Top 25 First-Person Shooters of All Time

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Top 25 First-Person Shooters of All Time

 

25. Powerslave (Lobotomy Software)

One of the slickest first-person shooters of its time, Powerslave lets you battle evil Egyptian forces by not only using traditional handguns, but special powers such as the Ring of Ra (which shoots red fireballs) and the Sacred Manacle (which hurls bolts of lighting at your opponents). You can also improve your jumping, swimming skills and levitation skills. Sadly, it looks like we'll never get a sequel to this one.

24. Serious Sam (Croteam)

Croteam's less-than-serious take on the genre works for one primary reason. It's fun as hell. Nothing beats mowing down loads of demonic beasts, charging bulls and supernatural Mayan warriors with a mini-gun and the sneering Serious Bomb. Not to mention Sam actually takes the time to call up the game's chief villain, Mental, via a phone booth to notify that he's coming to "get him."

23. Virtua Cop (Sega)

Never mind the dated visuals, the slow shooting bad guys or the boss from Virtua Cop 2 that throws a coffee truck at you. Sega's virtual shooting series is all about fun and skill, where you test your trigger finger against a variety of targets. The third game, Virtua Cop III, is far more serious than the first two, but just as effective when it comes to laying down the law.

22. Far Cry (Crytek)

Just because it looks like paradise doesn't mean it is. Just ask Jack Carver, the main character in Ubisoft's Far Cry, a soldier taking a break from his military life. After finding a new career as a tour guide, he finds himself in trouble when a news reporter inadvertently brings heavily armed commandos upon him. It's not long before Jack relies on a heavy amount of firepower – not to mention primeval animal instincts – to survive. Nothing beats running up to a mercenary and knocking him into the middle of next week with a simple swipe. The sequel, Far Cry Instincts, released for various consoles following its PC release (including Predator and Vengeance versions for the Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, respectively), and Far Cry 2, is due for release later this year.

21. Medal of Honor (Electronic Arts)

One series is responsible for starting the military first-person shooter boom, and that's Electronic Arts' Medal of Honor. Inspired by the Steven Spielberg film Saving Private Ryan, the original Honor for PlayStation is revered as one of the best World War II themed shooters for the system. It's since featured a number of sequels, including Frontline, Rising Sun and most recently, Medal of Honor: Airborne. It's a decent series, but not nearly as good as Activision's superior Call of Duty franchise, which was ironically created by former Metal of Honor developers.

20. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay (Starbreeze)

Stellar first-person shooter/action games based on a movie series (aside from Star Wars, of course) normally don't exist. It's even less often that you have the full collaboration with the star of said movies. However, Vin Diesel was more than happy to provide his likeness and voice to Riddick, his character from the movies Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick. Escape From Butcher Bay finds you stuck in a maximum-security prison, where you must use your wits and firepower to stay alive. An exquisite story (with multiple interactions with both guards and inmates) as well as great shooting make this a must play.

19. Crysis (Electronic Arts)

EA's futuristic sci-fi shooter is unique and bold, a one-of-a-kind game that requires a workhouse of a computer just to keep it running. It's worth it, though, just to see Crytek's amazingly life-like visuals. The shoot-em-up action is quite exciting, as you battle North Koreans and aliens across a tropical environment, mowing down trees in the process. Special abilities, courtesy of your Nano Muscle Suit, let you can customize your weapons by adding scopes and other cool items. Now all we need is a console port so we don't have to spend tons of cash upgrading our PCs to play it.

18. Unreal Tournament (Epic Games)

The original Unreal series was a breakthrough for PC gaming, but when it shifted to a tournament-style format, it really picked up speed. The original Unreal Tournament is still a marvel to behold, a big hit for the PC, Dreamcast and PlayStation platforms. It features various competitive modes, including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Domination, Last Man Standing and Assault. Numerous competitors wage war across detailed maps, blasting bits at opponents with Flak Canons and zapping them with the Shock Rifle. The series is still going strong today, with Unreal Tournament III storming the PlayStation 3 and, starting next month, Xbox 360

17. F.E.A.R. (Monolith Productions)

F.E.A.R. is the kind of series that'll consume you if you're not careful. You're a member of the special-forces team (known as F.E.A.R.) sent in to investigate a supernatural incident, one involving a creepy little girl. What ensues is a terrifying and bloody adventure where you battle teams of commandos as well as supernatural monsters. Unique for its exquisite blood spatter and vicious fire fights, it's one of the few PC adventures to make a solid transition to consoles, complete with online play and excellent controls. This franchise isn't done yet – Project Origin, the sequel to the original, will arrive later this year

16. The House of the Dead (Sega)

Sega's fast-paced arcade shooting series is all about simplicity. Zombies and other dead things are on the attack and you have to shoot them. Along the way, you'll save innocent civilians and acquire health packs before coming face-to-face with bosses, ranging from a floating deity surrounded by glowing spheres to an abomination as tall as a building. The series recently became resurrected on the Wii with The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return, and Sega may bring its House of the Dead 4 to consoles.

15. TimeSplitters (Free Radical Software)

This innovative first-person franchise lets you hop through different time eras as various characters, taking on enemy soldiers and other enemies, including the zombie-like TimeSplitters themselves. Its fast-paced multiplayer matches, bevy of weapons (including the chain gun) and funny characters (you can play as a monkey in the sequel) makes this a memorable franchise. The original spawned two sequels, TimeSplitters 2 and TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. They're all worth picking up.

14. Wolfenstein (id Software)

Wolfenstein 3-D put first-person games on the map. It's a redux version of the original Castle Wolfenstein game, where you fight your way out of a Nazi camp by shooting soldiers, dogs and heavily armed bosses, while gaining energy from eating dog food. Eventually, you throw down with Hitler in one of the best boss fights ever. Since its release on PC, it's migrated to several consoles, including the SNES (in a "no blood" censored way) and the Atari Jaguar. Activision followed it up with an excellent sequel, Return To Castle Wolfenstein for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A next-gen sequel is supposedly in the works, but nothing's been confirmed yet.

13. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (Ubisoft)

Tom Clancy became a household name in the gaming world thanks to Rainbow Six, a series that establishes squad-based shooting action like none before it. Players guide their Rainbow Six team members through hostile situations, keeping them in one piece while fighting terrorist forces. The series hit a snag with the poorly-received Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Lockdown for Xbox and PlayStation 2, but bounced back with Vegas on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as PC. We can't wait to see where this franchise rolls next.

12. Time Crisis (Namco)

Out of all the arcade first-person shooters available on the market, the Time Crisis games are the most innovative, not to mention the most fun. They all make use of a foot pedal, which you push to find cover and reload your weapon. The ability to play alongside a friend, who appears on your screen and shoots at the same enemies you do, is a nice touch as well. Thankfully, all of the Time Crisis games have been released for home consoles, including Time Crisis 4, which recently debuted for the PlayStation 3 with a new GunCon peripheral.

11. Quake (id Software)

The spiritual successor to the Doom series, Quake, awakened the PC gaming crowd with a thunderous roar. Introducing more intricate levels than any Doom entry before it, but it also added a bevy of cool weaponry, smarter enemies and a fresh new multiplayer component. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails also supplied a superb techno-heavy soundtrack and sound effect, perfect for this sort of game. A variety of sequels followed, including Quake II, Quake III Arena (for PC, Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation 2), Quake 4 and the most recent spin-off Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.

10. Duke Nukem 3D (3D Realms)

"Shake it, baby"! Of all the first-person shooters on our list, Duke Nukem 3D is the raunchiest, dirtiest and most hilarious. You play a no-nonsense, gung-ho character that shoots at pigs and other twisted enemies with whatever weapons he can salvage. Along the way, he'll offer cash to strippers and fire off quotes that are pure B-movie. If you love that sort of thing, track down this game for PC, Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn as quickly as you can. After all, you don't really have any other options, since the over-hyped sequel, Duke Nukem Forever, isn't coming anytime soon.

9. Metroid Prime (Retro Studios)

When Nintendo issued Retro Studios the task of creating a Metroid game in 3-D – a completely new direction for the former 2-D franchise, many fans thought they wouldn't deliver. However, Metroid Prime became one of the best console first-person shooters to date. It successfully brought the franchise into a 3-D world, from the grapple cable to the charge cannon. Its sequels, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes for GameCube and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption for Wii, are even better, with the addition of multiplayer components and motion-sensitive functionality, respectively. The DS version of Metroid Prime: Hunters rocks as well.

8. Bioshock (2K Games)

Last year, BioShock stunned the Xbox 360 community with a great story and unrivaled atmosphere. You play as a plane crash victim that stumbles upon an underwater city called Rapture. As soon as you enter, you discover that its residents (what's left of them) are a bit on the crazy side. If the creepy little children don't freak you out, the monster protecting them, Big Daddy, certainly will. It's a wonderful game, even if it lacks multiplayer support. A modified PlayStation 3 version is set to debut later this year, a movie is in the works with director Gore Verbinski on board, and BioShock II will make its debut later next year. The more Big Daddy, the better.

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7. Battlefield (Digital Illusions CE)

Digital Illusions, also known as DICE, managed to make its military shoot-em-up franchise among the best in the genre by dropping players into games where they can engage in on foot combat as well as pilot and drive a host of vehicles. It started out big with the PC debut of Battlefield 1942 and kept getting better with such releases as Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat (for Xbox, PS2 and Xbox 360), and the futuristic Battlefield 2142. All of these games bring you into the thick of action, whether you wield a sniper rifle, bring down a helicopter with a machine gun or mount a heavily armored tank. DICE recently took a more humorous – yet just as action-packed – turn with Battlefield: Bad Company, which lets you destroy buildings and other structures, hopefully killing those inside. With three more games coming our way over the next couple of years, Battlefield is hotter than ever.

6. GoldenEye 007 (Rare)

Rare's first-person shooting classic is one of the many reasons to own a Nintendo 64. Goldeneye embraces everything that made the movie so spectacular. The intricate level design, the ability to use classic Bond weapons and gadgets (including the magnetized watch), the music, the virtual appearance of then-Bond star Pierce Brosnan; everything rocks. Not only that, it pushed console FPS games to a whole new level, supporting four-players at once through split-screen action. Unfortunately, its follow-up, EA's GoldenEye: Rogue Agent for PS2, Xbox and GameCube, paled in comparison.

5. Counter-Strike (Valve Software)

Technically, Counter-Strike is a modification from the Half-Life universe, but it deserves its own mention because it pushed tactical first-person shooting in a whole new direction. The game pits teams of terrorists against counter-terrorists across a series of maps, utilizing superb graphics and tight, accurate gameplay. The PC version was an instant favorite, although the Xbox version is good in its own right. Since then, the game has seen countless expansion packs, including Condition Zero, Anthology and, perhaps the most popular to date, Source.

4. Call of Duty (Activision)

Call of Duty has seen several developers working on its games over the years, juggled between Infinity Ward and Treyarch. Both have a handle on the franchise, thanks to the successive releases of the World War II-oriented Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 3. However, the series went into overdrive with the modern day take in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, which is considered one of the best games – if not the overall best – of 2007. Treyarch is currently hard at work on a follow-up, heading to the Pacific Theater for the forthcoming World At War, set to debut later this year. So far, it looks very impressive.

3. Halo (Bungie)

Bungie's imaginative first-person shooting series takes us to the depths of space, where the super-suited Spartan and his fellow Earth forces take on the powerful alien armada, the Covenant, while trying to learn the secrets of a powerful, mysterious orbiting Halo. The original became an instant hit for the Xbox community, selling an almost 1:1 ratio with consoles. Its follow-up, Halo 2, is even better, thanks to the addition of multiplayer and the ability to dual-wield weapons. However, Bungie saved the best for last with the Xbox 360 epic Halo 3, supported by new maps, enhanced visuals and a nice little wrap-up to the storyline. This is one series that everyone needs to play at least once.

2. Doom (id Software)

Doom is an influential favorite amongst the first-person shooting community, as it's one of the first games to put the genre on the map (right alongside Wolfenstein 3-D). In the game, you battle demons and other monstrosities on Mars. Power-ups are scattered throughout the level, and you'll need all of them, especially for the Spider Mastermind boss. Numerous sequels followed, including Ultimate Doom, Doom II: Hell On Earth, Master Levels for Doom II, Final Doom and most recently, the technologically advanced Doom 3. John Carmack and company knew what they were doing when they created this hellaciously good series. Excuse us while we play a few levels.

1. Half-Life (Valve Software)

Half-Life set the new standard for all first-person shooters. Featuring unbelievably good visuals, fulfilling gameplay including the option to pick up objects and hurl them at ludicrous speed (thanks to the Gravity Gun in Half-Life 2), its huge mod support (to create custom) and its multiplayer component. The follow-ups are even better, with the much heralded Half-Life 2 garnering heavy attention from the PC community and the Orange Box compilation garnering critical console acclaim. Packed with three separate Half-Life 2 adventures (the original, Episode One and Episode Two), the addictive FPS Team Fortress 2 and the innovative Portal, every console games needs it. Sure, the cake is a lie, but its the best first-person game you'll ever play.

Robert Workman

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