From single-player adventures to multiplayer must-haves
Looking for the best FPS games? From arena-based shooters to expansive war games, the FPS genre is one of the most diverse and dominant in gaming. So diverse, in fact, that it’s impossible to make a list that doesn’t leave out several of the best PC games.
With such a list, it helps to know a bit about the history of the gameplay mechanics that turned first-person shooters into one of the most popular gaming genres. The classic FPS goes back to games such as Wolfenstein 3D and had the player view the game world through the eyes of the protagonist, usually with a gun resting in their hands. While things have changed since players were wading through basic mazes of cubes in 1992, many of the same concepts still ring true in the best FPS games today.
Best FPS Games in 2023:
Enlisted
Free-to-play first-person shooters can be lackluster, but not Enlisted. Developed by Plarium, this WW2 FPS follows a squad of soldiers as they face off against the Nazi Regime. This multiplayer game aims to recreate real-life events, and players can experience them alongside friends or complete strangers.
There is cross-play and cross-platform support, as well as a selection of FPS games with similar styles to contend with. Players can command a squad of soldiers and specialize them with various upgrades. This RPG element helps Enlisted stand out, but the MMORPG gameplay will undoubtedly feel familiar.
Quake
Romanticize the past all you want, but 1994 was not a great year for PC games. The original Quake – one of the best video games ever made – was released in a year that also brought Doom, Duke Nukem 3D, and Descent. But just over two decades later, id Software has remastered one of the best shooters of all time for modern hardware with cross-platform and cross-play support. If players are not stuck in the past like some of us, they can even play Quake on PlayStation.
Deep Rock Galactic
Space, dwarves, and guns. The three best things come together in Deep Rock Galactic to deliver an unusual and surprisingly fun FPS game.
In this co-op shooter from Beam Up Games, players gather resources on alien planets and then attempt to make it back to their ship alive. Along the way, they’ll be beset upon by all manner of monsters, exploring underground caverns and blasting their way through the odd door. The four playable classes all offer slightly different approaches to combat as well, so players won’t be stuck with one play style.
Splitgate: Arena Infinity
If Portal and competitive gameplay is your thing, then Splitgate: Arena Infinity is a free-to-play sci-fi FPS that’s well worth a look. Infinite Cal Carnage 2 and Red Zone: Warrior’s Realm are some alternative shooters with similarities.
Portal’s portals get flipped on their head, though, as players use them to outmaneuver opponents instead of relying on AI control. They can create a path for their teammates, then watch opponents desperately try to close the gap. With 20 maps and 15 game modes to dig into, there are plenty of ways to test FPS skills as either a solo player or with friends.
Destiny 2
Destiny 2 might technically be a multiplayer first-person shooter game, but there’s a lot more to it than that. In between the co-op missions – which still feel like a COD battle royale by the way – Bungie hosts limited-time events that let players compete in different challenges with unique rewards.
Not only is it one of the most popular free-to-play FPS MMOs, but Destiny 2 also offers incredible scope. There are big, expansive maps and then there are small, claustrophobic levels, along with an assortment of weapons, vehicles, and gadgets to tackle them with. So long as players have controllers or mice and keyboards, this game “is everybody” with cross-play support.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Remastered versions of FPS games aren’t usually a good thing, but Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is the rare exception. Released less than a decade after the original, this game offers expanded content and multiplayer modes to the single-player military shooter.
Players can play through the progression of the original game, but with the benefit of extra weapon sets, expanded multiplayer modes including a more complete version of Special Operations, and, most importantly, multiplayer with Call of Duty Modern Warfare.
