I Hate Modern FPS Games, But I Still Love These Games

Let's face it, a ton of modern FPS games aren't "fun" if players aren't sweaty enough. What "fun" there is to be had is often replaced by. Weapon options not in the meta are just trash to sift through, and you're no good if you're not using a character in an extremely specific way. There's not much room for filthy casuals; you lock in and win, or get bullied into uninstalling the game for falling behind.

That said, not the entirety of the FPS scene is like that. Every now and then, come titles that shake things up. Some of them shoot their shots from hit IPs, a "return to form" of a gaming classic, or even a spinoff that had a life of its own. Rare is the game or two that would otherwise check all the "modern FPS" boxes had it not been for some enjoyable parts (and if I don't end up tilting in a match).

We'll focus on big hitters in the FPS genre, not indie shooters.

Halo Infinite

Give Halo The Full Open-World Treatment

• Takes the high-octane Halo formula into an open-world
• Nonlinear storytelling empowers players with the choice of how to proceed with Master Chief's story
• New Grappleshot vastly improves maneuverability

Those after a change of pace from high-intensity FPS can enjoy Halo Infinite and its return to form, to the arena shooter "feel" of the original Halo trilogy. Set after the events of Halo 5: Guardians, Master Chief ventures into the ringworld Zeta Halo and wages a one-man war against the mercenaries of the Banished. Unlike the "grander" scale of other Halo stories, Halo Infinite grounds the player in a more personal tale between Master Chief and Cortana - perhaps two of modern gaming's most recognizable characters.

This time around, Halo Infinite is an open-world title with players calling the shots when to engage with the Master Chief's story. Taking cues from other open-world FPS titles like Far Cry, players have an assortment of Banished towers to destroy, Forward Operating Bases to capture, and Marine squads to rescue as they use the new Grappleshot to traverse terrain and even attack foes. Beyond the story is Halo Infinite's enjoyable multiplayer component with familiar capture the flag and deathmatch variants - perfect for firefights in larger settings.

Destiny 2

Spectacular Mythical Sci-Fi Is A Fresh Sight In FPS

• "Mythic sci-fi" description reflected in engaging, pseudo-philosophical lore.
• Looter-shooter RPG elements kept fresh with engaging team-based gameplay
• Public events keep downtimes engaging even for casuals

Despite issues surrounding Bungie and its content sunsetting policies, the sheer depth of Destiny 2 and its lore make for a worthwhile alternative to modern hyper-competitive FPS titles. Being a sci-fi shooter, Destiny 2 does offer features par for the course: high-tech armor, customizable guns, and skills-based gameplay split across agile Hunters, utility-heavy Warlocks, and tanky Titans. The game also offers dynamic PvE, PvP, and PvPvE modes that accommodate 3-player and 6-player fireteams, public events perfect for downtime in between sessions, or even outright free-for-all deathmatches.

However, where Destiny 2 outshines most other FPS titles is in the lore department. To start with, subclasses and damage types are tied to how Light manifests as electromagnetism (Arc), heat and fire (Solar), and in spacetime (Void), while the Darkness is tied to the reduction of entropy (Stasis) and psionics (Strand). As players unravel the depth of the Traveler and the Darkness's conflict, so too will they learn the intricacies of the many races dragged into their conflict. Thanks to individual lore entries in items and those curated inside the in-game Collections, players can immerse themselves in their role in the universe's final paracausal fight while in high-octane matches.

Apex Legends

High-Speed, Ability-Heavy Battle Royale Never Gets Old

• Ability-focused gameplay adds more entertainment value to a battle royale
• Wacky physics due to skill interactions turn environments into more strategic components in a match

Originally built as a spinoff to cash in on Titanfall's success, Apex Legends became a whole new beast in a growing battle royale market with its emphasis on Legend skills and high-speed plays. While today's Apex Legends scene is a shadow of its former self with stale lore and the occasional bots (with Respawn promising much-awaited changes), there's still enough fun to be had, grabbing a favorite Legend and blasting through solo queue or inviting a friend or two for duos, trios, and even quads.

Anyone who's ever played a battle royale will be halfway familiar with Apex Legends already: go to the safe zone, avoid the walls of fiery death, get gear, kill everyone else. The other half has to do with Legends who have access to tracking vision, healing bots, drones, black holes, holographic clones, and teleports. Legends are classified by the way they influence a match, be it through heavy-duty combat (Assaults), fast-paced firefights (Skirmishers), tracking and reconnaissance (Recon), locking down areas (Controllers), and keeping the team alive (Support). Relying on a go-to kit alone or combining skills with friends guarantees matches with a wild assortment of effects thrown in left and right - all for the sake of ending up in the final showdown.

Insurgency: Sandstorm

High-Octane, Realistic Take On FPS

• Minimal HUD and no map forces more focus on the surroundings, improving immersion
• Added bullet lethality makes each firefight more tactical and decisive

In a gaming scene where "realistic FPS" is often tied to extraction shooters, Insurgency: Sandstorm gives a more mature approach to tactical FPS compared to classic Call of Duty and Battlefield games. Unlike the latter titles, Insurgency offers very limited HUD support as they force players to pay attention to audio-visual cues and slight changes to the environment. Bullets are made more lethal, and ammo is much scarcer, adding a resource management element to the game. Combined with a slate of specialized classes, Insurgency definitely lets players feel the direct impact of both their skill and tactical acuity applied in every match.

Firefights are in largely urban settings with an abundance of chokepoints, so players need to pay extra attention to ambushes and unexpected enemies. Despite its approach to realism, the game takes itself seriously enough that gamers are just encouraged to lock in - their characters are dependent on how attentive they are. The game also offers a nostalgic slate of PvP game modes and even the ability to add AI in co-op missions - perfect for players in the mood to socialize or who wouldn't mind bots in a casual session.

Rainbow Six Siege

The Definitive Co-Op Tactical FPS Experience

• Authentic siege situations featuring fully destructible walls and ceilings
• Noise physics, crawling, strafing, and destructible environments make for the ideal tactical experience
• Gadget-dense, navigation-heavy gameplay makes for more decisive gunfights compared to high-octane FPS counterparts

Set in the same universe as the acclaimed Rainbow Six series, Rainbow Six Siege possesses the same strategic pedigree of its parent franchise - this time cranked to 100 thanks to its authentic approach to combat, focus on gadgets, obsession with map awareness, and destructible environments. Where other FPS games have rounds that last minutes, Rainbow Six Siege firefights last for seconds and often begin when a step is heard, or a silhouette is sighted. Matches alternate player teams as Attackers and Defenders, with each round allowing them to choose new Operators who possess unique gadgets and loadouts.

The loop is as follows: Attackers prepare the assault by scouting ahead with drones while Defenders get a head start, reinforcing their immediate environment. While its core gameplay loop revolves around the bomb-defusal format, Operators influence the match in tried and true "tacticool" fashion, whether as flashy gunfighters (Entry), with critical utility (Support), specialists (Flex), defensive lockdowns (Anchor), and counter-attackers (Roamer). Getting "sweaty" over the right rotations, memorizing the best angles, and synergizing with teammates are hallmarks of the Siege experience - but the gameplay loop is just so unique that it immerses players once they get a taste of their potential. Everyone is just as weak to bullets as the next guy, and flicking isn't a demand but more of a second nature.

Hunt: Showdown 1896

Extraction Shooter With A Western Horror Twist

• Western and cosmic horror theme, a fresh take on FPS
• Persistent PvEvP component makes each match unique in terms of approach

The Western motif of Hunt: Showdown 1896 gives both FPS and extraction shooters a fresh lens, especially when its period-accurate weaponry suddenly has to square against otherworldly forces. Being an extraction shooter, Hunt: Showdown 1896 has a familiar premise: get in, get loot, get out. The game blends this within a bounty hunting mechanic: matches send players on a race to stalk, find, and kill a monstrous target. Even what's left of the target counts, as the hunter who scores the kill gets flagged for everyone to see. The game can get intense as an extraction shooter, but Hunt prefaces this early on - and it's easy to get immersed in a world that is harsh to both newcomers and pros.

What makes Hunt: Showdown 1896 a compelling play is its persistent progression. The game runs on a permadeath system, and loot players get in one match gets carried over - a worthwhile reward for actually surviving the horrors of risking yet another hunt. Combined with classic extraction shooter elements such as attention to detail, map awareness, and even advanced sound physics, Hunt: Showdown 1896 will keep players on an adrenaline rush far more than clutch moments.

Call Of Duty: Warzone

Give Battle Royale The AAA Shooter Treatment

• Kill Streaks return through Buy Stations, adding that layer of OG Call of Duty to a modern gameplay format.
• Contracts and Events add welcome variety to in-match events aside from survival.
• Gulag "afterlife" mechanic in the Battle Royale mode gives players a second chance to get back into the game, making matches more dynamic.

Although Call of Duty: Warzone is often labeled as the "battle royale Call of Duty" experience, this is only partially true. Besides traditional "Battle Royale," there are two other Warzone game modes: "Plunder" (unlimited respawns in a race-to-million mayhem) and "Resurgence" (rebirth-on-time mechanic lets squad-mates resurface upon death). While Warzone does carry its Call of Duty heritage of over-the-top shooter action, all of this happening across vast environments lets the free-to-play game reinvigorate the appeal of the franchise.

Feature depth makes Warzone stand out compared to its other battle royale counterparts. Besides a closing-in circle of death are player-tied Contracts and match-wide Events that reward XP and points, which players can then use in Buy Stations to purchase equipment as well as Kill Streaks (yes, including airstrikes). A standout feature in Warzone is the Gulag, an "afterlife" where players killed for the first time have a shot at going back to the fight if they kill another recently departed. Players who want a change of pace from formulaic shooters will appreciate the new depth Warzone offers as a free experience.

The Finals

Give FPS The Fully-Destructible Treatment

• Fully destructible environments and structures add a new layer of interactivity.
• Stealing someone else's wins (and defending one's own) makes for an exciting premise.

Most shooter titles often emphasize high-octane gunfights in thematic set-pieces, so The Finals became quite the surprise hit for capitalizing on dynamic environments and emergent gameplay. Playthroughs revolve around maps to secure cash to earn points, with the gameplay loop incorporating limited respawns, loadouts tied to playstyles, and the whole map being a "variable" to work with. The game encourages players to use the environment to their advantage - travel quickly with jump pads, manipulate terrain with effects, create limited structures for cover, and even destroy buildings.

Players who want even more thrills can venture into more The Finals modes, such as Power Shift, where they attack or defend a floating base, Point Break, where they capture or destroy locations, and the occasional limited-time engagements. The fact that in-game lore of The Finals revolves around a televised VR competition with virtual "audiences" and running commentary just gives the game an extra layer of style that is absent anywhere else.

Valorant

Straightforward Matches Perfect For Crazy Physics And Agent Abilities

• Combines gunplay with ability-based combat, featuring Agents with different skillsets and abilities
• Ability-based physics and mobility-enabled verticality add new layers to firefights.
• Familiar bomb-defusal format with traditional deathmatch modes makes it easy to pick up and play.

While higher-ELO Competitive in Valorant remains a bloodbath between insta-flick superstars and toxic smurfs, there's still a lot of fun to be had in the hero shooter. Despite infamous Chamber nerfs, Valorant remains a fresh change of pace from military shooters with its crazy physics, emphasis on verticality, and ability-based gameplay. With 29 Agents and counting - all with unique skills and playstyles - no one match ever gets repetitive. Put these layers on top of the ever-familiar bomb defusal format, and Valorant matches become a challenge of gunplay, ability management, and map familiarity. Make no mistake, grinding Valorant Competitive is just as torturous as League, but the experience becomes just tolerable enough with friends.

Players who can't flick like TenZ can always master lineups to turn maps into their personal playground. There's always an Agent for every playstyle, be it aggressive gunplay and mobility (Duelists), defense and utility (Sentinels), reconnaissance and first engagements (Initiators), or even area control and denial (Controllers). If Competitive gets too sweaty, players can engage in no-risk Unrated, faster-paced Swiftplay, and quick-fire Spike Rush, Deathmatch, and Team Deathmatch Modes. There's no shortage of opportunities for Valorant to become both hyper-competitive and very chill.