First-person shooters are all a mainstay of modern gaming, with competitive FPS titles like CS:GO, Valorant, and others pitting similarly skilled players against each other via online matchmaking for hours upon hours of non-stop fun, and games like Bioshock and Metro Exodus going the single-player route. The path to get to this point was built by pioneers in the industry. We got here by standing on the shoulders of giants.
The First Person Shooter genre is quite mature now, but that was not always the case. The 1990-2000 era was the era of innovation for gaming and the games that came out then defined genres for decades to come, FPS included. The list covers the FPS titles that have had the biggest impact on the genre since.
6 GoldenEye 007
James Bond Roleplay
GoldenEye 007
Based on the James Bond movie GoldenEye, GoldenEye 007 allowed players to take up the mantle of the legendary British spy in an FPS setting. This game was a complete package with an excellent, if over-the-top storyline, a fun single-player campaign, and an extremely enjoyable multiplayer mode. For its time, the game was an incredible achievement that influenced much of what came after it.
The reason GoldenEye 007 still stands proud today is that it gave players more than just good gunplay. There was excellent weapon variety, unique spy gadgets, and more detailed objectives than just point-and-shoot. James Bond was not on a mission to kill every moving sprite he saw; he had to save hostages, find specific targets to eliminate, and navigate complex levels to reach his objectives. Stealth mechanics were also a key part of the game, which later inspired legendary titles like Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell, to name a few.
5 Wolfenstein 3D
The Father Of FPS
Wolfenstein 3D
- Released
- May 5, 1992
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Genre(s)
- FPS
If there is any game that can be considered to be the first major FPS hit that put the genre on the map, it's Wolfenstein 3D. The first major title by the legendary developers id Software, this game can easily be considered one of, if not the, most influential FPS games of all time. At the time of release (1992), the concept of an FPS was still in its infancy, with developers barely experimenting with different iterations of the formula. In a sense, Wolfenstein 3D created a mold that later games could fit into.
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In essence, Wolfenstein 3D was a Nazi shooter set in World War 2, where the player is tasked with escaping through Nazi-controlled areas by finding an elevator to escape. The way out, of course, is blocked by enemy combatants that the player needs to take down.
4 Quake
Quick, Fast, And Dirty Fun
Quake
- Released
- May 22, 1996
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Platform(s)
- PC, Switch, Nintendo 64, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Sega Saturn
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
Where Wolfenstein 3D pioneered the slow, methodical type of FPS game, Quake is the father of fast-paced, high-octane shooters that reward reaction time and good movement over everything else. While Doom is the inception of the free-for-all deathmatch, Quake's iterations on it are what made the modes as fun as they ended up being.
Also developed by id Software, Quake came out in the later stages of the golden era in 1998. Quake's theme is quite similar to Doom, with Lovecraftian demons as antagonists. However, while Quake's campaign was great, the multiplayer aspect is what made it an era-defining title. The ability to match players against opponents with similar skill levels was not a novel idea at the time, but Quake's ingenious level design, gunplay, and quick-and-dirty gunfights made for the trifecta of success.
3 Halo: Combat Evolved
A Complete Package
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo: Combat Evolved or Halo CE is a legendary first-person shooter that was released at the turn of the millennium and turned modern FPS gaming into what it is today. Released by Bungie in 2001, Halo CE allowed players to play either co-op or against each other in large maps. Among the biggest strengths of Halo CE is the enemy AI, which reacts differently to situations, hangs back when outgunned, and responds dynamically.
Even more important than the gameplay itself, Halo CE is perhaps singularly responsible for the continued survival of Xbox, a gaming console that was not nearly as big then as it is today. Halo: Combat Evolved is also responsible for starting the trend of early 2000s LAN parties that are still notorious to this day. It is still counted among the best games ever made for a reason.
2 Half-Life
More Than Just Mindless Gunfights
Half-Life
Half-Life is a legendary FPS title that showed gamers that truly great first-person shooters need more than just satisfying gameplay; they need a story to keep the audience hooked. Half-Life's strategy was so effective that it's still relevant 26 years later, and the entire gaming community is still begging for the continuation of Gordon Freeman's story and the secrets of the Black Mesa facility.
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Half-Life 2 is an all-around better game with a deeper focus on story, better gameplay, and more interactiveness. But it would be nothing without the original. It's an experience worth enjoying at least once in a lifetime.
1 Doom
Up Close And Personal Demon Demolisher
Doom (1993)
Wolfenstein 3D may be the grandfather of the FPS genre, but Doom put it on the map. No other FPS title, before or since, has had as large an impact on the genre and, indeed, on the gaming industry as the Doom franchise. And it all started with the very first Doom, released in 1993.
Doom was an independent release by id Software, immediately after their success with Wolfenstein 3D, and it took the world by storm. There is nothing quite like mowing down demons in relentless, visceral combat to bring the gaming community together. With Doom (2016) and Doom Eternal, the once-legendary franchise is now revitalized and better than ever, but fans of FPS games owe it to themselves to try the original Doom at least once, on a toaster if they have to.
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