The first person shooter genre has remained one of the central driving forces in the gaming industry, from the early days where id Software led the way with the likes of Quake and Doom, to a world dominated by Call of Duty and its massive online following.
These are the ten best reviewed first person shooters released to date, according to Metacritic.
1. Half Life 1998 PC 96%
Many older gamers will be firmly behind Half Life occupying the top spot (alongside its sequel and Bioshock), and Gordan Freeman has assumed a level of hero-status that few other videogame characters will ever achieve.
2. Bioshock 2007 PC, PS3, 360 96%
Ken Levine’s brain child is the most critically acclaimed story driven, single-player only, FPS released in recent years. In a time where most FPSs are judged by their multiplayer component, this is an amazing feat in itself.
3. Half Life 2 2004 PC, Xbox 360, PS3 96%
Continuing Valve’s legacy, Half Life 2 was one of the most anticipated games of the decade, and Half-Life 3 remains one of the most eagerly awaited sequels of all time.
4. Call of Duty 4 2007 PS3, 360, PC 94%
CoD 4 was arguably the FPS that propelled online gaming into the mainstream. Fiercely addictive, it is still one of the most played games in the world
5. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 2009 PS3, 360, PC 94%
Modern Warfare 2 holds the record for the most successful entertainment launch of all time. Sadly, a lack of dedicated servers for the PC version tarnished what is otherwise an excellent game.
6. Quake 1996 PC 94%
One of the genre’s progenitors, along with Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, Quake introduced hundreds of thousands of teenagers to the world of video games.
7. Halo 3 2008 360 2008 94%
A cornerstone of Xbox 360 gaming, Halo 3 remains one of the most played online games over Xbox Live, and its figurehead Masterchief is one of the most recognisable figures in gaming.
8. System Shock 2 1999 PC 92%
Also one of the scariest games every made, and again created by Ken Levine (See Bioshock), SystemShock 2 blended first-person shooter gameplay with RPG depth and a compelling story.
9. Unreal Tournament 1999 PC 92%
Unreal Tournament disposed of any pretence at being anything more than a multiplayer-centric FPS, unapologetically focusing on arena and tournament gameplay. The single player was little more than a series of arena death matches against AI. This was a bold move in a time where global broadband penetration was no where near where it is today.
Tie for tenth: Medal of Honor: Allied Assault 91%, Metroid Prime Trilogy 91%, Crysis 91%, Killzone 2 91%
Notable mentions that probably deserve a spot in the list: Quake III Arena, Left 4 dead 2, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, FEAR, Doom.
What’s your favourite FPS ever? Share your views in the forums
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