Grab your weapons and get ready for the greatest first-person shooters ever created. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most influential and exciting games that have defined the FPS genre.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the Top 20 Greatest First
00:09Person Shooter Video Games Ever Made.
00:21Number 20 Crysis
00:23In the grand odyssey of video game companies striving to make games look more realistic,
00:34Crysis was unlike anything we had ever seen at the time.
00:38From the detail and texture work to the way water moved and shimmered in the light, Crysis
00:42was a game that really pushed the limits of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
00:47Gameplay-wise, it was really fun running around and landing headshots with a bow and arrow
00:52as there hadn't been many FPS games at the time with archery integrated.
00:55The only reason it gets placed this low on the list is how games have further evolved
00:59in visuals, making Crysis look a little less impressive by today's standards.
01:04Even the remasters couldn't recapture that magic.
01:13Number 19 Singularity
01:21Once upon a time, Activision did allow their studios to work on other games that weren't
01:26Call of Duty, even FPS games with creative and innovative mechanics.
01:30Before time control powers became about as common as crafting mechanics, there was Singularity,
01:34an FPS survival horror where you can use time to manipulate the environment.
01:39While it wasn't as flexible as most games can make time control work today, Singularity
01:43was among the first to explore this gameplay concept and do it rather well.
01:47As a bonus, the story was well written, the gunplay felt great, and the multiplayer component
01:52was pretty fun.
01:53Which is why it was so upsetting to know that nobody bought the game back in 2010.
01:57A few hundred thousand copies was not enough to make Activision happy.
02:08Number 18 Borderlands 2
02:15We won't lie.
02:16There are a couple of things about Borderlands 2 that really have not aged all that well.
02:21Particularly its sense of humor.
02:22But aside from the outdated references and memes, Borderlands 2 truly is a compelling
02:27FPS RPG.
02:28It wasn't just the jokes that made the game memorable.
02:31It was the tragedy around Handsome Jack, the epic battles against those rich jerks at Hyperion,
02:36the friends we made and lost along the way, and of course, all of the kickass guns you
02:40can find from completing missions and challenges.
02:43Let's not forget the robust selection of character classes that came with three skill
02:47trees each.
02:48All of which would lead to vastly different playstyles.
02:52Since Borderlands 2, Gearbox simply hasn't succeeded in meeting that same level of quality.
02:57Which admittedly is kind of tough to meet.
03:07Number 17 Apex Legends
03:14By the time Apex Legends stormed into the Battle Royale scene, fatigue had already begun
03:19to set in for the audience.
03:20I mean, we had Fortnite and PUBG already.
03:23What exactly does this new Battle Royale have to bring to the table?
03:26Well, a hell of a lot actually.
03:28Apex Legends brought a more frenetic pace to the scene by giving the player a ton of
03:33freedom in movement with sliding, wall running, and ziplining.
03:36What's more is that every location on the map was built as if it were a standard death
03:40match map from the early 2000s, and they all work really well.
03:44Just a few games will show anyone why folks are deeply enamored with Apex Legends to this
03:49day.
03:57Number 16 Superhot
04:09A lot of indie shooters tend to get swept under the bus, but this VR title was something
04:13every FPS fan needed to play.
04:16The shtick in Superhot is that time only moves when you move.
04:19The second you stop making significant movement, the game comes to a crawl, giving you some
04:24time to maybe assess your situation and adapt.
04:27Here's the thing though, it's not as easy as it looks.
04:29You'll need to prioritize targets more efficiently as later levels begin throwing
04:33in more enemies from all directions.
04:36Yeah, Superhot may be one of the toughest VR games out there, but it's also one of
04:40the best FPS games ever made because of it.
04:51Number 15 F.E.A.R.
04:58At the time F.E.A.R. launched, there wasn't a whole lot of genre blending going around.
05:02But when you hear about a new horror game with FPS mechanics, who wouldn't want to
05:06check that out?
05:07The thing about F.E.A.R. is that it's a constant mind game.
05:10As you venture forth, you'll have a harder and harder time discerning hallucinations
05:14from reality, making it a lot harder to conserve ammunition.
05:18It's a game that doesn't test your reflexes in the way that most games do, but rather
05:22your ability to control them.
05:24So much in F.E.A.R.'s design really shouldn't have worked here, and yet it did so beautifully.
05:40Number 14 Titanfall 2 Titanfall was already excellent when it came
05:57to the multiplayer side of things with its unique mechs to pilot and fast-paced gameplay.
06:02The thing that made Titanfall 2 shine the brightest was the sweet inclusion of an immersive
06:07campaign.
06:08And what a campaign it was.
06:10Between the immersive environments and the compelling story of Jack Cooper in BT, Titanfall
06:142 was an explosive amount of fun.
06:16Which makes it frustrating in how EA almost killed the game by launching it next to Call
06:21of Duty and our next entry.
06:23Thankfully, the game has been seeing a much livelier player base as more and more folks
06:27have discovered this title through Apex Legends, as well as sales where the game's been
06:31deeply discounted several times.
06:41Number 13 Battlefield 1 On paper, an FPS centered entirely around
06:54World War 1 sounds like the antithesis of what an FPS should be.
06:58Not only did DICE find a way to make it work for the multiplayer side of Battlefield 1,
07:02they came up with an ingenious way to properly convey the gravity of this point in history.
07:08Rather than focus on one individual or one country, Battlefield 1 allows you to experience
07:12World War 1 from the perspective of several different countries.
07:16It was a tactful approach to a topic that isn't explored often enough in military shooter
07:21games.
07:29Number 12 Left 4 Dead 2 We had a really hard time deciding between
07:39this and the original Left 4 Dead.
07:41After all, both games are fun in their own maddening ways with how many zombies they
07:45throw at you.
07:46In the end, Left 4 Dead 2 took the spot for two major reasons.
07:50The maps and the AI director.
07:52Not only does each map boast fun set pieces for fights, the AI director also helps make
07:57every playthrough feel new by increasing difficulty and even changing some aspects of the layout.
08:03It's a true technical achievement, and in an age where developers and publishers seem
08:07to never want their games to end, it's kind of shocking how no one has tried replicating
08:11Valve's approach to level design here.
08:21Number 11 Team Fortress 2 Character classes were nothing new to the world
08:31of FPS games.
08:32However, the most diverse it ever got was this guy carries a pistol and grenades, while
08:37this guy carries a rocket launcher and a sniper rifle.
08:40What Team Fortress 2 excelled in was taking those classes we were familiar with and giving
08:44them unique abilities that could change the tides of battle.
08:47No longer was it about which weapon you preferred more, now it was about which class was going
08:52to give your team the edge whether you were defending a point or pushing a payload.
08:56That level of diversity in gameplay, along with the endless ocean of cosmetic items,
09:00is why Team Fortress 2 still remains relevant today despite being more ancient than most
09:05online games.
09:06It's purely timeless.
09:19Number 10 Metroid Prime Nintendo and first person shooting, who would
09:31have guessed this would turn out well?
09:33Released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2002, newcomer developer Retro Studios went about
09:38the unenviable task of conveying the Metroid franchise's take on atmospheric action platforming
09:44in a first-person perspective.
09:46Yet to this day, the grim yet visually varied locales of Talon 4 remain ingrained in gamers'
09:51memories, with combat and exploration carefully balanced.
09:55Prime found a way to maintain an often haunting mood and engage in thoughtful worldbuilding
09:59while still remaining true to the series' fundamental elements.
10:03Even now, it's hard not to admire the craftsmanship here.
10:15Number 9 Unreal Tournament Though the arena shooter has basically gone
10:26the way of the dodo these days, Unreal Tournament had basically perfected the formula over 15
10:32years ago.
10:33Taking the famous Unreal Engine and its amazing graphics even further, it offered a bevy of
10:37game options that offered the players more variety than usual, outsmarting bot AI that
10:42could hold their own against seasoned human players, and brilliant weapon and level design.
10:47The game was remarkable for being a polished final product offering smooth gameplay, almost
10:52flawless performance and functionality, and most importantly, offered an incredibly exciting
10:57and fun experience.
10:59With multiple sequels and community mods following it, it's no surprise that Unreal Tournament
11:03is still going strong after all this time.
11:12Number 8 Bioshock
11:28If there's an art to the construction of an FPS, then this is quite the masterclass.
11:32Bioshock took the gaming world by storm, enchanting players with its art deco design sensibilities
11:37and the tragic beauty of its underwater setting.
11:40Yet beyond the blend of grotesque imagery and classical influences, the game proved
11:44exciting in its gameplay, which emphasized using superpower-esque abilities called plasmids
11:49in tandem with normal weapons.
11:51From the visceral combat to the plentiful modification options, from the top-notch vocal
11:56performances to the intriguing themes at play, this is an experience worth remembering.
12:07Number 7 Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
12:17The first Call of Duty may have helped to define first-person shooting in the new millennium,
12:21but this modern military shooter was the firework show that changed everything.
12:26Modern Warfare upended the series norms at the time with its shift to present day, focusing
12:30on large-scale political conflict very much ripped from the headlines.
12:34Its truly intense action set pieces and effortlessly shocking story turns made for an outstanding
12:40campaign, remaining a source of many people's favorite gaming moments.
12:44On top of that, Call of Duty 4 propelled online console playing securely into the mainstream,
12:49ensuring once and for all that PC games no longer had a monopoly on online gaming.
13:00Number 6 Quake 2 Quake was a good first foray into 3D, but
13:12it was Quake 2 that ended up making its mark in the gaming world.
13:16For starters, Quake 2 simply looked better, particularly in terms of color, lighting,
13:21and architecture.
13:22Ditching the dark castle theme for a sci-fi military setting on another planet, the game
13:26also expanded the single-player experience with a more story-driven focus with multiple
13:31objectives per level, something used in many shooters to this day.
13:35With a rebalancing of weapons, well-designed maps, and a vast mod community, multiplayer
13:40deathmatches were never more intense.
13:4220 years later, and the fragging is still going strong.
13:52Number 5 GoldenEye 007 Anyone who grew up around video games in the
14:04late 90s will tell you that GoldenEye 007 is probably their favorite game of all time.
14:09Multiplayer made history by trailblazing the first console first-person shooter that
14:13gave PC shooters a run for their money.
14:15The realistic and atmospheric single-player experience was without equal.
14:19Stealth was a big part of the game as well, a first for an FPS of any sort.
14:24People will no doubt have fond memories of the endlessly fun and intense split-screen
14:28multiplayer matches as well.
14:30GoldenEye 007 revolutionized the genre, and it's no wonder it's considered one of the
14:34greatest games of all time.
14:42Number 4 Halo 2 No one can deny that Halo Combat Evolved
14:54was a great title, yet it's difficult to argue its sheer quality and ubiquity could
14:58compare to its first sequel.
15:00Comparatively, Halo 2 picks up not long after the original game, but chooses to expand the
15:05series' mythos by offering two parallel storylines to follow.
15:09Switching between the Master Chief and the newly introduced Arbiter, thereby providing
15:13two different perspectives on events, made for an intriguing and surprisingly deep story.
15:18Beyond that, Halo 2 made worthwhile tweaks to its predecessor's already exemplary gameplay,
15:23adding in features such as dual-wielding and the ability to board vehicles in motion.
15:27But the game was also built for intuitive online matchmaking shouldn't be surprising.
15:32Where would Xbox Live or even Microsoft be without this flagship titan?
15:47Number 3 Counter-Strike Global Offensive Sometimes, all you need is a lean, mean fighting
15:59machine.
16:00Case in point, Global Offensive opted to refine the Counter-Strike game's time-honored tactical
16:04shooting and emphasis on quick play.
16:07It presents maps familiar and unique to this game, introduces new modes such as Arms Race,
16:12and brings in a handful of new weapons like the Firebomb.
16:15However, the main priority of Global Offensive is polishing the formula.
16:19The gameplay is tighter, maps benefit from cleaner visual design, and swift reflexes
16:24and knowledge of one's weapons remain key.
16:26Plus, there's a certain amount of fun to be had messing around with cosmetic items
16:30and additional content courtesy of the Steam Workshop.
16:40Number 2 Doom It's hard to find any video game that has
16:49had more of an impact on popular culture than Doom.
16:52The significance of Doom, both as a video game and first-person shooter, cannot be understated.
16:57While Wolfenstein 3D may be the grandfather of the FPS genre, there's no question that
17:02Doom put them on the map and kept them there until this very day.
17:06For much of the 90s, the term Doom clone would be used until the term first-person shooter
17:10became solidified, which goes to show how Doom overshadowed everyone else in the market.
17:16From movies to comic books and to real-world controversy, Doom's impact was felt beyond
17:20the world of video games, and shooters wouldn't be the same without it.
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17:45Number 1 Half-Life 2
17:52Turns out the right man in the wrong place really does make all the difference in the
17:56world.
17:57Released in 2004, Half-Life 2 carries forth its predecessor's immersion-first approach
18:02to gameplay and expands upon it in astounding ways.
18:05Front and center were the physics.
18:07Whether using the iconic gravity gun or not, the physics on display in Half-Life 2 allowed
18:12for puzzles that made real-world sense and a world that felt reactive and alive like
18:17nothing players had ever seen.
18:19But the brilliance of Half-Life 2 was more than just fancy technology.
18:22It taught you its system without tutorials, told you its story without giant swaths of
18:26exposition, and let you behave like a real person using real-world logic.
18:31It was smart, it treated its players like they were smart too, and it's our choice
18:35for the best FPS of all time.
18:47Which one of these first-person shooters were your favorite to play?
18:50Let us know down in the comments.
19:01And as always, thanks for watching.