Nightdive Studios / Gibson Vasela
My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
The year is winding down and coming to an end. With 2024 just on the horizon, I think that now is a perfect time to sit back and reflect on some of the great games that came out this year. Specifically, the first-person shooters.
There are usually so many FPS games released each and every year, so deciding which ones to get can be tricky. But luckily for you, I’ll be narrowing down what I feel are the top 5 must-play newly released games for this genre. I’ll be touching on what I liked about them, and I’ll compare them to other titles you might have played.
#5 – Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun
I’ve played quite a lot of Boomer Shooters over the years, from classics like Blood to modern releases like Dusk. I can safely say that if you enjoyed those types of games, you are sure to love one of the latest entries in the Warhammer series. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a sci-fi boomer shooter with a large amount of enemy variety and some really big guns.
The game reminds me a lot of Doom (2016) and Doom: Eternal. You are encouraged to get up close and personal with enemies, and the guns you use feel big and meaty. There’s also a large amount of blood and gore, which is pretty much a staple in most boomer shooters. I can’t recommend this enough if you really love 90s retro shooters.
#4 – Atomic Heart
Some people may disagree with me on this, but I really loved Atomic Heart. Sure, the story was a bit rough around the edges and the open-world segments were pretty obnoxious, but for the most part I really enjoyed my time with it. In Atomic Heart, you play as P-3, a KGB agent who finds himself in the middle of a robot apocalypse, armed with a variety of weapons and a special glove that grants him unique abilities.
This is an action-RPG/FPS hybrid that allows you to choose from several different abilities. You can do things like create a force field to protect yourself or even use an anti-gravity ability to send enemies flying into the air! The game allows you to pick and upgrade several skills, and rewards experimentation by letting you get full refunds on your abilities. I recommend this game if you love games like Wolfenstein and Bioshock. Just make sure to play the game with Russian dialogue enabled.
#3 – BattleBit Remastered
BattleBit Remastered was an unexpected game to come out this year. It was a “Surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.” as the cool kids would say. This is an online multiplayer FPS that can support matches of up to 254 players! If I had to describe the game, I’d say it’s a mixture of all the good modern Battlefield games as well as Roblox. That’s not a combination you’d expect to work, but it certainly does here.
You’ll be able to choose from several different classes and dozens and dozens of different weapons. There is also vehicle combat that will let you use a variety of modern war machines. And of course, there are destructible environments that react to the actions of players. It’s one of the best multiplayer FPS games out right now. Even though it’s still in early access as of December 2023, it’s still worth your time.
#2 – System Shock
System Shock (2023) is the prime example of a remake done right. The game completely rebuilds the original from the ground up, bringing us beautiful new graphics, significantly improved UI and controls, a much spookier atmosphere, and so many other great changes. This is not only one of the best shooters to be released in 2023, but one of the best remakes of all time.
The game sees you explore a desolate space station after it has been taken over by a rouge AI. You’ll navigate through maze-like environments, carefully peeking around each corner to lookout for whatever creatures hide in the dark. This game feels a lot like a tactical shooter, as you have limited ammo and healing items and the game rewards slow and cautious gameplay. I recommend it if you love tactical shooters or were a fan of games like Bioshock and Prey (2017).
#1 – Robocop: Rogue City
Finally, in first place on this list of the Top 5 FPSs of 2023, we have Robocop: Rogue City! This is a sick science fiction game set in the same universe as the 1980s movie Robocop. It’s a first-person shooter/action RPG, allowing you to level up your skills and create your own unique playstyle.
This game really surprised a lot of people. Movie games are typically pretty bad, yet this is one of the best FPS games to come out in recent years. Combat is exciting and never repetitious, and picking your skills feels satisfying and rewarding. The story is also well done, and overall it’s just a really solid experience that I don’t have a lot of complaints about.
You must sign in to comment.
Don't have an account? Sign up here!