Highlights

• First-person shooters now incorporate platforming sections to test player agility and skills.
• Games like Neon White and Ghostrunner prioritize fast, precise platforming for a thrilling experience.
• Halo Infinite introduces new gameplay elements like the grappleshot for seamless platforming challenges.

First-person shooters have evolved quite a bit since the rudimentary days of classic Doom, where the player couldn't even aim up or down. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to have players display great feats of mobility that wouldn't be out of place in a fully-fledged platformer.

This has led to a number of FPS games having platforming sections, where the player is presented with appropriate obstacles to test their agility and skills. We've also had a number of games from other genres presented in a first-person perspective, further blurring the lines between what constitutes a platformer and what makes an FPS. Out of all the ones we've played over the years, here are some we consider the very best.

Updated on March 17, 2024 by Jason Wojnar: Platforming in first-person shooters can be as dangerous to a game's quality as an underwater level. When done poorly, it can frustrate players and drag down an otherwise good game. The games below all avoid this and implement it perfectly. None of them view platforming as a gimmick; instead, they make it an integral part of the experience. The games we added in the update similarly take platforming seriously and make sure you can fully enjoy it while playing.

12 Neon White

• Release: June 16, 2022
• Developer: Angel Matrix
• Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series S/X, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Neon White is all about playing the levels as fast and efficiently as possible. You are encouraged to redo levels over and over again to achieve the best times. This would be frustrating if the controls weren't so good.

Platforming feels smooth and easy, ensuring that both success and failure lies soleley in your ability as a player. The most impressive aspect of Neon White's precise platforming is just how fast the gameplay feels while still never making you feel overwhelmed by it all.

11 Turok

• Release: March 4, 1997
• Developer: Iguana Entertainment
• Platforms: N64, PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Before GoldenEye 007, N64 owners had Turok as their premiere FPS title. The game feels more retro than the aforementioned bond title, with maze-like levels that are easy to get lost in.

The N64 controller was not known for being the easiest for developers to map commands onto, but it worked well for the genre and its analog stick helped players with precise movements that were not possible on console games before.

The remastered version's improved graphics help with visibility and make the platforming segments even more enjoyable.

10 Ghostrunner

Ghostrunner is an action-platformer wrapped up in a Cyberpunk aesthetic that is all about jumping around while dodging enemy fire. Nothing feels cooler than jumping down to a platform and dodging bullets in mid-air.

You die in one hit and you have to get up close to take down enemies so you constantly feel like you are on the edge. The sequel speeds up the already breakneck pace of the gameplay and even adds a motorcycle for you to use during certain sequences.

9 Portal

Portal's main mechanic is all in the title. You just have the portal gun with you to solve the game's myriad of puzzles. In addition to figuring out what to do, the real challenge might come with actually accomplishing said task.

The sequel's puzzles are even more complex and feature more precise platforming. Fortunately, the Aperture Science Laboratories' clean, slick design makes both the puzzles and the platforming easy to understand and accomplish.

Portal 2 features a cooperative campaign separate from the main story.

8 Halo Infinite

After suffering a delay of more than a year, Halo Infinite was finally released at the tail end of 2021 on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The game was immediately lauded for feeling like the classic Halo fans fell in love with back on the original Xbox.

Master Chief did come with one or two tricks up his sleeve this time around, though. This includes the grappleshot, a tool that allows him to zip around the expansive open-world map, and deal with the occasional platforming challenge with relative ease.

7 Quake 3: Arena

Back in the heyday of arena shooters, there were only a handful of games vying for dominance. Quake 3: Arena was one of those games, a multiplayer-only FPS by id Software.

Its fast-paced gameplay was one of the first to introduce the use of jump pads, which could effectively launch players from one end of the map to the other. This lent the game a kind of verticality that was previously unheard of in the FPS genre.

6 Mirror's Edge

Released on the Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2008, Mirror's Edge is an action-adventure game developed by DICE. It is played from a first-person perspective, with players controlling a woman named Faith Connors as she parkours her way through a futuristic city.

While technically not a first-person shooter (since the player is unable to wield guns), the game still plays like one. The added mobility of its heroine lends it a frenetic feel that wouldn't seem out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster.

5 Dying Light

• Release: January 27, 2017
• Developer: Techland
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC

Another game with a heavy focus on parkour and fast-paced traversal is Dying Light, a first-person survival horror game developed by Techland. It was released in 2015 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with versions for other consoles and platforms coming after.

The game is set in a post-apocalyptic city that has been largely overrun by zombies. Players must make their way across the city via rooftops to avoid them, especially at nighttime when they become more aggressive and harder to deal with.

4 Titanfall 2

Set in the same universe as Apex Legends, Titanfall 2 is another first-person shooter where players can wall-run or platform their way through and over obstacles. It was developed by Respawn Entertainment and released in 2014 on the PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Players also get to control giant mechs called Titans, which function as powerful tanks that can deal a lot of damage. There are a total of six mech classes with unique attributes featured in the base game: Ronin, Legion, Ion, Tone, Scorch, and Northstar.

3 Doom Eternal

After receiving the reboot treatment in 2016, the Doom Slayer returned once again in Doom Eternal, the latest entry in the iconic first-person shooter series. Released in 2020 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, the game notably throws some platforming into its gameplay mix.

Unlike the 2016 reboot, the Doom Slayer can perform new moves, like the ability to air dash, making it possible to jump across large chasms. This serves to provide breaks from the otherwise endless barrage of demons players are tasked with slaying.

2 Half-Life

Not many first-person shooters are as revered as Half-Life. Released on PC in 1998, the game wowed players with the introduction of several gameplay innovations previously unseen in the FPS genre. Many of these are considered staples today, like the fact that the entire game is presented in first person and unbroken by load screens, and with interactive cutscenes that take place in real-time.

The game includes more than a few platforming sections, as players often find themselves having to leap across gaps to reach certain areas. Most notably, there are sections of the game set in the Borderworld known as Xen, where Gordon must make his way across an alien landscape using various jump pads and the advantage of reduced gravity.

1 Metroid Prime

Many were skeptical when Metroid Prime was first unveiled at E3 2001. The Metroid series had been on a lengthy hiatus since Super Metroid on the SNES, and all prior entries had been 2D side-scrolling adventure games with a focus on exploration.

However, here we had Samus Aran not only making the transition to 3D, but also with a first-person perspective to boot. The rest is history, and the game is still lauded for how well it incorporated the traversal and platforming elements from the 2D games.