Best Shooters On Amazon Luna

Amazon Luna officially debuted in March 2022, and the video game subscription service has struggled slightly to leave a mark on the market. Only available in the United States, Luna's streaming-focused model can be a hard sell since users need to have access to a fast and stable internet connection to get the best out of the platform. However, if someone meets those requirements, they will have instant access to hundreds of titles, depending on which channels they subscribe to.

Shooters, be it first-person or otherwise, are a great test of Luna's capabilities as they typically demand quick reflexes. If these games run smoothly, then genres like RPGs should also work fine. Here are the best shooter games on Amazon Luna.

Dusk

Over the last decade, FPS games inspired by retro shooters from the '90s have grown quite commonplace. At this point, this subgenre is threatening to become oversaturated, but this movement's greatest offerings can comfortably stand alongside the classics of yesteryear. Dusk is, at the very least, a contender for the best indie shooter of the modern era. The game should satisfy long-time fans of the genre along with people only familiar with contemporary Call of Duty and Battlefield games.

RELATED: The Best Horror Games On Amazon Luna

Incorporating horror iconography, Dusk crafts a nightmarish atmosphere that complements its chosen art style. More importantly, the gunplay is tight, challenging, and addictive. Amazon Luna's best shooter games are largely older releases, but the service's greatest old-fashioned FPS came out in 2018.

Metro Exodus

The most recent entry in 4A Games' highly regarded first-person shooter franchise, Metro Exodus incorporates the claustrophobic underground tunnels that defined its predecessors as part of larger maps. Although not fully open-world, Metro Exodus does prioritize exploration more than past entries, allowing players to soak in the game's world as they traverse largely desolate but constantly active environments.

Metro's gunplay has always been a bit slower and more strategic than the average first-person shooter, and the 2019 entry retains this approach. Metro Exodus is the best FPS on Amazon Luna's Luna+ channel.

Forsaken Remastered

The 1990s put first-person shooters on the map, with games like DOOM, Wolfenstein, and Blood being rightfully hailed as all-time classics. Released a bit later in the era, Forsaken did not quite manage to achieve that level of longevity, although that is by no means a reflection of a lack of quality.

Faithfully recreated in this remaster, Forsaken places players on a hoverbike and drops them into a series of missions with the goal to kill everything en route to the end of the level. Compared to its contemporaries, Forsaken's controls provided more freedom of movement, and the gunplay holds up pretty well after all these years. Fans of '90s shooters should definitely check this one out.

Metal Slug 3

Oh, here is a game that should bring up some beautiful memories for anyone who attended arcades during the early 2000s. Metal Slug 3 is arguably the best entry in SNK's consistently awesome franchise, and age has done nothing to dull the run and gun game's brilliance.

RELATED: Amazon Luna: Best Games In The Retro Channel (& Every Game Included With The Subscription)

Boasting flawless visuals, a tongue-in-cheek tone, and a plethora of impeccably designed enemies, Metal Slug 3 is a blast from beginning to end. Like all the arcade classics, Metal Slug 3 is endlessly replayable, and the game is just a click away on Amazon Luna.

Strife: Veteran Edition

In 1996, Strife pushed the FPS genre into uncharted territory by introducing RPG elements. The game features NPCs, quests, voice acting, and open-ended levels. While rudimentary by today's standards, that does not take anything away from Strife's accomplishments. This title arguably deserves to be remembered more fondly than it is.

For the FPS portion of the experience, Strife is built on the DOOM engine; consequently, the gunplay is basically identical to Id Software's groundbreaking '90s shooter. Admittedly, Strife has not aged as well as DOOM and can be a slog to play at times, although the Veteran Edition does include a number of quality-of-life improvements.

Shock Troopers

SNK is well represented by Amazon Luna's Retro channel, which includes both iconic and niche releases. Although not quite as legendary as King of Fighters or Metal Slug, Shock Troopers was a standout addition to arcades during the late '90s. The run and gun shooter builds upon previous entries in the genre by incorporating multiple playable characters and branching paths.

RELATED: Classic Run And Gun Games That Hold Up

Ultimately, these games' values come down to their gameplay, an area that Shock Troopers does not disappoint in. Visually, the game has aged well, as tends to be the case with many of SNK's output. Shock Troopers: 2nd Squad is also part of Amazon Luna's Retro channel, and while not as great as its predecessor, it is still a fun time.

Bloodrayne: Terminal Cut

Both Bloodrayne games are on Amazon Luna, and they are products of their time. Consequently, this recommendation is dependent on whether these titles hold nostalgic value to someone, although that's not to say they offer no enjoyment to new players. Just go in expecting PS2-era visuals and gameplay, and the Terminal Cut iterations do not update the base versions all that much.

Compared to its sequel, Bloodrayne works better as an old-school third-person shooter, even if gunplay is just one small part of the game's combat routine. The campaign largely revolves around Rayne shooting and slashing her way through a Nazi-infested encampment, which provides enough entertainment to keep things clicking for a few hours. Rayne has a decent selection of weapons at her disposal, but they are designed to support her melee capabilities rather than supersede them.

Saints Row The Third Remastered

Volition's Saints Row started as an alternative to Grand Theft Auto, but by the third game, the series started to embrace its more cartoonish tendencies. Although not as unhinged as Saints Row 4, 2011's entry is unapologetically over-the-top and sets players loose on a city overrun with gang activity and influenced by corrupt organizations like the Syndicate and S.T.A.G.

Saints Row The Third is a comedic experience through and through, and that extends to the arsenal of guns the Saints have access to. While there are some more "ordinary" weapons, the game is also not afraid to get weird and juvenile with its designs, a decision that mostly works in the title's favor. The story missions can be a touch hit-and-miss, but Saints Row The Third has such a fun sandbox that its flaws are ultimately easy to forgive.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

With Tom Clancy's The Division, most of the main Far Cry games ​​​​​​, and Watch Dogs 2, Luna's Ubisoft+ channel has plenty of shooters waiting to be streamed. As good as those games are, they are considerable time investments, so they can be a hard sell. Luckily, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is an exception.

RELATED: The Best RPGs On Amazon Luna

This over-the-top spin-off is a send-up of classic '80s action movies, and it is pretty hilarious. Despite featuring a (small) open-world, Blood Dragon is a streamlined experience that generally funnels players toward the action, all the while giving them freedom in how they approach situations. The gunplay is about as good as anything in the Far Cry series, even if some of the more recent releases might have slight improvements in a few areas.

Contra Anniversary Collection

Metal Slug is no slouch, but when it comes to run and gun properties, Contra is the top dog. In the same year that saw the debut of the disastrous Contra: Rogue Corps, Konami also released a compilation containing the franchise's 8 and 16-bit entries, reminding everyone why this series is so highly regarded.

All the games in this package are great, and they are also painfully difficult. If pushed to select the best of the best, Contra 3: The Alien Wars would have to take the prize, but it has stiff competition.