If there's one thing Microsoft will not let happen, it's that big shooter franchises like Halo and Call of Duty will go away under their watch. Even if sequels stop being made, fans can at least be assured that the older games will remain accessible for all time, whether through a port, remaster, or remake.
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Just look at Halo: Combat Evolved, which already received an update for its tenth anniversary, and it's getting another one, Halo: Campaign Evolved, for its 25th anniversary. Halo fans are lucky, but fans of these lesser-remembered shooters aren't as lucky because many are inaccessible or just fell out of the conscious minds of the wider shooter fanbase.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Bulletstorm
A Kick To The Cactus
Bulletstorm is the type of shooter where the story does not matter, as it’s completely a parody of more serious endeavors like Call of Duty, throwing over-the-top shenanigans and tons of swears into the script. The gameplay is what’s most important about the game, with two key mechanics that uplifted the generally great arrangement of guns.
Players could use an electronic whip to grab enemies, and they could also kick them back. Environments were plastered with hazards, like red barrels and cacti, and the more creative the kills, the more points they would earn. It was an arcade-style shooter that was perhaps misunderstood at the time, but fans have never given up hope of seeing a sequel someday.
The Darkness 2
Cel-Shaded Mobsters
The Darkness 2 switched the art style from something realistic, like in the first game, to a more cel-shaded design to adhere to the comic origins. Gameplay was also a bit more free-flowing, with a better set of weapons and powers for the mobster hero, Jackie, to unlock. Jackie went from hitman to mob boss relatively quickly thanks to his possession of demons.
Players could harness tentacles to grab enemies or other demons to attack as players blasted away with pistols and other armaments. Both games are worth checking out for the eerie powers alone, and they can still be played and purchased on Xbox systems in terms of home console entertainment.
Star Wars: Republic Commando
Roger Roger!
- Developer(s)
- LucasArts
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, Shooter, FPS
- Platform(s)
- PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox (Original)
The original Xbox had a few exclusive Star Wars games for consoles, with Star Wars: Republic Commando being one of them. As part of a squadron of four Clone Troopers, players would lead their group through linear missions, blasting dozens of droids in the process. The look was spot on from the movies, as was the voice acting and the sound effects.
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It didn’t do anything too extraordinary for a shooter, but as a first-person experience set during The Clone Wars, it was good enough. Thankfully, this game can now be enjoyed on a plethora of consoles thanks to a remaster, and while it is no Halo: Combat Evolved, Star Wars: Republic Commando is good fun from a galaxy far, far away.
Red Steel 2
A Hidden Wii Gem
The original Red Steel was a launch title for the Wii, which was a modern game involving both ninja katana gameplay and shooting. With early motion controls, it wasn’t much fun, but the sequel was better. Red Steel 2 had a cowboy meets samurai theme, and the game supported Wii Motion Plus, meaning the katana and gun controls were more solid.
It is a game that could easily be ported to the Switch or Switch 2, thanks to the Joy-Cons still supporting motion controls, but this is probably one game from Ubisoft that won’t be resurrected anytime soon. The Wii didn’t have a ton of first-person shooters or action games, but if anyone wanted to collect the best the system had to offer, Red Steel 2 needs to be in the mix.
Singularity
Red Dawn
BioShock gets a lot of praise for being an immersive, atmospheric alternate history shooter, and for what it’s worth, the game deserves all the awards and attention it gets. There are other games just as good that didn’t hit quite the same peaks, and Singularity is another example. Starting in the modern era, players are sent to check out a Russian experimental site where a catastrophe took place. Once in contact, they are then sent back to the 1950s when the experiment first went berserk.
With a special device, players can warp between realities, sometimes affecting enemies and the environment, like repairing a rusty staircase to be usable again, thanks to time manipulation. Before Raven Software was fully transformed into a Call of Duty support studio for Activision, they made some great original games like Singularity, and it’s important not to forget this one on Steam.
Call Of Juarez: Bound In Blood
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is the second game in the series, and in each level, players can decide which of the two brothers they wish to play. Ray will have standard weaponry from the Old West, including revolvers and rifles, while Thomas is a more agile and stealth character.
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With Thomas, players can pick off enemies with arrows, knives, and even use his lasso to get around places Ray cannot. Some levels are more open, allowing players to buy new weapons in shops as well. The two brother system gives some replay value to missions in this otherwise linear, but solid, cowboy shooter.
Syndicate
A Linear Cyberpunk
Syndicate is a 2012 reboot of the franchise that started back in 1993. Unlike other cyberpunk games, like Cyberpunk 2077 and Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Syndicate is a more linear experience without many RPG elements, beyond upgrading cybernetics. That said, it does have the best shooting mechanics in a cyberpunk game by far, with futuristic versions of fan favorite rifles, pistols, and shotguns. So, for shooter fans who also want a cyberpunk framework, Syndicate is a better fit.
Players can use special vision to highlight enemies and slow down time, along with more sensitive hacking powers to explode heads or turn enemies on each other. In a time when cyberpunk games are really hot again, it’s a shame so many have forgotten the greatness of this reboot, or never even knew it existed, because it’s unfortunately been delisted from digital platforms.
Cold Winter
Frozen In Time
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Swordfish Studios
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
Cold Winter was a PS2 exclusive, and it has remained ever since. This spy thriller is a globe-trotting adventure that seemed like a more brutal take on the James Bond games that were popular at the time. Levels are pretty linear and closed off, but there were some diversions every now and again to fit the spy motif, like looking for optional objectives by picking locks.
The developer, Swordfish Studios, is now long gone, but shooter fans may also know their work from 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand, one of the most over-the-top shooters of all time. So, while Cold Winter may no longer be accessible or as beloved as something like Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on the PS2, it’s still a fun spy thriller.
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