Best AA Third-Person Shooter Games

Third-person shooters are fast-paced and usually a lot of fun. While several AAA games such as Gears of War have helped establish this genre as a part of mainstream gaming culture, countless other AA titles have also helped pave the road. AA studios don't have hundreds of employees or the million-dollar budgets that developers such as Bethesda or Ubisoft do, but that's not always a bad thing.

Thanks to their smaller size, AA studios often have more independence and can take more creative liberties than their larger counterparts, which, more often than not, results in unique games. To give such titles the recognition they deserve, here are the best AA third-person shooter games on the market.

6 Zombie Army 4: Dead War

Metascore: 72

• Fun Co-op to play with friends (no split-screen)
• Decent zombie variety and combat

For players who aren't familiar with the Zombie Army series, the game is set in an alternate world in which Hitler, upon realizing the inevitability of Nazi defeat in World War 2, creates and releases a horde of zombies to gain an edge over the Allies. Players can choose from a wide variety of survivor characters and an even more extensive set of ranged and melee weapons, reminiscent of Left 4 Dead 2.

While not awfully limited, the zombie variety leaves a bit to be desired, especially when comparing this game to other titles of a similar genre. Zombie Army 4: Dead War has some room for improvement, but overall, it's a really fun game to play alone or with friends.

5 Outriders

Metascore: 73

• Lore-rich story
• Great class system

Set in the 22nd Century, Outriders tells a story where humanity's technological advancement is unmatched. Still, its survival is at risk, as Earth is no longer inhabitable due to severe and frequent earthquakes. After a long journey, humanity reaches its next potential home: Enoch, a promising planet on which to rebuild civilization. But things might not go as planned for humanity's survivors.

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With a lore-rich story, tons of weapons, special powers, and well-designed player classes (Devastator, Pyromancer, Technomancer, and Trickster), Outriders offers a great third-person shooter experience. On average, if players only focus on the game's main objectives, they should get about 16 hours of entertainment out of it. However, if they choose to be completionists, they'll be looking at about 55–60 hours.

4 Evil West

Metascore: 73

• Wacky weapon designs
• Fun concept that's been proven to work

Evil West follows the story of vampire hunter Jesse Rentier from the Rentier Institute. Jesse and his father have dedicated their lives to fighting vampires and any other creature of the night that endangers humankind. While adding non-contemporary elements, such as aliens or vampires, to the Wild West genre isn't anything new, Evil West still manages to feel fresh and exciting.

Developer Flying Wild Hog has always been known for having intricate weapon designs that look otherworldly and enhance the combat experience. The X-Bow, the Beam Rifle, and the Crippling Rod are great examples of the developer's creativity and attention to detail. While Evil West isn't the longest game out there, it has a decent play time that offers up to 20 hours of fun for completionists.

3 Sniper Elite 4

Metascore: 77

• Great mission list
• Fun sniper-based gameplay

Sniper Elite 4 follows up on Karl Fairburne's story as he fights for the Allied cause, one bullet at a time. In this installment of the game, Karl finds himself in the Italian Peninsula, where he joins the Italian Resistance in an effort to fend off Fascist forces and ensure Allied victory. The game improves on its predecessors in terms of stealth mechanics and X-ray kill cams. Sniper Elite 4 also has some of the most beloved missions in the entire franchise, such as Giovi Fiorini Mansion.

All in all, this game is yet another success in the franchise's long history, and will please both gamers who are already long-time fans, and newcomers who want to try out a new stealth-based sniper title.

2 Remnant: From The Ashes

Metascore: 78

• Scary bosses and fun boss fights
• Well-crafted, immersive world design

Post-apocalyptic survival games aren't anything new, but Remnant: From the Ashes is a great example of how AA studios can take an existing concept and make it their own to deliver something unique. This game is set on a desolate version of Earth after the invasion of an interdimensional evil force known as The Root. Players will control The Wanderer, an expert scout from a tribe of survivors seeking to find answers and find a way to end The Root's hold on Earth.

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With intimidating bosses, beautifully crafted post-apocalyptic city environments, and a large selection of weapons players can choose from, Remnant: From the Ashes deserves high praise in the halls of AA third-person shooters.

1 Control

Metascore: 82

• Thrilling story with supernatural undertones
• Fast-paced combat with powerful abilities

Upon its release, one of the first things Control put to the test was console and PC hardware, as it had demanding reflections and powerful ray-tracing capabilities. However, there's much more to this game than its graphics. When Jesse Faden arrives at the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), several strange things start to happen, which eventually lead to her becoming the Bureau's new Director. Her mission is to fight against The Hiss, a supernatural entity inhabiting The Oldest House, the FBC's New York Headquarters.

As the story progresses, Jesse will learn new powers that allow her to defeat enemies, something she'll have to perfect to survive and learn the truth. Remedy Entertainment is known for widely successful thrillers like Alan Wake, and while this success has allowed them to release some AAA games over the years, with both Alan Wake and Quantum Break getting some financial backing from Microsoft, it's lucky that Control wasn't one of them, as the story and concept might have suffered from the creativity restraints top publishers usually impose.

All in all, Control is a thrilling game full of supernatural entities (good and bad) that will have players engaging in action-packed firefights within the walls of a gray government office building. With a sequel in the works, it's exciting to think about the future of this franchise and what it will deliver in terms of graphics, hardware optimization, and storytelling.

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