First-person shooters took prominence in the 90s with hits like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom, and now the genre is more diverse than ever. There are now first-person shooters and third-person shooters, with active RPG elements or, in some cases, full-blown RPGs. While it feels great in the following games to wield guns and even mod them, there are other, more classic turn-based RPGs with good gunplay as well.
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So, even though it may seem most familiar to shooter fans to control guns in first-person, there are other examples out there with just as much quality worth praising. The following will be ranked based on control, game quality, and the prominence of gunplay.
Parasite Eve
Keep Your Ammo Full
Parasite Eve
- Released
- September 9, 1998
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Animated Violence, Mature Sexual Themes
- Genre(s)
- Horror, Action RPG
Parasite Eve has a unique RPG system wherein players will run into enemies in dungeons and then commence battle. During their turn, they can fire their weapon, which does take ammo, or a psychic power at an enemy.
Players can run around the area while waiting to attack again, and potentially dodge enemy advances, giving the game a hybrid battle system between turn-based and real-time. Outside of battle, players can buy and tweak their guns at their police station, provided they have the parts necessary.
Valkyria Chronicles
Anime WW2
Valkyria Chronicles
- Released
- October 31, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
Valkyria Chronicles is another hybrid RPG, but this one has a tactical combat system with class-based soldiers. During a player’s round, they will have a number of badge icons, representing how many times they can call on soldiers or use their vehicles before their turn ends.
When called, a character can move anywhere they want, provided they have enough juice in their meter, and when players are satisfied with their movement at any point, they can stop, aim directly at an enemy, and fire. While running around, enemies can fire back in real-time, giving conflicts a more active feel.
Starfield
Fly True Space Cadets
Starfield
- Released
- September 6, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
Starfield may not be as popular as any game in the Fallout series, also from Bethesda, but it did nail one thing: gunplay. Players can find a large number of guns as they explore planets and stations around the galaxy, from pistols that fire bullets to rifles that shoot lasers.
The weapon handling is good, making each connection receive tactile feedback. It’s not the sharpest first-person shooter ever, but again, for a Bethesda game, the combat is one of the most enjoyable aspects of this intergalactic RPG.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Its On Redeeming Quality
Mass Effect: Andromeda
- Released
- March 1, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
Mass Effect: Andromeda is another game that gets a bad reputation since it didn’t live up to the original Mass Effect trilogy. That said, it had the benefit of technology, releasing on a new set of systems and getting a brand new combat system to boot.
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Instead of a third-person squad-based shooter that relied a lot on cover and powers, players had more free will to fire back at enemies like it was a regular shooter. There were still companions to manage and powers, but overall, Mass Effect: Andromeda felt better as a shooter than any of the previous games.
Outriders
Pop And Shoot
Outriders
- Released
- April 1, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Outriders is a third-person cover shooter wherein players can choose a class at the start from one of four choices. For example, the Pyromancer gains fire powers while the Technomancer relies heavily on gadgets.
It’s not quite a live-service game, but it does have co-op, and there was an emphasis on rare loot to keep players entertained. Weapons could range from the usual pistols and rifles, and could have special properties to do more critical damage to enemies. The cover-based fire was good, and it added a level of strategy if players managed to squad up online.
Resonance Of Fate
In The Heat Of Battle
Resonance Of Fate
- Released
- January 28, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Tri-Ace
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Fantasy, Narrative
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, PC
Resonance of Fate is a turn-based RPG, but even though players cannot fire guns in real-time, it has some of the most exhilarating gunplay. In battle, players have control of three characters, each with a different weapon specialty. When choosing an enemy to attack, players will see a line of fire.
They need to keep in mind what patterns enemies have, along with their own, because if the streams are crossed, the actions can get messed up. It’s a tough battle system to learn, but once mastered, players will feel like they are a masterful director like John Woo.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Keeping DC Safe
Tom Clancy's The Division 2
- Released
- March 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 continues the germ warfare by marching on from New York City to Washington DC. When creating their character, players can choose a weapon specialty, which will give them an executable order in battle, but they won’t be locked into any choices forever.
Tom Clancy games, in general, have good shooting mechanics, and even though there are invisible dice rolls to keep in mind, the gunshots are fairly accurate. While bold players can run and gun, it’s much more effective to make use of cover fire and to squad up with up to three others online.
Cyberpunk 2077
The Future Of Weapons
Cyberpunk 2077
- Released
- December 10, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
Cyberpunk 2077 is a good example of a first-person RPG shooter, but one that feels more in line with Call of Duty than it does Mass Effect. That’s because the direct line of fire never feels like it wavers between shots as if it is taking stats into consideration.
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This is wild given the fact that Cyberpunk 2077 has a deep RPG system backing it, between dialogue choices, character customization through cybernetics, and more. CD Projekt Red managed to give both RPG and shooter fans something to rejoice over, and these are only a handful of reasons why it remains popular despite a rough launch.
Borderlands 4
Pick Your Poison
Borderlands 4
- Released
- September 12, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
Borderlands 4 has the benefit of variety and a competent class system. The Borderlands series is known for containing millions of guns, as they are randomly generated, save for rare examples. Borderlands 4 has the best weapon handling yet, with some guns obviously feeling better to control than others based on the manufacturer’s quality.
From guns that explode when thrown to guns that spray fire to just good old sniper rifles, this game has it all. No matter what class players choose, they can feel like a walking tank with the amount of artillery they are packing, which comes in handy alone or in co-op squads.
Destiny 2
Top-Notch Handling
Destiny 2
- Released
- August 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Bungie redefined what a console shooter could be with Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001, and they have continued to push forward in the console shooter market. Destiny 2 feels as good as any Halo game, or any non-RPG first-person shooter from the newest Call of Duty to the latest Battlefield.
When players pick up a weapon, be it a wild one that fires lasers or one that fires bullets, players know they are going to feel confident holding it. With tight and responsive controls and a well-balanced class system, this game has been going strong since 2017, thanks in large part to just how good it feels to blast aliens.
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