Best First Person Shooters from the Last 15 Years

Joey Aires: "Much in the same way that fighters in the mold of Street Fighter II conquered consoles for years in the nineteen-nineties, so has the first-person shooter over the last ten plus years. Shooters are simple in design, but can be as complex as any puzzle game for players to actually master. Ask anyone who’s dumped hours into just setting up a LAN in the dorms or at a LAN party before the actual gameplay begins, and they tell you how the FPS genre has impacted their lives and ate up hours. Today we're listing those first-person shooters that cost us relationships, good grades, and friendships when we lost our cool because our buddy was looking at our side of the screen and cheating."

[GunShotEddy]

GunShotEddy approves of Killzone 2 getting the repect it deserves.

[vgn24]

Pretty eclectic list actually. I admit Metroid Prime is a good game and should get some credit, but I don't think I've seen Metroid listed alongside games like Halo and Killzone before. Just surprised. Not ripping on them.

[Wrathman]

the shooter system in FALLOUT3 embarrasses KZ2 ffs

[Sm0k3y_Bac0n]

Im not a Sony fanboy or anything, but Killzone 2 was amazing. Beats any BF game both on consoles and PC. Half Life was good, but games like Bioshock have better single player. MP CoD4 and Killzone 2 are the best IMO.

The main problem with Killzone was the level design. MP maps were dull.

@ Wrathman.

Fallout is one of the worst games I've ever played.

@ Mal Tez

If all other shooters were to adopt Killzones mechanics shooters would be too similar.

[mal_tez92]

All other shooters feel the same after playing Killzone 2.

In other games you feel like a floating gun, in KZ2 you feel like a person
In other games the guns feel like they're made out of plastic, in KZ2 they feel real
In (most) other games guns have the recoil of airsoft guns, in KZ2 (and some others) they feel real

Killzone 2 and it's sense of weight separates it from all other shooters, and makes it much more immersive, skillful and fun

Also, every shooter game should adopt KZ2's cover system.

@Bacon, I see how it would make them all the same, I was just saying hiw much I liked it. I'm surprised it didn't catch on in other games.

[Kill Crow]

You mean the controller lag that was patched after everyone complained ...

if it was a weighted system, why did you get the same lag no matter which weapon you help .. .knife Vs Bazooka .... oh that's so realistic ... lol ... and some people said they never even experienced it ...

Seriously though .... KZ2 is a great game ... I loved it .... but the whole "we programmed weight into the game" nonsesnse has to end If it was deliberate they NEVER would have patched it ....

[evrfighter]

"it was a weighted system, why did you get the same lag no matter which weapon you help .. .knife Vs Bazooka .... oh that's so realistic ... lol ... and some people said they never even experienced it ... "

oh come on...you know statements like that will be ignored. Everyone knows that the knife's were made out of super heavy lead and rocket launchers out of plastic. Though it is amazing to see the amount of people who have convinced themselves that the aiming system was realistic lol

KZ2 is the only fps shooter I've ever owned that I never completed in singleplayer. Everything about it screamed generic. An utterly disappointing purchase

[Sitris]

Your loss....kicks many other shooters backsides to me. MW, BF, Halo (got over the gameplay after my many, many, many hours of halo 2, will get back in for Reach though), only other shooter that i would find better would be counterstrike, not for me personally, but i have a heap of respect for the elite gamers who do such amazing things in tournaments.

[HolyOrangeCows]

GoFanboy likely left the PC platform out on purpose, knowing them.

[RageAgainstTheMShine]

Man this game is FAST! FURIOUS! ON THE SPFOT! and FUN!
The accuracy of control is second to none when you control it with the Dreamcast controller!

[telekineticmantis]

It's funny how Fanboys came to this forum to trash killzone rather than talk about their favorite games. I ask you what
halo has innovated or brought to the shooter genre please tell me. Tell me tha and I'll tell you weather you've played unreal tournament, Halflife or any shooter other than Halo. Atleast Killzone tried to give people a realistic control mechanic, cover system, visceral environments, and some unique multiplayer mechanics.

[The BS Police]

-Two weapon limit (eliminating the magic backback).
- Golden tripod (separate buttons for weapon, melee and grenade usage).
- Rechargeable Energy Shields (and rechargeable Health in Halo 2).
-Perfecting vehicle combat.
-Perfecting controls for the console FPS.
- Huge outdoor environments.
- Matchnmaking Party System.
- 4 player online co-op
- Saved Films/Theatre that allows you to view the game from every possible angle and the ability to take screenshots, save film clips and render the films online.

Now to say Halo has never innovated is just playing BS at this point, every FPS game since Halo1 was released had borrowed in someway from Halo whether it's from the controls all the way to the online Matchmaking party system from Halo 2.

I get it already, alot of people hate Halo because it's an Xbox franchise, but it's influence is undeniable and it along with Grand Theft Auto helped garner videogames more mainstream media exposure, except Halo didn't do it by being controversial.

[telekineticmantis]

Perfecting vehicle combat is not an innovation its perfecting one. Unreal had huge environments. 4 player co-op...system shock? Quake had good controls. Other games had rechargeble health not but not a shield. I like halo but don't overcredit it that's the problem.

[BattleAxe]

@ The BS Police

The vehicles control like trash in Halo 3....not sure where you get "perfecting" from.

[Thrillhouse]

Games are now only starting to adopt the party system Halo 2 used for multiplayer. In terms of multiplayer features for a console game, Halo 3 has more of them than games that are coming out 3 years after it.

I find it funny that people call Halo "generic". You know why it seems generic to them? Because a lot of FPS games imitate Halo.

Now to get phantom disagrees :)

[ShinMaster]

Hmmm...I remember CounterStrike, Lol

Big outdoor environments aren't innovations.
Rechargeable energy shields? wtf?
Two weapon limit? A limit is not an innovation

@Thrillhouse
Halo 3 was generic and felt outdated. Maybe not Halo 1...

[Xi]

bungie and ms co-own a patent that allows for multiple users over an internet connection to operate different portions of the same vehicle.

The warthog was in fact the first vehicle that allowed one player to drive, and the other to man the guns. Seems pretty important to me, specially now that games like bfbc2 rely so heavily on vehicle support based on that premise.

[ShinMaster]

Mario Kart Double Dash xD

[poopface1]

This guy is a NOOB console only player.

The console versions of Quake 3 and UT SUCK BALLS compared to the pc versions.

[NeutralGamer]

What about Serious Sam? :(

[BattleAxe]

Killzone2
CoD4
CoD:WaW
MW2
Rainbow Six Vegas
Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Resistance: Fall of Man
Resistance 2
Far Cry 2

Battlefield Bad Company 1 and 2 could have been on the list, but they have too few features and too few multiplayer maps. The technicle problems with both games were an issue as well.

[theonlylolking]

What a crappy list of games.

[jagstatboy]

COD4 is the best COD game to date.

[DoomeDx]

Ehh..

'Unreal Tournament (PS3/Dreamcast)'

No PC version? the PC version of unreal tournament is IMO the best arena-style multiplayer game ever!

[distorted_reality]

Best FPS shooters on consoles....

[DoomeDx]

Didnt see it. sorry!

[Megaton]

That caught my eye too. It's a beastly game on PC, but is it even good on consoles?

[DA_SHREDDER]

Red Faction(Ps2), Timesplitters(ps2), Halo, Metroid (GC/Wii), MAG, BC2, COD4 and 5, Team fortress, Killzone (ps2), 1943, Rainbow six Vegas 1, Golden eye, and Unreal tournament.

[Def Warrant]

Since playing Killzone on the ps1 i have grown to love the franchise. The enemies are so terrifying yet somewhat memorable. I loved KZ2 and i am sure GG will deliver something extraordinary with KZ3.

p.s

don't you just love the red glowing eyes?

[DoomeDx]

To right mate

[poopface1]

there is no KZ on ps1.

[Dance]

killzone isnt one of them and to the guy above me killzone began on the ps2 not ps1

[Optical_Matrix]

Usually I'd accept if people don't think a Killzone 2 should be up there. I think it should. But your opinion is illrellevant. Why? Because it's not objective. Your bias against the PS3 has been proven with your god awful comment history. Your comment holds no fidelity in this thread.
Anyways this seems about right. But why is Halo 3 on there and not Halo 2? Halo 2 was better. FACT.

[Arnon]

Nice contradiction there. Telling him that his comment is not objective due to some asinine reason, and then telling us that your opinion is somehow a fact.

You're a winner, alright.

[Crossifixxo]

Where are Half Life 1 & 2 and episodes??

[vgn24]

In a package for 20 bucks with 2 other games. That kind of says something.

[Fireseed]

I know those are easily the best FPSs out there at least IMO

[distorted_reality]

It's a list for console fps, PC fps not included.

@ TrapperDan - you're off your head aren't you? The Half Life series is one of the most critically acclaimed series in gaming history.

[kraze07]

Isn't Half-Life 2 included in the Orange Box, which was released on the consoles?

[mal_tez92]

They have great atmosphere, characters, story and action

But the thing I never liked was the shooting. I found it to be overly basic and not very fun.

Everything else in half-life is awesome, I just wish the gunplay was more detailed.

[hennessey86]

the gravity gun has to be the most fun ive ever had in a video game that was inovation

[phatak]

dude its console only!!!

[hennessey86]

half life 2 came to the xbox and was also in the orange box on 360 n ps3

[Ultraplayerxd]

Killzone deserves to be on this list. What surprises me are the absence of games like Half-Life,Counter-Strike,and Doom; seriously, where the hell are they?

[RonXD]

This game is missing alot of other great shooters.. They leave out counter strike and half life but add two halos on the list. Nice

[Horny]

Timesplitters 2, Half Life, Battlefield 2, Team fortress, counter strike, and far cry are missing
the list was still good

[iamgoatman]

Title is misleading, should be "Best first person shooters from the last 15 years ON CONSOLES"

But still, that doesn't make up for the terrible list, or more so it's glaring omissions.

Killzone 2 and Halo 3 but no Halflife? Seriously?

[distorted_reality]

The title on n4g may be misleading, but as soon as you open the article it says "Best First Person Shooters Released on Consoles the Last 15 Years".

People just aren't seeing it for some reason...

[iamgoatman]

I did see it, which is why I mentioned it. It seems to be causing a bit of confusion.

[Gawdl3y]

I'm lol'ing inside at the people who call this guy a PS3 fanboy. C'mon, he has Halo on the list!
Killzone 2 definitely deserves to be there, but Bioshock shouldn't be there at all. Bioshock isn't really a first person shooter, it's more of an RPG than anything, but whatever. Bioshock is still a great game, of course.

But where the hell were Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life? And the PC versions of Unreal Tournament, Halo: CE, and Quake are far superior to their console counterparts.
Seems to me like this guy has only played on consoles.
And why Quake III instead of Quake IV? And what about the Battlefield games?

COD4 is definitely better than MW2, though, I definitely agree with that.

[Sm0k3y_Bac0n]

How is Bioshock not an FPS?

And I agree. Where are the BF games?

[mal_tez92]

It had terrible shooting and the shootouts depended less on skill, and more on how much ammo and healthpack you have.

Then again, I disagree with you about Half life, I found the shooting to be terribly basic, and the game to be more about having ammo than being skillful.
The gravity gun however is fun enought that HL2 deserves to be on the list

as for CS:S, that should also be on the list.

[Brewski007]

I agree with you about the lack of counter strike and half-life. Those games are like like game changers for the fps market.
I'd also add fear and Quake to that list. But then it wouldnt really be a list anymore just a general summery of fps games in the last 15 years, and to make a list you have to make tough choices that others would disagree about.
(Also....how can you "Laugh Out Loud" on the inside?? :P. )

[poopface1]

IS WAY BETTER THAN KZ2.

KZ2 is booring, bland, and repetitive. Completely un-original, and has HORRIBLE characters.

[Sm0k3y_Bac0n]

Killzones story was not brilliant and Bioshocks single player was much better, but MP wise there aren't many games on the same level as KZ2

[retrofly]

COD1, it started off a whole new genre of FPS shooters.
The original and best!

[hoops]

NOLF series...

Seems this list is for consoles and notmuch PC'swhich is quiteodd as the PC is the master of FPS games.

[BeaRye]

it's a list for consoles only?

[snaileri]

List of best FPS games without any mention about PC.

[AliTheBrit19]

Modern Warfare 2, for FPS.

Doesn't get much better, since it is tailored to deliver a cinematic epic OTT FPS experience.

[Falloutxii]

Golden Eye 007 and Medal of Honor Frontline and I thought they were awesome.

[Noobasaurus_REX]

How about Timesplitters 2 anyone?

[gillri]

agre with that list but needs Hl1 and 2, and bioshock and timeplitters 2,

and no PC isnt the master of FPS's anymore, neither is the console, they both share that honour,

PC is master of RTS's and MMO's and they both now Share FPS's , and the console's is master everything else

[Alcon Caper]

Console FPS gaming is a parody of PC FPS gaming. Pit a mouse/keyboard user against a controller user and the mouse will win 10 times out of 10.

Convincing the public that FPS's on consoles is "good" is the greatest trick developers have played on the gaming community.

[hennessey86]

so because u can turn unrealisticly fast pc fps are better dont talk shit ive always hated pc fps they play like there on fast forwars and the only reason i played crysis is because i used a 360 pad pc geeks do my head in

[The BS Police]

It's great to see Perfect Dark get a mention, it still puts msot FPS games today to shame.

[achira]

kz2 is the best one of the bunch.

[Xfanboy]

Half life 1, Hl 2 episode 2 & Goldeneye for N64!!! counter strike, halo 1.

Kz2 is not legendary!! didn't move shooters forward!!! just reporting what I see if you take away the visuals you have nothing new thats fun that I will remember forever...

[skare13]

come on people, it has zombies

I don't even own a 360 and I love those games

[phatak]

its console only so ofcourse there is no half life 2. well although there is half life 2 in the orange box

[horrorcaust]

Why you (sumbitter) didn't put the word "CONSOLE" in the title of the news? I skipped it on the actual page and kept thinking about how retarded the list was until I noticed it... Also Orange Box was released on 360, so how could you put stuff like Halo in there and miss this one?

[Figboy]

replaced Halo 3 with Half Life 2, but other than that, this was actually a list that i can agree with.

[di0medes]

What about Disruptor?!?!

[kraze07]

Red Faction 2 and the Timesplitter series have to be the most overlooked, under-rated FPSs on consoles.