It’s not just the RPG genre that delivers excellent storytelling.
BEN JESSEY
The greatest first-person shooters are typically praised because of their core gameplay. Their narratives, on the other hand, aren’t usually discussed. For instance, titles like GoldenEye and Battlefield didn’t revolutionize the genre through storytelling. In fact, many FPS storylines are paint-by-number affairs and just an excuse for the action that unfolds.
Thankfully, not all FPS titles tell one-dimensional tales, though. Several games in the genre have deep and engaging narratives. Your mind may go to the litany of first-person RPG titles like Fallout and Deux Ex. But it isn’t just them, as there are also some pure shooters that have compelling stories. These are the best examples.
Updated January 12, 2023 By Ben Jessey: Unfortunately, the first-person shooter genre has a bit of a reputation for delivering uninspired main narratives. This is because a great story isn’t required when it comes to these types of games. Just think of all the amazing FPS titles that lack wonderful stories.
But that doesn’t mean the storytelling has to be one-dimensional. Developers are allowed to provide compelling tales alongside fun FPS gameplay. The entries on this list prove that, and now we’ve added a few more to the collection.
12. Titanfall 2
Perhaps the biggest difference between Titanfall 2 and the original is the inclusion of a story campaign. And, thankfully, it doesn’t feel like a tacked-on part of the experience. The narrative is worth playing through, as it contains fun characters and solid storytelling.
It’s reminiscent of a classic buddy cop comedy, as the protagonist Jack Cooper teams up with a likable Titan known as BT-7274. They’re on the side of a Militia that’s fighting an evil organization called The Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation (IMC). It isn’t the most original tale ever told, but it makes for an enjoyable ride nonetheless.
11.Star Wars: Republic Commando
From movies to video games to television shows to streaming series to books, there is a lot of Star Wars content out there. So, many stories in the iconic universe have been told. Yet, some still manage to stand out, which is the case for the main narrative of Republic Commando.
Part of the reason it’s a notable Star Wars tale is that it isn’t about Jedis or Sith. Instead, it’s about a group of special clone soldiers who make up Delta squad. They go on a bunch of missions together and play their part in the Galactic war.
10. Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger
From a story standpoint, Call Of Juarez: Gunslinger has no connection to the previous games in the series. This is to the game’s benefit, as it allows for a fresh and enjoyable self-contained story.
In it, you play as a bounty hunter named Silas Greaves, who also serves as the narrator for the game. Throughout the adventure, he recounts his exploits to a group of people at an Inn while you play through his story. In a unique twist on traditional video game storytelling, the legitimacy of his tale is constantly called into question, as the man likes to exaggerate. So, he’s very much an unreliable narrator, which makes for a fun story.
9. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
The narratives of the Call Of Duty games don’t always stand out. In fact, they can often be uninspiring tales. But Modern Warfare 2 does provide a strong story with several memorable twists and turns.
The premise is that relations between the United States and Russia aren’t great. They’re made worse, however, by the actions of Vladimir Makarov, who commits a mass shooting at a Russian airport and frames America for it. Throughout the game, you control several different characters. Their goals are to track down Makarov and end the war with Russia.
8. Far Cry 6
The sixth numbered Far Cry game is set on a fictional island called Yara. It is a beautiful place from a visual standpoint. However, it isn’t the greatest place to live due to its dictator Anton Castillo. He rules the place with an iron fist, and whoever doesn’t buy into his propaganda gets punished for it.
You play as Dani Rojas, and your goal is to help build a strong group to rebel against the villain. The rebellion storyline is common in the Far Cry series, but this is a really good version of that tale due to some powerful scenes and dynamic characters.
7. Halo 3: ODST
It’s debatable which Halo game has the best campaign overall, but ODST has the greatest self-contained story. In it, you play as a group of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. At the beginning of the game, they fail to live up to their first two letters as they have a botched Orbital Drop.
For this part of the adventure, you play as the rookie of the team, who lands in the atmospheric city known as New Mombasa with no teammates around. So, you have to search the area looking for clues about your missing allies. The whole thing plays out like a captivating mystery that’s very different from the usual world-saving antics of Master Chief and Cortana.
6. Metro 2033
Before the events of Metro 2033, Eastern Europe suffered a nuclear holocaust that caused everywhere above ground to be inhabitable. So, the survivors live underground in the Metro tunnels. The protagonist, Artyom, needs to make their way through the expansive tunnel system to deliver an important message.
Naturally, along the way, many things go awry, leading to several intense and surprising moments. The whole premise is based on a novel of the same name. It isn’t exactly the same as its source material, but it’s an enjoyable adaptation, and the story is very compelling.
5. Deathloop
By this point, there have been plenty of excellent time loop games, and Deathloop is among the best. The game’s protagonist is Colt Vahn, who starts his neverending day by waking up on a beach. Then he quickly finds out that to break the time loop, he needs to kill eight people known as the visionaries. And he must take them all out in a single day, or else, time will reset.
The basic premise is interesting, but the true story isn’t spoon-fed to you. Some of the most interesting elements of the tale are hidden in audio logs and files. Altogether, they make for an intriguing story.
4. Prey
Throughout Prey, you control the Director of Research of TranStar Industries, Morgan Yu. The protagonist’s fancy title doesn’t mean much during the game, as the space station they’re working on has been taken over by an alien force known as Typhon. Yu is one of the only survivors, so it’s down to them to get rid of the unique creatures.
That’s the basic premise of the story, but it doesn’t tell the entire tale. A lot more goes down, and your choices throughout the game impact how everything plays out.
3. BioShock Infinite
In BioShock Infinite, you play as a man named Booker DeWitt. He is sent to a city in the sky called Columbia to save a young woman called Elizabeth. However, the real fun begins after the rescue as the two characters find themselves amid a class war that’s brewing in the futuristic city.
It might not seem like the most original or fascinating story ever told, but as you play through the game, you will find that there’s a lot more to this narrative. All the most fascinating aspects revolve around the two likable lead characters, who are brought to life with some incredible voice acting.
2. Wolfenstein: The New Order
The Wolfenstein series has been going since the 80s and has had a few different reboots. For instance, The New Order serves as the start of the 2010s reboot series. It doesn’t completely change Wolfenstein as it contains several elements from the older games. Yet, it focuses more on the story than the early titles did.
The game is set in an alternate universe where the Nazis won World War 2 and subsequently took over the world. In the 1960s, B.J Blazkowicz hasn’t given up the fight as he and a group of allies try to stop the Nazi regime. It makes for an interesting and dark narrative that continues into the sequel.
1. Half-Life
Few FPS games are as innovative as Half-Life. At the time, shooters were pretty much all a collection of shooting galleries. Half-Life varies things up by including puzzles and platforming. It also includes a story that is much better than what FPS titles were providing at the time. The narrative revolves around one of the best silent protagonists ever, Gordon Freeman.
He’s usually an excellent physicist, but he accidentally opens a portal to another dimension at the start of this game. As a result, a bunch of deadly creatures come through, and chaos breaks out at the Black Mesa research facility. It’s up to Freeman to solve his own mess. The developers somehow made the narrative engaging with a mute protagonist and no cutscenes.
