We've come a long way from the early days of first-person shooters. But with so many to choose from over the past ten years (including something like 387 different Call of Duty titles), which games stood out most to us? Glad you asked!
We continue our "Best of the Decade" coverage with TheGamer News Team's First-Person Shooters of the Decade!
Sam Watanuki - Overwatch
Before all of the controversy, Blizzard did right by fans by unleashing Overwatch upon the gaming world. From merchandise, to charity, to esports, to the player community, it’s hard to deny the impact that Overwatch has had since its release, even prior to the #BoycottBlizzard movement. The game also has the best healer in the history of gaming: Mercy. If Mercy is on your team, there’s no way you can lose. After all, “Heroes never die.”
Bella Blondeau - Bulletstorm
Bulletstorm is the last single-player shooter I played that I had literally no issue with. Those Wolfensteins were great, but the level design was blah. Doom was fun, but got repetitious. Titanfall 2 just, ah... didn't do it for me, sorry! Bulletstorm, though? This was a non-stop jolt of pure adrenaline that went tearing out the gate and never let up until the credits started rolling. A mechanical marvel with a whip-smart script, they don't make games like this anymore - and they really should.
Eric Switzer - Prey
Prey was a poorly covered game because of the bugs it had at launch, but the game itself is a masterclass in player choice. Narratively, Prey is the only game to effectively solve the disconnect between player and player character, and it does it so carefully and brilliantly that when everything comes together at the end. your mind will be absolutely blown. I think about Prey once a week and the effect it has had on me as a player and a storyteller. My mission in life is to get everyone to play this game.
Jamie Latour - Overwatch
Blizzard took the mantle of #1 hero shooter from Valve's Team Fortress 2 in 2016 when they released the best FPS of the 2010s, Overwatch. It's a game that rewards teamwork (unless your teammates are jerks), and with 31 heroes to choose from, there's bound to be a character that suits your play style. Yes, it's had its ups and downs over the years (seems like a lot of downs recently), but that can't take away the hundreds of hours many have put into this excellent shooter.
Ethan Anderson - Titanfall 2
Firstly, I firmly believe that Titanfall 2 deserved a better release date. The game also deserves to be played by so many more people. The feel of the movement system alone is miles ahead of any other shooter I’ve played this decade. Not only that, but the story mode is one of the most creative and thoroughly enjoyable campaigns that I’ve ever played in a shooter of its type. “He’s over-exaggerating,” you may say. Maybe. But maybe you should just play Titanfall 2 and find out for yourself.
Sean Murray - Destiny 2
What can be said about Destiny 2? It's the best damn looter-shooter ever made, hands down. It does guns and gunplay better than any other game. Slap on some interesting space magic to keep it interesting, along with thousands of different weapon and part combinations, and Destiny 2 never gets old. New content is being added all the time, and with its recent migration to Steam, the player base is bigger than ever.