Looking for a new first-person shooter to enjoy with your friends or on your own? These are the 5 best FPS games available to you in 2023.
Rainbow Six Siege
Even though Siege was released all the way back in 2015, it remains one of the best shooters out there even today. The game continues to receive regular updates in the form of gameplay tweaks and brand-new content so that even 8 years after launch, Siege still has something new and exciting to offer. The game offers a plethora of different classes, systems, gadgets and weapons, which means just picking it up and playing as a complete newbie can seem like a daunting task. Don’t be put off by the seeming complexity of Siege, though. Once you get going, it’s easier than it looks.
Siege is a tactical online shooter that is centered around battles between attackers and defenders. The attackers usually have to rescue a hostage, defuse a bomb or take control of a certain objective. The job of the defenders is to stop all that from happening. The levels in Siege are almost entirely destructible, so you’re free to blast holes into walls to create new pathways to your objectives. Unlike many other popular modern shooters, Siege is heavily reliant on teamwork and communication. So grab a couple of friends, build a strong squad, and outsmart the opposition!
Far Cry 6
Looking to take a break from Siege’s intense teamwork, or are you just missing a nice tropical holiday? In both of those cases, Far Cry 6 has got you covered. You play as Dani Royas, a young revolutionary fighting for freedom against the villainous dictator Anton Castillo on the island of Yara. You can get into a gunfight in a nice seaside bar, blow up military convoys on a scenic coastal highway and send your pet crocodile to munch on the dictator’s henchmen. Yes, really, you get your own pet crocodile in Far Cry 6.
There’s a lot to do and even more to explore in Far Cry 6. The map is massive and filled with a wide variety of activities. You’re also free to develop your character with experience points gained from completing missions to fit your playstyle. Do you want to ram down the front door of every military base and go in guns blazing? Or are you a master of stealth, using silenced sniper rifles, throwing knives and quiet takedowns to achieve your objectives? No matter your chosen approach, even the best-laid plans don’t often survive contact with the enemy. Sometimes it’s just better to improvise and send your pet crocodile to do the dirty work for you. He can be surprisingly effective!
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2022)
There’s a reason Modern Warfare 2 became one of the best-selling video games of 2022. It offers fast-paced gameplay; exciting unlocks, a solid single-player campaign and drop-dead gorgeous visuals. It’s a strong step up from the lukewarmly received Call of Duty: Vanguard, with a selection of excellent maps, a wide variety of customisable weapons and a completely new battle pass which gives players a bigger choice about which items to unlock. Modern Warfare 2 is a good choice for any shooter, whether you’re looking for strong teamwork with friends or just going in as a lone wolf for a couple of quick high-octane games.
The single-player campaign in Modern Warfare 2 is decent, offering a slew of thrilling spectacles that would feel right at home in massive Hollywood action movies. The main event, however, is the multiplayer. You can expect a large variety of game modes for both bigger and smaller teams, a huge number of operators to unlock and a lot of weapons to level up and customize. And then there’s the massively popular Battle Royale mode Warzone, which recently received a huge update, introducing a brand new map and a bunch of other new improvements. By the way, Warzone is available for free, so just download it and check it out before deciding to purchase the main Modern Warfare 2 game.
If you’re jumping into Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, be sure to check out our tips for dominating the battlefield.
Escape from Tarkov
Escape from Tarkov is a good fit for players looking for something more difficult and hardcore. There’s no gung-ho running and gunning here. All your actions have to be thought through and methodical; otherwise your chances of making it out alive will be extremely slim. Escape from Tarkov is more of a military simulator than a casual shooter. For example, your limbs have to be individually healed with specific medical equipment when you’re injured. Your weapon is fully customizable down to even the smallest parts, and it really matters how you build your weapon. There are no helpful ammo counters, so you have to manually check your magazine to see how many bullets you have left. And even if an enemy misses you, their bullet can ricochet and still injure you.
Your goal In Escape from Tarkov is to get out of the battlefield in one piece. Usually, you are dropped off on one side of a huge map and given the objective of reaching the extraction point. That point, of course, is usually on the other side of the map. On the way there, you have to loot for equipment and fight both other players and computer-controlled AI combatants. In addition to fighting, you can also develop your home base and sell the loot gathered from the battlefield at the flea market. Develop a good relationship with the traders by completing quests for them, and you’ll get access to better items. Be careful, though, because when you go down in battle, and someone loots your equipment, it’s gone for good.
Hell Let Loose
Hell Let Loose is a perfect fit for history buffs who enjoy working together as a team. The game offers 50v50 battles on the Western and Eastern fronts of World War II. The maps were created to be as accurate to their real-life counterparts as possible. The developers used historical documents, pictures and satellite imagery to recreate World War II battlefields with street-level accuracy. For example, the Sainte-Marie-du-Mont battlefield in Normandy is a 1:1 replica of the real location.
In Hell Let Loose, players enlist in either the American, Soviet or German army and are divided into squads filling different purposes. For example, a squad of riflemen has six players in it, armored squads are made up of three players, and tank squads operate in pairs. The chain of command and communication is key. Squad members get orders from their squad leaders, who in turn get orders from officers. The officers are led by the army general, who is responsible for all troop movements and resource allocations. Squad members communicate with each other via proximity chat, and there’s even a separate “leadership” voice chat for commands coming down from the general. All of this means that effective communication is key to taking control over the majority of the battlefield and outsmarting the enemy.
