Best shooters of the decade

[Ryouji Gunblade]

Splatoon 2 is the one I love the most despite it not having much in the way of carrot-on-stick grind incentives at the moment.

It gives you an original idea with original mechanics that are balanced independently from real world weapon physics. You can go nuts with ink and it works out. Even new players can find success with inking stuff. The objective is pretty easy to understand.

 

[Biteren]

for me its Titanfall and Doom

 

[aerie]

1. Dusk - Incredible. A game with tight and responsible controls and blazing fast combat and gameplay where you always feel in absolute control. It doesn't just evoke the games that inspired it, it builds and expands on their design philosophies. The game also gets better and better the further you go. The best shooter of the decade, and by a comfortable margin

2. Blood: Fresh Supply - Discount this if we're not allowing remasters. Initially launched in a bit of a rough state, but after a few patches, my gosh does this game still shine. Incredible level design, varied enemies and weapons, great secrets, and outstanding combat that is as fun today as when it came out. The best build engine game.

3. Amid Evil - A game with gorgeous atmosphere, incredible variety, and it keeps things fresh and interesting all the way through. This is my personal favourite FPS of this decade, even though I admit it's slightly outdone by my former mentions. Inspired by the likes of Heretic and Hexen, but with its own approach to map design that results in some of the best levels ever created in an FPS. Truly memorable, truly outstanding. 7 episodes, every episode has a unique atmosphere and enemy set (well, mostly). If you're a fan of the genre, play Amid Evil.

4. Doom - What a surprise this was, I think most of us weren't expecting too much from this before it dropped, and it ends up being a fantastic experience that combines elements of all the past Doom games, while also being a new take that captures the spirit of Doom quite well. Love this games approach to secrets as well. Played through it a few times, loved it each time.

 

[Sordid Plebeian]

DOOM, Battlefield 1, CoD: MW, Titanfall, and Wolfenstein: The New Order

 

[TheRulingRing]

Not been mentioned yet despite being one of the most impactful shooters this decade, so I'll say Fortnite, though not necessarily because the shooting in it feels great.

Never did I have a game where everyone was playing it. Like I could jump on and there would be 20 people I knew irl that would be on it and there was always a squad available. And then everyone might be talking about it when we met up too.

Don't think I'll ever get a game like that again.

Of course it had lots of other things going for it too - a free to play game with such incredibly regular updates, a very unique building element with a massive skill ceiling, and the general responsiveness of the developer.

Shame Epic is drifting away from that last ideal.

 

[Dee Bill]

1- Titanfall
2- Titanfall 2

 

[Qudi]

By far Battlefield 3. From alpha to the last expansion i had a blast playing this game with my friends and alone. Never forget USAS frag pellets, Metro Rush, Casbian Border, gun game.

Rush in BF3 was perfect. Every following sequel after doesnt give me the satisfaction like bf3 did.

 

[Sexy Fish]

Rainbow Six Siege. One of the best games ever made period.

 

[aisback]

I totally forgot about Doom being a shooter to be honest with you guys.

The gameplay feels so good just like Titanfall 2 IMO

 

[Tokyo_Funk]

TitanFall 2
Arma 3
Doom 2016
Vanquish
Wolfenstein :TNO

 

[V has come to]

in no particular order
Vanquish
Binary Domain
Wolfenstein The New Order
Resistance 3
Max Payne 3
DOOM
Titanfall 2
Bulletstorm

sad that DOOM Eternal got delayed, would have been a great way to cap off the decade. i really need to get into all the retro shooters that have come out recently too, i will when i get my pc

 

[Pikelet]

For multiplayer games I love Siege, CS:GO, and PUBG, but i want to talk about Natural Selection 2, the criminally underplayed asymmetrical multiplayer strategy/RTS hybrid.

It's a game that practically switches genres throughout the progression of a match. It begins pretty much as a horror game, with you and one of your marine buddies exploring the 'empty' map with your flashlights on, trying to spot the aliens before they pop out of the vents and leap at your face. The middle section of a match is typically much more strategic, and is about juggling priorities and maintaining map control. Matches usually end with the whole team expending all of its resources into one concentrated push across the map in giant mech suits or jet packs, railgunning and grenading the enemy hive down.

As a commander you enjoy a privileged, RTS-style vantage point, but instead of testing your micro or your build order knowledge, the role is really a test of your leadership skills. You have to actually be able to manage real-life human beings, which is an incredible mechanic for a game to contain.

As a player on the ground there will be moments of heroism as you defend the phase gate long enough for reinforcements to come in, singlehandedly saving a strategically important location (and perhaps the entire match). There's also moments where you are an insignificant participant in a larger struggle that is fighting to keep your team's head above water as you hold down the fire button, keeping your rifle pointed at the endless streams of enemy aliens swarming your base.

It's just fascinating how the game plays with scale and genre like this, there's nothing else like it.

 

[carlosrox]

Doom 16

COD:BO
COD:BO2

Killzone Shadowfall (I do not understand the hate at all)

Bioshock Infinite

Black Mesa

Splatoon 1/2

Max Payne 3 Max Payne 3 Max Payne 3

 

[Quample]

Off the top of my head:

1. Halo 5
-Best multiplayer of the gen, best gameplay in the franchise. Map design was my main gripe, none of them were exceptional to me. Weapon balance is by far the best in the series as well. Like always, feature set was top tier with so many options. Skill ranks. I repeat, skill ranks. Why do so few games have skill based ranking systems? Campaign wasn't great, but I weigh multiplayer a little higher in the shooter genre; more replayability, more fun playing against real people and truly testing my skill.

2. Titanfall 2
-Overall I liked the multiplayer more than the first. Yes, a few things like map design and Titan builds were different, but TF1 had very few progression options in comparison and just wasn't as tight of an experience to me. Oh, and the campaign was seriously legit and overlooked by many. Traversal set a standard in fast pace shooters, although it's almost too much in some ways, like not being grounded in physical reality made it less amazing. Gameplay was top notch.

3. DOOM 2016
-Didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I even liked the multiplayer a lot, even though it did a shit ton wrong. Campaign showed that more cinematic linear campaigns were not the end all be all (thank god).

4. Crysis 2
-Multiplayer had its issues, but it was seriously underrated. People thought that it was copying COD and was way less original than the first games multiplayer, but I found the original to be a tacked on experience that happened to work decently. Streamlined is not always bad. The game actually had some balance to it. The perk system was also actually really well implemented. Needless to say, graphics were amazing for its time, and I found the campaign to be quite good. Gameplay itself was top notch and speedy, in some ways I prefer the super jump to Titanfall's double jump/wall running. That in combo with armor and invisibility and you can feel like a god.

5. Onward (PCVR)
It doesn't have the features of a AAA game, but it showed me what VR could do back in 2016-2017. 1 to 1 physical weapon mechanics (reloading, ADS, etc.). Pavlov stole the show, but I personally don't think it compares in a lot of ways.

6. Apex Legends
-I'm not a BR fan, but I love playing this game with my friends. Not much more to say, it has Titanfall like gameplay and it's cool to frantically upgrade your shit.

I'd include COD games, but there's something about the annual aspect of it and the way the games all share some of the same shitty attributes that I won't include any on my list. There are probably a few others that I can't think of right now.

 

[DanteMenethil]

here's nothing else like it.

Click to shrink...

You never played the Savage games? They were amazing and in the same style as NS2

 

[Saiyaman]

No specific order. Doom, Splatoon 1 & 2, Halo 5, Overwatch, Destiny 2.

Doom has the most fun single player, Halo 5 had the GOAT MP gameplay, I just wish it had more memorable MP maps.

 

[Nameless]

Bad Company 2 came out three months in and nothing's topped it yet.

 

[Deleted member 19924]

-

 

[Mauricio_Magus]

DUSK

 

[YukiroCTX]

Some of my favourite shooting games I've played not really in an particular order

• CSGO - Likely one of my most spent hours on any game but not really because of the actual base game. I played it mostly because of the mods in particular ZM/ZE where it was such a blast communicating with others socializing and working together and the constant updates the community will do to improve it was outstanding.
• Titanfall 2 - A great fast paced shooting games I've played with such incredible mobility. Such a strong campaign mode with very fun MP. The movement of the games made COD future based games itself feel so clunky in comparison.
• Battlefield 3 - There are few bad maps I dislike but there's not really an experience quite like this game even despite my grievances. Such a lot of freedom/sandbox MP that still make it stand out in the market. Premium was also packed with so much maps as well.
• TLOU:R - My favourite SP shooting game. Love the way the weapons feel, the constant stealth and going all out pacing and crafting which makes the combat versatile.
• Splatoon 2 - I think it's the most unique kind of shooting game this decade and it's a title that's refreshing to play especially if wanting to take a break from the usual realistic shooting games.
• Overwatch - I'm currently having a lot of fun with this game as I started only two months ago.

 

[Dodgerfan74]

It's Titanfall 2. Let's not overcomplicate this when there's a clear right answer.

 

[Aegis Renfro]

DOOM - the most fun
Titanfall 2 - the master class
Overwatch - the best multiplayer
BioShock Infinite - the best storytelling
DayZ - the trend-setter

With a shout-out to:
Gears of War 3
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Max Payne 3
Splatoon
Borderlands 2
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Destiny

 

[BioDigital Jazzman]

Halo 5
Overwatch
Apex legends
Titanfall 1
COD Advanced Warfare

 

[Legacy]

1. Max Payne 3
2. Wolfenstein: TNO
3. DOOM
4. COD: MW
5. Bioshock Infinite
6. Titanfall

 

[Lightjolly]

Earth Defense Force 5, Titanfall 2 and Overwatch

 

[Regiruler]

Man, I was thinking shmups when I read that title...

 

[Splader]

Top 5 for me goes Reach, Doom, Destiny, Halo 5, and Titanfall.

I don't play CoD.

 

[Vic Damone Jr.]

I'm leaning BF4, I came in towards the end and it was great.

 

[medyej]

Rainbow Six Siege as #1 for me. Amazing game, teamwork, mechanics and actually built on the design CS laid out 20 years ago. Also basically wrote the book on post-launch support which has kept it thriving still today 4 years after release.

 

[DirtyLarry]

I agree with many already said here.
Just want to throw a nod for Killzone 2. I just loved the oppressive environment and visuals.

 

[Prine]

Halo 5, MGSV, Gears 5 and RE2 Remake.

 

[Sei]

Doom
Destiny 2
CS:GO
Titanfall 2
Overwatch
PUBG
Apex Legends
Rage
Metro Exodus
Arma 3

Apex Legends - The only reason I played this game a ton was because of how fun the guns in the game are. In other aspects it is inferior to Titan Fall 2.
Rage - The only redeemable quality of this game was the shooting, it was actually great. The game ran at 60fps even on consoles, and great frame pacing on PC.
Metro Exodus - I only chose this one over Last Light because the guns were a little more interesting.

Overwatch, PUBG, CSGO - These are phenomenal shooters, they are fun to play, maybe other aspects of the games are not as great.

Destiny 2 - It has the most fun per gun in an FPS game. From Halo 1,2,3,Reach,Destiny, you can tell Bungie knows how to make a fun shooter.

Arma 3 - Have to include this one, because of how much fun I've had with many of its Mods. It's rare to see a game that attempts to take on so much at once.

 

[misho8723]

Call of Juarez Gunslinger
Metro 2033/Last Light

 

[Smidget]

PUBG for me. I love it. I still play at least every other day and have ~1,400 hours in it. Probably my all time favorite game.

 

[Deleted member 28523]

Back to Saturn X
Skulldash
Eviternity
Ancient Aliens
Sunlust
lilith.pk3
Tangerine Nightmare
Counterattack

those 8 doom wads + CS:GO and Dusk. pretty bad decade for AAA shooters

 

[Pikelet]

You never played the Savage games? They were amazing and in the same style as NS2

Click to shrink...

Nope, can't say i have played those unfortunately.

I really wish someone would take up the mantle and produce another one of these, it seems like the genre has just died out.

 

[Swiggins]

1. Doom: I don't need to say anything else. The best FPS to come out in years which managed to balance that old-school run and gun feeling whilst simultaneously feeling very fresh and new, polished to a mirror shine. Coupled with a spine-tinglingly good soundtrack, fluid controls and great level and creature design Doom 2016 was an absolute romp from start to finish. Can't wait for the sequel.

2. Titanfall 2: What do you get when you cross one of the best story campaigns in years with a balls-to-the-wall multiplayer with a skill ceiling approaching a fighting game. You get Titanfall 2 apparently. Let your blood turn to gasoline and go fast. I went slow once, it was awful.

3. Destiny 1 & 2: The most addicting game I've played in years; while Destiny might not have invented the looter-shooter genre it has polished it to a mirror shine and plopped it into the middle of the most exciting and beautiful sci-fi universes in years. Couple that with some of the tightest shooting controls on the market, deep lore, fantastic designs and one of the best gaming communities currently out there and you've got the videogame equivalent of crack-cocaine.

4. Rainbow Six Siege: The polar opposite of the previous three entries in a myriad of ways. Siege trades ultra-smooth run and gun action for a slow, methodical, tactical experience that rewards planning and level-headedness as much as twitch-reflexes. Couple that with (mostly) killer map and character designs and you've got an FPS with the depth and complexity of a puzzle-game. It's also boat-loads of fun.

5. Overwatch: The game that has come to define an entirely new sub-genre of FPS, the 'Hero Shooter', Overwatch pulled bits and pieces from all over the place to create a whole greater than the sum of it's parts. Great character designs, amazingly tight gameplay and an enthusiastic community likely means that it'll be at least somewhat in my rotation for the forseeable future.

6. Call of Duty: Black Ops 2: CoD being a yearly franchise means that no game really gets the opportunity to shine like other titles that have breaks in between (and are supported longer) but even with that being said Black Ops 2 was a true gem of a game and one of the most fun and addicting shooters of the early decade. Black Ops 2's campaign was mostly forgettable (though fun) but what truly made it stand out was the amazing multiplayer and fantastic zombies maps. The Pick 10 system might be old hat now, but it was revolutionary when BLOPS2 first released, and even today it's widely regarded as one of the most balanced CoD's in years.

7. Battlefiled 4: Battlefield is a series that I've fallen out of love with recently, however I still maintain that Battlefield 4 is one of the best multiplayer games ever developed. Large scale warfare that managed to combine infantry fighting along with vehicle combat on air, land and sea. While it might've gotten off to a rocky start Battlefield 4 eventually became a fantastically polished game with an incredible amount of content and some truly unforgettable moments.

 

[Log!]

In no order:
Doom 2016: It's like a AAA follow-up to Painkiller, and Painkiller is my favorite FPS game of all time.
Shadow Warrior: It's like a AA follow-up to Painkiller, and Painkiller is my favorite FPS game of all time.
Splatoon 1/2: It did things few games would dare to try and made them work, and had an awesome style. Also, Marina best girl.
Vanquish: Easily the best cover-based shooter I've ever played. Too bad it was so short.
Dusk: It's the successor to the original Quake I've always wanted. Probably my favorite FPS this decade.
Amid Evil: I miss the days when Raven Software made games, and not CoD map packs.
Serious Sam 3: I liked this game. It didn't have the ridiculous presentation of 2 and it wasn't as awesome as 2nd Encounter, but I've played way worse games.
Ion Maiden: I really have nothing to say about the game except that I really enjoyed it and can't help but marvel at the shit the devs managed to pull off with the Build Engine.
The Darkness II: I preferred the comic book-inspired look of the game over the original, and the gameplay loop was much more fast-paced.

Kinda sad that I can count the number of games I enjoyed this last decade on 2 hands and still have a finger left over. I really need to try Titanfall 2.

 

[Con_Smith]

The love for and flowers being given to Max Payne 3 makes me happy. The ebb and flow to that game when you were playing legit people makes me angry we couldn't have gotten a cross gen version as I feel that would have really thrived.

splatoon for its quirky ness and Titanfall for some of the tightest feeling action it brought to the genre.

 

[Nexus2049]

1. Resistance 3
2. Spec Ops The Line
3. Wolfenstein TNO/TNC

 

[FakePlasticTree]

This one

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Halo: Reach
Borderlands 2
Vanquish
Titanfall 2

Haven't played but I think Doom and Max Payne 3 would rank.

 

[DC5remy]

Doom all the way.

 

[ZSJ]

Multiplayer: CSGO and really there was no competition. My god the other competitive shooters suck.

Campaign: Vanquish, Max Payne 3, Titanfall 2

 

[Deleted member 56752]

Seeing so many people love doom 2016 warms my heart. Hugo Martin and the team really get it

 

[Star-Lord]

CSGO
Doom
Battlefield 4
Killzone shadowfall
Overwatch

 

[CallMeShaft]

Bad Company 2, Black Ops 2, Gears 3, Bioshock Infinite, and Apex Legends were all amazing shooters, but none deserve the crown for best shooter of the decade. That recognition deserves to go to Titanfall 2, which had a one of a kind single player campaign and quite possibly the most addicting multiplayer I've ever played. If you have PS Plus, do not forget about grabbing this while it's free this month.

I will accept OG Titanfall as runner-up.

 

[Kasey]

Gears 5
Gears 4
Gears 3
Titanfall
Gotham City Imposters
Doom
Monday Night Combat
Shadow Warrior 2
Alan Wake American Nightmare
Spec Ops The Line
Titanfall 2

 

[GamerJM]

Didn't play a lot of FPS games this decade, or in general, but my top 5 is probably a ridiculously spicy hot take

1. Halo 4
2. Red Steel 2
3. Titanfall 2

I still like Halo 4 quite a bit less than 3, but it was one of my most played games this decade and defined my first two years of college. To me it's a lot better than Halo 5 and the perfect middleground between Halo and CoD. There's nothing else I've played like Red Steel 2, and it had some of the best use of motion controls. Titanfall 2 is just an overall solid little game, one that does everything it sets out to do.

Tidbits:
-I know almost everyone doesn't consider it to be one, but if you consider Portal 2 to be an FPS then it would make the top of this list.
-I really appreciate DOOM but I didn't finish it and I don't know if I ever will. In terms of pure mechanics it's likely the best FPS game this decade, but man are those levels long. I played through less than half of the game and I feel like I sort of got my fill.
-Overwatch is basura where gimmicky class abilities matter more than anything else. Give me Team Fortress over this any day of the week.

Edit: Oh wait, I misread this as FPS games. For another spicy hot take here's my actual top 3 then:

1. Splatoon
2. EX Troopers
3. Splatoon 2

Shout-outs to the shooting sections in Kid Icarus: Uprising, which are an honorable number 4 and better than any of the FPS games. Splatoon is mechanically way more fun and easier to get into than any of the traditional FPS games. EX Troopers having autoaim makes the game all about movement, which is a lot more fun to me than trying to control a cursor with precision.

 

[Linus815]

Max Payne 3. Just incredibly well crafted all around, amazing gunplay, hit reactions, perfect blend of realistic animations and responsive feel and the slowmo/shootdodge combined with the cover mechanics actually works super well, the game feels like a playable action movie.