goldeneye as Rare’s FPS masterwork thanks to diverse multiplayer modes and steady tempo in Joanna Dark’s conspiracy-laced campaign. IGN summarized its legacy well in their 9.8/10 review: “the best reason to own an N64.”

Key Features:

Local 4-player FPS battles, including co-op story mode
Counter-op mode where a friend can control enemies
Extra missions let you play as other characters
Diverse weapons like laptop guns and alien artifacts

The Gold Standard: History’s Greatest FPS Games

Despite groundbreaking strides for 50 years, first-person shooter design principles established by these games remain integral to gaming charts today. The FPS genre keeps crosshairs squarely on what makes great games: Hours of escapist gameplay paired with worlds, abilities and tools that delight our imagination.

From Call of Duty’s explosive cinematics to BioShock’s provocative philosophies, these seven FPS masterworks reveal the rich potential of first-person games. Each continues impacting developers and inspiring fans to reload their weapons for another virtual tour of duty.

What classic FPS titles hold a special spot in your gaming memory? Share your untouchable favorites below!