Summary

  • Tactical FPS games like Squad offer a realistic squad-based experience where teamwork is crucial for ultimate victory.
  • Rainbow Six Siege requires sound strategy and coordination across rounds to overcome opponents and secure wins.
  • Escape From Tarkov is a punishing game where reaching the extraction point with a team requires proper coordination and skill.

First-person shooter games come in all shapes and sizes. A lot of players love this genre for the power fantasy that it helps them enjoy, with players essentially working as a one-man army as they shoot and blast their way through enemies in style. The allure of these games is obvious for everyone to see, but players who want to seek out a more tactical and hardcore experience will be happy to know that the market is rife with titles that cater to this niche too.

A grid showing the three games Arma 3, Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel
Best Tactical Open-World Games

Some of the best tactical open-world games on the market enable a great sense of freedom in their worlds and fun from their gameplay.

In fact, a decent chunk of tactical first-person shooters players can check out include titles that promote co-op gameplay where teamwork is downright crucial to ensure that players attain victory. These games provide a fresh take on the first-person shooter genre that a lot of players may be salivating for.

5 Squad

Teamwork And Co-ordination Is Key To Victory

Squad 2020
Squad
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Released
December 15, 2015
Developer(s)
Offworld Industries
Platform(s)
PC

Players who want to check out a realistic squad-based FPS where a team leader takes charge of a military group and leads them to victory will love what Squad brings to the table. This title is as hard as they come, with players taking on the role of various classes as they fulfill their roles in the squad and ensure that players can achieve victory at all costs.

It's imperative that the team leader bands everyone together, instructs people on what to do, and calls for support whenever required. This is critical to ensure that players can win matches in a title where a single mistake can lead to the entire squad being annihilated in record time. Such errors only crop up if players don't communicate with their teammates and try to do everything single-handedly.

4 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege

A Sound Strategy Required A Team To Work In Harmony Across Multiple Rounds

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Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege
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Released
December 1, 2015
Developer(s)
Ubisoft Montreal

The allure of Rainbow Six Siege is something that players are quite familiar with. Players engage in rounds of competitive firefights as they team up with others and take on the role of operators who must coordinate their actions with their teammates as either defenders or attackers to either wipe out the opposing squad or fulfill the goal given to them.

The tense firefights and tactics required to win every round make Rainbow Six Siege a riveting title for fans of tactical FPS games. Players must make it a point to communicate with their teammates and decide upon a plan of action that can overwhelm their opposition across multiple rounds to secure a resounding victory.

3 Insurgency: Sandstorm

Teams Must Employ Proper Tactics To Ensure Victory

A building in ruins in Insurgency Sandstorm
Insurgency: Sandstorm
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Released
December 12, 2018
Developer(s)
New World Interactive
Platform(s)
PC, PS4, Xbox One

One of the most hardcore multiplayer shooters players can check out, the minimalistic nature of Insurgency: Sandstorm makes it a joy to engage with for fans of this genre. Players must choose a class and play numerous rounds against an enemy squad as they accomplish their objectives to attain victory at all costs.

Evil West, Outriders gameplay
6 Best AA Third-Person Shooter Games, Ranked

In recent years, AA third-person shooters have been making a major push into the mainstream, with some rivaling the quality of their AAA counterparts.

As one would expect, this gritty title downright forces players to communicate with each other to figure out the best course of action that can be taken to secure victory in each round. Death can arrive in mere seconds, and it's imperative to stick with the team and formulate a sound strategy to take out the opposition if players don't want to be gunned down every round with little to no retaliation to show for this immense humiliation.

2 Counter-Strike 2

The Importance Of Teamwork Is Something Long-Time Fans Of The Series Are Infinitely Familiar With

Counter-Strike 2 AK-47
Counter-Strike 2
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Released
September 27, 2023
Developer(s)
Valve
Platform(s)
PC

Counter-Strike is a series that fans of the tactical shooter genre love to death. From the very onset of this series, fans were in awe of the tight squad-based gameplay where players check out numerous maps and fulfill the objectives given to them. While the launch of Counter-Strike 2 wasn't the smoothest, Valve wasted no time in ensuring that any kinks in the newest Counter-Strike game were ironed out for fans to enjoy the best version of this title.

The frenetic shooting gameplay of this title mandates that players stick with their teammates and waste no time in securing objectives or carrying out their tasks, depending on the squad they're a part of. With enough practice, a player can become adept when it comes to the gameplay loop of Counter-Strike 2 and rack up a high number of wins with a good squad in no time.

1 Escape From Tarkov

Reaching The Extraction Zone With A Team Requires Proper Co-ordination

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Escape from Tarkov
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Released
November 15, 2025
Developer(s)
Battlestate Games
Platform(s)
PC

One of the most punishing games where players are bound to lose over and over again, Escape from Tarkov's intense gameplay makes each session as tense as can be, with players partaking in raids where they must loot everything in sight before making their way to the extraction point, dealing with various AI and human enemies in the process. Suffice it to say, this is far from an easy game and will force players into tough situations over and over again.

Death is pretty much a guarantee in Escape from Tarkov, and players should engage in the co-op modes to ensure that they can secure as much loot as possible with a friend to make the most of each run. It can be downright frustrating in some instances, but players willing to keep up with a massive learning curve will find this title a blast to play through with equally skilled friends as they strengthen their loadout with each run and reach the extraction point more often than not.

Killing Floor 2, Shadow Warrior 2, Sniper Elite 4
Best AA First-Person Shooter Games, Ranked

Plenty of AA FPS games fly under the radar all the time for not reaching the AAA status. Here are some of the best ones in this category.