Best of
The best shooters
Aim, hit, move on. Shooters live off the feel of the weapon in your hands and the pace, and that is exactly what separates the good ones from the many. This list covers both sides: the competitive arenas and the titles that carry you through a real campaign.
This list in numbers
- 144 games in this category
- 90 average rating of the top 30
- 13 median playtime in hours
- 34 release years covered (1992 to 2026)
- 9 of 30 playable in co-op
- 22 of 30 are cheap or free
Why these three lead
GoldenEye 007 takes the top spot with 96 out of 100, followed by Half-Life at 96 and Resident Evil 4 (Remake 2023) at 95. All three clear the 90 point average of this list, and the gap to the rest of the field is small enough that your own taste matters more than the ranking.
How this list is put together
I start from every game in the database that fits this category, currently 144, and sort them by the aggregated critic rating. The 30 highest scoring titles make the list. No publisher can pay to appear here, and the affiliate links have no effect on the order. The full method is explained under how I pick.
- 01 96/100
GoldenEye 007 Details
This N64 shooter is regarded as a pioneer of the console first person shooter and is available as a remaster through the Nintendo Switch Online expansion pack. Its varied missions and legendary split screen multiplayer made it a cult title.
- 02 96/100
Half-Life Details
As scientist Gordon Freeman, players fight through a research facility where a failed experiment has triggered an alien invasion. The 2004 Source release adds improved physics and visuals over the original 1998 version.
- 03 95/100
Resident Evil 4 (Remake 2023) Details
Described in detail under The best horror games
PCPlayStationXboxMobileSwitch - 04 94/100
Metroid Prime Remastered Details
Samus Aran explores the eerie planet Tallon IV in first-person, gathering abilities that progressively unlock new paths. The 2023 remaster brings back the 2002 genre milestone with modernized graphics and controls.
- 05 93/100
BioShock Infinite Details
Booker DeWitt travels to the floating city of Columbia to free the mysterious Elizabeth, and stumbles onto rifts in reality between dimensions. It blends fast paced Vigor abilities with one of gaming's most famous twists.
PCPlayStationXbox - 06 92/100
System Shock 2 Details
Described in detail under The best horror games
- 07 91/100
Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve Details
Described in detail under The best simulation games
XboxPCPlayStation - 08 91/100
- 09 91/100
Ultrakill Details
A bloodthirsty robot blasts through Hell at breakneck speed, earning style points for creative combos of shotgun, chainsaw blade and parries. This stylized retro inspired shooter demands precision and constant aggression rather than cover.
- 10 90/100
- 11 90/100
Deathloop Details
Colt is trapped in a time loop on the island of Blackreef and must eliminate all eight targets within a single day to escape. Each loop reveals new information while another player occasionally invades as a rival.
PCPlayStationXbox - 12 90/100
Deus Ex Details
In a near future torn apart by conspiracies, agent JC Denton investigates terrorism and the secret schemes of powerful organizations. The game is considered a milestone for blending role-playing, shooter mechanics and immersive-sim freedom.
- 13 90/100
Far Cry 3 Details
On a tropical archipelago full of pirates and madness, Jason Brody fights for survival and to rescue his friends. The shooter establishes the series' open world formula with towers, outposts and a legendary villain.
PCPlayStationXbox - 14 90/100
- 15 90/100
TimeSplitters 2 Details
Time-traveling mercenaries fight through offbeat eras from the Stone Age to the future, packed with a huge weapon arsenal and plenty of split-screen chaos. The 2002 cult shooter thrives especially on its legendary map editor and silly humor.
PlayStationXbox - 16 89/100
- 17 89/100
Battlefield 1
The shooter drops players into the trenches and battlefields of World War I, featuring massive vehicle battles and up to 64 players per match. The short campaign offers several vignettes from different perspectives of the war.
PCPlayStationXbox - 18 89/100
Contra III: The Alien Wars
This brutally difficult SNES run and gun title is considered the peak of the classic Contra series and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Varied perspective shifts and explosive boss fights make it a hidden gem for genre veterans.
Switch - 19 89/100
- 20 89/100
- 21 89/100
Far Cry
On a tropical archipelago, players fight mercenaries and mutated creatures across sprawling, tactically open areas. Revolutionary draw distances and AI behavior for its time set new standards in the shooter genre.
- 22 89/100
Left 4 Dead 2 Details
Described in detail under The best horror games
- 23 89/100
- 24 89/100
Star Fox 64
This on rails space shooter set new standards with Rumble Pak feedback and branching routes and is playable today through Nintendo Switch Online. Iconic voice lines like Do a barrel roll turned it into a pop culture phenomenon.
Switch - 25 89/100
Titanfall 2 Details
An often underrated campaign with brilliant parkour movement and inventive time travel levels hides behind a solid mech multiplayer. The bond between pilot and titan robot remains one of a kind.
PCPlayStationXbox - 26 88/100
- 27 88/100
- 28 88/100
- 29 88/100
Gears 5 Details
Kait Diaz takes center stage and uncovers the origins of the Locust threat while brutal cover based firefights rage against hordes of monsters. Both the campaign and Horde mode can be played fully in co-op.
- 30 88/100
Halo Infinite Details
Master Chief returns in an openly designed campaign on a shattered Halo ring to fight the Banished. The free to play multiplayer delivers classic arena shootouts and extensive battle pass content.
Worth reading on this
Common questions
- How many games of this kind are in the database?
- There are currently 144. This page shows the 30 with the highest critic rating, so nothing below that cut is missing by accident, it simply scored lower.
- What is the single best pick right now?
- GoldenEye 007, with 96 out of 100. That said, the top of this list sits within a few points, so the second or third entry may fit your evening better.
- How much time do these games ask for?
- The median across this list is about 13 hours. 22 of the 30 entries are finished in fifteen hours or less if you are short on time.
- Can I play these with friends?
- 9 of the 30 entries support co-op. The rest are built as single player experiences.
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