Looking for the best shooter games on PC? From the classic physics chaos of Half-Life 2 to the incredible weapons of Overwatch, here are the best shooter games. For over two decades, shooter games have been the driving force of the computer gaming industry. They allowed us to travel from the depths of hell in Doom to the outer reaches of Titanfall 2. Others took us on a journey through the zombie-infested Ravenholm of Half-Life 2, and still others took us through futuristic cities.
Here are the best shooter games on PC:
Some of these games are old, some are new, but they are all great. Amazing Wolfenstein 2 campaign; Rainbow Six Siege with its dense tactical multiplayer; Overwatch 2 with its huge number of amazing heroes. No matter what type of virtual gaming you prefer, the following games will satisfy your itchy finger. So flex your knuckles, get ready to take all the headshots and remember that guns will solve all your problems in the next shooting gems. These are the best shooter games on PC.
Splitgate: Arena Warfare
Opening our list of the best shooter games on PC with Splitgate. For longtime shooter fans, the same old formula can feel a bit tired after a while. If that describes your own feelings in any way, then maybe Splitgate: Arena Warfare could be the game that will rekindle your passion for the genre. The game uses the classic multiplayer shooter game layout of Halo, but adds a unique twist to the game by adding the Portal gun mechanic.
Strategically speaking, this means that you will approach battles in a completely different way. Instead of hiding in a corner and having no way out, you can create a wormhole at any point. You can shoot your opponents from anywhere on the map because portals can create all sorts of vantage points. If you've always wanted Portal to be more action-packed, then you should definitely play Splitgate. Play Splitgate for free.
Halo Infinite
There's nothing quite like the feeling of blasting enemies with a Battle Rifle, racing across the landscape in a Warthog, or cutting through enemies with an Energy Sword - and Halo fans can finally experience it all on PC. Halo Infinite masterfully (sorry) captures the nostalgia and feel of the classic Halo games while keeping things fresh with new additions like the grappling hook and open world gameplay.
Call of Duty: Vanguard
The latest installment of Call of Duty returns to the events of World War II, but instead of focusing on the usual battlefields of the European theater, Vanguard takes players to the Pacific, North Africa and the Eastern Front in a single-player campaign. The storyline is based on an alternate World War II timeline, and is certainly more extravagant than believable, but it's an entertaining campaign nonetheless.
Vanguard Zombies is a frantic co-op story mode that continues the Dark Aether storyline from previous Call of Duty games. You and your friends must jump through portals and fight hordes of the undead - as you survive the waves and gather at your base in Stalingrad, you can upgrade your equipment, buy new power-ups and use powerful abilities. For players who like to tinker and experiment with attachments, Vanguard's multiplayer gameplay has expanded weapon customization options to allow up to ten items to be attached to each weapon. In our Call of Duty Vanguard review, Ian Boudreau called it "the most exciting entry in the latest triptych."
Quake (2021)
First released in 1996, Quake is undoubtedly one of the founding stones of the FPS genre. In recent years, a slew of so-called "boomer shooters" have emerged, aiming to capture the same retro charm, labyrinthine levels and high-speed gunplay of iD Software's classic 3D games.
But nothing compares to the original - and if you missed Quake when it first came out, Bethesda released a remastered version of the game during QuakeCon 2021, with beautiful updated graphics and even new episodes to play through. Quake's dark fantasy gothic medieval setting has never looked so good - but rest assured, the gameplay remains unchanged. This game should definitely be on the list of the best shooter games on PC.
Black Mesa
Black Mesa is a remake of Half Life 1, made entirely by fans using the latest Source engine. It took 15 years before Black Mesa reached version 1.0, but it finally did in 2020 and it was worth the wait. The remake is a reimagined version of the classic single-player campaign, stripping away the dated puzzles and combat sequences to create a leaner experience. The developers even created their own expanded version of the alien planet, Xen, the final part of Half Life 1, which, according to Valve, was aborted.
While there's no denying that Half Life 1 is an impressive game, and aside from what it did for PC gaming, its gameplay isn't perfect, the improvements in Black Mesa smooth out those issues. If you haven't played the first Half Life and want to see what you missed, Black Mesa is the best way to relive this classic shooter.
Doom Eternal
Doom Eternal takes the gameplay loop of the popular 2016 hit and brings it up to 11 points. The developers could have easily released a sequel that played pretty much the same as Doom 2016, but they decided to take every core mechanic to the next level. Every aspect has been improved, from the number of weapons at your disposal to the movement options that increase the pace of the game.
With all that extra power comes stronger enemies with their own set of strengths and weaknesses to take advantage of. You could play Doom 2016 with only one weapon if you really wanted to, but Doom Eternal punishes players for sticking to the same game plan. If you don't kill enemies using all the tools at your disposal, you will always run out of resources.
Borrowing elements from the best action games, Doom Eternal evolves into a lightning-fast shooter that challenges players to think creatively as they take down hordes of Hell's most terrifying creatures. It’s not for nothing that Doom Eternal became our GOTY in 2020, it’s really impressive.
Overwatch 2
Compare it to Team Fortress 2 or League of Legends if you will - Overwatch 2 has enough in common with them to share some of their appeal, but different enough that players will need months to figure out the best character combinations. Some may feel that Overwatch 2 is not a true sequel, but rather "Overwatch 1.5".
The move to 5v5 and the introduction of role locking from the start work together to create the best version of Overwatch to date. By reducing the number of tanks on each team, players spend less time shooting at shields and more time reaching their targets. The Overwatch League has also revealed the game's eSports potential. Don't worry if eight-hour workouts aren't your thing, though—half the game's charm is how addictive it is, making Overwatch 2 one of the best shooter games on PC.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Stepping into the world of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive for the first time is like diving into the meat grinder of modern warfare. You will encounter players who have been trading on these maps for over ten years. You will die at the hands of snipers with tens of thousands of kills to their credit. You will be punished by players who can say CS:GO console commands in their sleep, and you will sit for the rest of the round while you regret your mistake.
Why then did you decide to play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive? Because getting to the top of the leaderboard is an achievement, a reward earned through patience, skill and muscle memory. The game also has one of the best level designs. It’s not for nothing that even today you can find ancient maps like Dust 2 on servers every day; partly because regular CS:GO updates keep the shooter fresh.
But Global Offensive is a modern game that brings modern ways of playing. Now funded in part by the sale of cosmetics and weapon skins, much like Team Fortress 2, it features automatic matchmaking, taking you away from the dedicated servers that made the series what it is today. There are also titles that give elite players a visible badge for their dedication, along with medals for veterans.
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 is not just an evolution of its excellent predecessor, but the best computer game of all time. Such praise is not undeserved. The long-awaited sequel to Half-Life turned out to be very ambitious, fortunately it was developed by a much more confident Valve.
Everything here is bigger than the 1998 original: the environments, the enemies, the story - it's a blockbuster, but a smart blockbuster. There are decent AI companions here; real characters who exist not only to die comically; the physics that turns the world into an apparently real, tangible place.
Valve is doing some magic with the environment again. Although they are often more spacious and open than in Half-Life, they are created with the same care and attention to detail. And, most importantly, they remain memorable, from the haunted streets of Ravenholm to the sinister Citadel that towers over City 17 like a tyrant of steel and glass. The luster may have faded a little with age, but it's still a bright, compelling FPS game and a worthy addition to the list of the best shooter games on PC.
Rainbow Six Siege
Thanks to Ubisoft's continued support, Rainbow Six Siege is almost completely unrecognizable compared to the weak shooter that arrived in 2015 with more whimper than noise. Now, thanks to the burgeoning esports scene, the constant stream of Rainbow Six Siege operators and some of the best multiplayer gameplay, the game has become one of the best shooters on PC.
Every moment of combat in Siege is fraught with tension and danger, from the moment you start scouting the area with a drone - praying that enemies don't notice it before you find the hostage - to the final attempt to save the day by shooting through walls and crashing through the ceiling . Asymmetrical multiplayer and tactical openness mean no two rounds are the same.
It's a psychological battle as much as a series of shootouts; a game of manipulation and control where you try to get enemies to react in certain ways while you try to keep your own team up and running. You never feel safe: an attack can come from anywhere, usually from anywhere at once. After all these years of feeling safe behind walls, the destructible environments in Siege make you think on your own feet and not trust any walls.
Siege has a relatively high barrier to entry, but insecure players can jump in on the cheap with the Rainbow Six Siege Starter Edition. For those who enjoy Rainbow's punishing gameplay, you can be sure that Ubisoft Montreal's shooter is here to stay, with new seasons and content coming out all the time.
Escape from Tarkov
There are countless shooter games out there that boast of being realistic, but none come close to the obsessive attention to detail that the Escape from Tarkov development team puts into weapons, attachments, and ballistics simulation. Escape from Tarkov not only has more than 60 types of weapons, but each of them can be modified or removed beyond recognition compared to their ready-made counterparts. You can change barrels, mounts, scopes, flashlights, grips, pistol grips, guards, choke tubes, stocks, loading handles, magazines, receivers, gas blocks and choose from several types of cartridges for each type of weapon. No weapon you find in a raid will be the same.
This causes a lot of malfunctions for new players and those who are not very good with weapons. However, after you waste a few dollars and end up with an inventory full of useless attachments, you'll soon start figuring out how to fit each attachment and then finally form an emotional connection with your weapon. The last part is especially important, because in Escape from Tarkov, if you die during a raid and the enemy plunders your body, you will lose everything you brought with you, even the cherished assault rifle.
These brutal rules can make Escape from Tarkov incredibly intimidating for new players, but while it's easy to lose valuable gear, it's just as easy to go into a raid with just a handgun and come out with the best armor and weapons in the game. Thanks to the player-driven economy, you can even loot a seemingly useless item like a figurine and trade it in for a brand new HK416.
EfT also stands out from the other best PC shooter and multiplayer games on this list as it blends PvP and PvE so seamlessly. Each raid takes place on a huge map where players spawn at the edges and AI enemies spawn at key points, usually where good loot can be found. From the start of the match, you have up to 40 minutes to kill, loot, and reach one of the designated extraction points. If you die, you will only get back the pre-insured equipment, and only if it was not previously looted from your body. So, how to escape from Tarkov? Extraction points are always located on the opposite side of the map where you spawned, so it's almost impossible to complete a raid without encountering an enemy.
Titanium case 2
EA and Respawn have taken everything right from the first game and balanced the shooter sequel's multiplayer so well that it's become one of the best PC games of 2016. Nothing beats the way Titanfall 2 combines crisp, industrial mech combat with nimble pilot combat. As you'll see in our Titanfall 2 campaign roundup, this shooter's singleplayer also serves as a great introduction to the game's mechanics and a charming, self-contained narrative.
The campaign never tries to top the gameplay with epic set pieces or blockbuster scope. Instead, it's the raw mechanics that deliver the thrill: swooping down on a group of enemies and taking them out with a few satisfying shotgun blasts is a lot of fun every time. What's more, as we saw in our review of the Titanfall 2 PC port, the PC version is holding up nicely.
Respawn hasn't just added depth to the single-player experience; The four-player co-op mode is a great addition to the competitive multiplayer that features Titanfall 2's wide range of classes. Titanfall 2 is a bigger and better beast than before, and a breath of fresh air for the tinkering genre as a whole.
So far nothing has been heard about Titanfall 3, in the same universe is Respawn Entertainment's Apex Legends Battle Royale. Of course, wall running is gone, but Apex Legends weapons like the Mozambique and Hemlock serve as a fitting nod to this developer's remarkable past.
Left 4 Dead
Valve zombies are not like other zombies. In Left 4 Dead 2, they come crashing down on you like waves, crawling up walls and jumping over chasms. They are accompanied by special creatures: highly advanced undead that make you work together. The smoker will drag you into the alley with his long tongue, where the usual undead will attack you. The hunter will pin you to the pavement and then rip your throat out. The boomer will lunge right at your face and explode, drowning you in green goo.
Even though Zombies is a long-established game and Left 4 Dead 2 has been around for a long time, the tension, level design, and countless mods allow it to remain a fun game. It remains one of the best on the list of the best shooter games on PC.
Team Fortress 2
In this class-based super shooter game, evil cartoon men grab briefcases, escort bombs and stand on knots. Team Fortress 2 is great and still one of the best shooter games on PC. It's also evolving: Mountains of user-generated content, maps, modes, and new Team Fortress 2 gadgets help keep the shooter fresh.
The principle of the game is simple, as before: you choose a character from nine and take a place on the team. Modes include Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, and Payload, which sees the team pushing a bomb forward along a track while opponents desperately try to hold them back. It's a classic that has become Overwatch's flagship mode, but it was first perfected in Team Fortress 2.
Valorant
From the list of the best shooter games on PC, Riot's hero shooter will be incredibly familiar to fans of CS:GO and Overwatch. Valorant has made its way to the forefront of competitive FPS, and it's not hard to see why. There's a vibrant cast of heroes to choose from, each with a handful of useful, well-balanced abilities. The weapons and economy system are straight out of CS:GO - they even called "AWP" "Op", which is practically the same word. Smart.
The matches are intense and require skill, precision and team coordination. Just like in CS:GO, if your aim is bad or your reflexes aren't up to par, you'll have a tough time - but at least you won't have to play against an adult who's been studying Dust II since he was a toddler. Valorant couldn't be more focused on esports, so if you're eyeing a new competitive scene, we highly recommend this game. If you don't want to play a full match, the Spike Rush game mode is a faster, more casual and equally fun shooter.
Unreal Tournament
Epic made its name with Unreal—an impressive feat at a time when shooters were dominated by id—but it was 1999's Unreal Tournament that earned Epic its grand moniker. Tournament had the same basic concept as Quake Arena, but offered an alternative for those looking for a little more frills.
Among the interesting weapons in the game is the BioRifle, which allows you to use toxic sludge. You can even charge it and release a large onion, using it as a gelatin mine. There's also the Redeemer, a rocket launcher that lobs a guided thermonuclear warhead at your enemies. You should also try the Ripper, which shoots saw blades that bounce around corners. Each weapon has its own strengths and alternate fire modes that must be mastered to dominate the arena.
Tournament maps, old and new, are filled with memorable, crazy architecture. There's nothing like jumping in low gravity between the three stratospheric towers in DM-Morpheus - especially if you manage to grab someone in the air, spraying their entrails into the sky.
So, here they are, the best shooter games on PC. Since many upcoming PC games are in the form of shooters - we can still dream of a Half-Life 3 release date being announced, right? It's a great time to be a shooter fan. So pull the trigger, keep practicing your virtual headshots. In the end, Nazis, zombies and virtual terrorists will not shoot themselves.
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