First-person shootershave been a staple of the gaming scene since the ’90s. Initially exploding on PC due to the accuracy provided by a keyboard and mouse set-up, the genre eventually made its way to consoles through the Nintendo 64. Nowadays, each year produces at least a couple of huge FPS games, including new entries in franchises that have been running for more than a decade.
What are thebest first-person shooter gamesaccording to Metacritic? Which titles garnered almost nothing but praise upon release? Even though the last few years have produced plenty of great shooters likeDoom EternalandBorderlands 3, none of these releases crack the top spots on the aggregate site.
Updated June 09, 2025 by Mark Sammut:Over the last year, Back 4 Blood, Battlefield 2042, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Deathloop, and Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 were all released. Sure, not each one of these games lived up to their hype, but they go to show that the first-person shooter genre is still as popular as ever. This article has been expanded to include even more of thebest FPS gamesever released, at least according to Metacritic.
Platform (Highest Score)
PlayStation 1
Medal of Honoris one of the most influential World War 2 shooters of all time, if not the most influential. Released for the PS1, the FPS prioritized realism above anything else, and it did a great job of accomplishing its goal.
The game has aged rather poorly and is not particularly enjoyable to play nowadays, especially when compared to somesubsequent entries in the franchise. That said, this does not take anything away fromMedal of Honor’s importance.
PC
Even after all these years,Team Fortress 2still ranks comfortably among themost active games on Steam, outdoing more recent multiplayer releases likeDestiny 2andBattlefield 5. Valve crafted a team-based shooter with a well-balanced roster of characters, timeless visuals, and gameplay that is accessible while also having enough depth to keep people glued forever.
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Offering a wide range of game modes and boasting an extremely intense competitive scene,Team Fortress 2is perfectly crafted to ensure wide appeal and longevity. As Valve is allergic to the number “3,” this 2007 release is probably not going to disappear anytime soon.
Xbox 360
Admittedly, this entry comes with an asterisk asFallout 3is generally regarded as an RPG rather than a first-person shooter, mostly because it excels at the former but not the latter. Underwhelming gunplay aside, Bethesda’s game is something special, and that is before taking into the count the active PC modding scene that has indefinitely extended the RPG’s shelf life.
Fallout 3drops players into an immersive post-apocalyptic landscape and gives them quite a lot of freedom in how they interact with this world. Engaging quests, memorable NPCs, and fascinating lore are a few things this game offers.
Epic Games has become mostly known forFortnite, but prior to that, the company made a big splash on the multiplayer market with the firstUnreal Tournament. That’s what the Unreal Engine they create and distribute is named after.
Unreal Tournament 2004for the PC was sort of a sequel and an expansion, and it is regarded as one of the best in the series. More importantly, it is one of thebest multiplayer shooters of all time.
Quakeis another legendary multiplayer shooter. Although the series lost some steam afterQuake 4,Quake Championsand 1996’sQuakecoming to modern consoles have helped bring the property back into the limelight.
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The first three games in the franchise are all classics. Personal preference and nostalgia will likely influence which entry is considered the best, but the originalQuakewas groundbreaking for its era. The 2021 port has also proven that the game is still as awesome nowadays as it was in 1996.
PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfareand its sequel both have averages of 94 on Metacritic, but the latter made the cut as it is ranked higher on the site. That said, there is very little separating these two games.
Do not be influenced by the fact thatCall of Dutyhas been overexposed during the last decade; at its peak, Activision’s franchise was producing thebest FPS gameson the market.Modern Warfare 2has a stellar single-player campaign that blends blockbuster action with decent storytelling, along with a multiplayer that has very few peers.
Platforms (Highest Score)
PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
CallingPortal 2a first-person shooter is disingenuous to what this game is actually about, although it technically still qualifies. Valve’s release is more of afirst-person puzzle gamethan a traditional shooter, and it is a great one at that.
Even though players do not spend their time shooting enemies,Portal 2’s gunplay is nevertheless a blast. The Portal Gun is also one of the most iconic weapons in gaming history. Those who disagree will be launched into space with Wheatley.
Nintendo 64
One of the earliest multiplayer console phenomenons wasGoldenEye 007on the N64. The campaign was good and highlighted great moments from the film, but everyone was more infatuated with playing with friends. It had the same dedication asSuper Smash Bros.players.
GoldenEye 007must be recognized for what it did for first-person shooter games on consoles back then, even if it hasn’t aged well both graphically and in terms of the controls. Be that as it may, the memories of playingGoldenEye 007live on.
PC, Xbox 360
BioShockblended the haunting vibes ofResident Evilwith the shooting mayhem of something likeHalo,all in a unique setting that was nothing short of spectacular in 2007. Rapture is worth the price of admission on its own – it just happens to be accompanied by brilliant writing, solid gunplay, fun powers, and fantastic characters.
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While not necessarily for the same reasons, all theBioShockgames are highly regarded. However,BioShock 2andBioShock Infinitearguably failed to reach the same dizzying heights as the original game.
Half-Life 2first debuted on PC before it was eventually ported to other consoles. Although the latter releases are perfectly fine, the PC version will always be the definitive way to play Valve’s shooter.
Half-Life 2is one of those games thataltered the trajectory of first-person shooters and gaming for the better. Valve also wrote the blueprint for how to craft the pitch-perfect sequel, one that builds on the ideas of its predecessor while improving upon nearly every area. Fans are still hungry for this series to continue.
