As someone who grew up in an era when there would seldom be a game on the shelves where you weren’t playing as a super-soldier gunning through enemies, let it be known that I understand if you can’t stomachtraditional FPS games.
9 Forgotten PS3 FPS Games You Need To Play
Underrated shooters that may have slipped under your radar.
While the constant run-and-gun action appeals to many gamers, this format can feel mindless, tedious, or downright uninteresting for some.
A lot of these games tend to feel exactly the same, mirroring some sort of war flick or Hollywood blockbuster, often providing style or substance and filler content galore.
But there are FPS games that offer palatable experiences for non-fans, either providing FPS experiences that feel like a breath of fresh air within the genre or that feel like a departure from the genre entirely.
So, to show you that the FPS genre might have something for you after all, here are some FPS games that you’ll love, even if you aren’t usually a fan of the genre.
10SUPERHOT
Matrix-Style Gunplay
In theory, SUPERHOT should feellike a traditional FPS gamein every sense, as it’s a game comprised of a series of short levels where you need to defeat a set number of enemies to progress, using rather basic melee and gunplay to do so.
However, thanks to the time-based mechanics, which means that time only moves when you do. Suddenly these simplistic FPS levels are transformed to feel like puzzles to solve.
It makes each level feel like a dance you need to learn. Only in this scenario, a misstep with this choreography could cost you your life.
It’s super-stylish, super accessible even for the biggest FPS novice, and best of all, it feels so detached from the modern warfare theme of today’s FPS titles, making it a must-play.
9Boomerang X
These ‘Rangs Got Fangs
Boomerang X
When taking out waves of enemies, it’s undeniable that guns are pretty useful in that scenario. However, it turns out that a mystical boomerang is a surprisingly serviceable alternative.
This title has you play through a short, but very sweet and satisfying arena shooter. But, instead of shooting, you’ll be dashing through the air, platforming with precision, and tossing a boomerang at your foes.
This game is less about precision aim, ammo conservation, or shooting from cover. Instead, it’s about staying on the move, maintaining momentum, and picking your moments to strike and move.
It feels nothing like an FPS title, and yet it wholeheartedly belongs within the genre. So, if you have been burned by FPS games before, give this one a try.
8Neon White
A Heavenly Experience
Neon White
Speaking of FPS games all about maintaining momentum, we have Neon White. A game from the mind of Ben Espositio which allows you to attack time trials in a way that only a pro speedrunner would.
But, thanks to the game’s ability to allow for experimentation and game-breaking shortcuts, while also keeping things accessible, even those that have absolutely no speedrunning potential will feel like they do when playing this title.
The FPS aspect plays second fiddle to the game’s tight movement and platforming, with gunplay only serving as a vehicle to trigger chain reactions and allow you to keep moving toward the finish line.
Honestly, it feels more like a racing game than a traditional FPS at times, and provided you may handle the cheesy dialogue, you’ll be in for a heavenly treat if you pick this one up.
Life As A Lab Rat
While Portal 2 may be the more cinematic and action-packed of the two, I would argue that as a thoughtful blend of FPS and puzzle game mechanics, the original just about outshines the sequel.
Portal allows you to make use of a traditional run-and-gun FPS format to get around Aperture Labs andshoot off rounds from your Portal gun. But, you aren’t shooting off harmful bullets, but instead, dimensional portals that allow you to platform and solve the mind-bending puzzles the game has in store for you.
Plus, the original game’s story, the blend of helplessness brought upon you by oppressive overseers, and the comical ‘cake is a lie’ shtick are wonderfully implemented.
You’ll need to be a puzzle fan to get the most out of this one, but if you fancy a cerebral workout, then you can’t go wrong with this classic.
6Deathloop
Kill Or Be Killed
Despite being one of the games on this list that leans into a lot of the shooter mechanics of traditional FPS games on the market, it has to be said that Deathloop is so much more than just a basic shooter experience.
In fact, the gunplay is really only a facilitator for the action that ensues as a result of the more prominent and profound aspects of the game.
First and foremost, the game is a time loop puzzle that needs to be solved by exploring, gathering pieces of the puzzle, and zooming out to get the full picture, allowing you to kill all your targets and roll credits.
But, alongside this, the game also offers refined stealth mechanics that are reminiscent of another Arkane product yet to come on this list.
It’s a game that wasperhaps awarded the GOTY award ahead of some more deserving winners, but even still, it’s a fantastic game and one that demands your time and attention.
5Pistol Whip
John Wick But Funky
Pistol Whip
I can understand if someone can’t get immersed in an FPS epic if you’re just sitting there, hiding behind cover, holding a controller as bullets go passing by.
However, the immersion really steps up a gear when the bullets are literally coming at you, and you need to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge to avoid them.
That’s the general experience of Pistol Whip, an on-rails VR shooter in which you’ll need to avoid gunfire and take out enemies with pistols akimbo while awesome beats play as you go.
But, the additional layer of excellence is that this arcade shooter awards players for shooting enemies to the beat. Which means it’s less about being a sharpshooter, and more about being a snazzy mover.
Just think Dance Dance Revolution meets Time Crisis, and you won’t be too far off. If that doesn’t sound like a good time to you, then I don’t know how else to sell it.
Cor, Blimey
Rebellion is known mainly for theirmodern FPS series, Sniper Eilte. Which, in case you aren’t aware, is about as true to the FPS genre as you’re able to possibly imagine, making it something that doesn’t belong on this list.
However, its sister title, Atomfall, certainly deserves a place here. This is because this game takes the gunplay of Sniper Elite and then scales back to offer combat that has less of a tactical espionage focus and more of a bar brawl feel.
Then, on top of that, the game has an immersive sim structure with no defined quests, it has a northern British theme that has seldom featured in gaming, and it offers a structure that allows you to engage in combat or ignore it entirely if that’s what you want to do.
It’s as much of a traditional FPS as you want it to be, and that’s why those who want to break into the genre might just take to this Blighty-based hit.
3PowerWash Simulator
Scrubs Up Well
PowerWash Simulator
If you’re in the market for something that plays like an FPS game, but has none of the action, the stakes, or the perils of a classic shooter. Then, I’m here to inform you that the game you’re looking for is PowerWash Simulator.
This game is effectively an adult coloring book in reverse, allowing you to wield a powerful power washer as you would do with an M16 in a Call of Duty game to scrub dirt from all kinds of things.
It’s cathartic, therapeutic and there’s oodles of content that will keep you cleaning for hours on end. Sure, ripping and tearing in DOOM can be cathartic too, but PowerWash Simulatoris a much more wholesome experience.
Some may find this one mind-numbingly boring, but I would say try it regardless, because even though it sounds dull, it’s strangely addictive.
2Mirror’s Edge
Hardcore Parkour
Mirror’s Edge
I’ve played Mirror’s Edge several times over, and know the rooftops of this game’s dystopian city like the back of my hand. Yet, I often forget that this game is actually an FPS shooter where gunplay is a viable option.
However, that’s really not the primary focus of the game at all, as this game is all about embracing the art of parkour to find the best routes, maintain momentum, and evade enemies rather than getting bogged down and locked into a fire-fight.
Few games before or since have implemented free-running traversal quite as well or as seamlessly as this title, and while the sequel left a lot to be desired. The original is a timeless classic, and one well worth revisiting today.
1Dishonored
A Stealth-Based Masterclass
Dishonored
As promised, here is the other Arkane classic that this list plays host to, and again, much like Deathloop, Dishonored does have a lot of traditional FPS mechanics present, allowing you be operate as a maniacal killer if you choose to do so.
However, if you choose to play this way, you’re really missing the point. As Dishonored, to this day, is still arguably the finest stealth-based game in existence. Allowing you to operate as a ghost, slipping in and out of each level without ever being seen or heard.
Your guns and melee weapons, as well as your outsider-given powers, should really be seen as a last resort. Sticking to the shadows is the way to go, and come the game’s end, you’ll really thank yourself for being super-sneaky.
Dishonored 2 is also a top-tier option, but while Dishonored probably has the best individual level in the series, the original remains the best holistic experience.
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