Since the dawn of videogaming, we've been looking for any excuse to gun down pixels and blow stuff up. In this testament to the FPS, we take a look at some of the greatest names to grace the genre over the years. From The Duke to The Chief, it's time to lock'n'load!
10: Doom II (1994)
Whilst it might not have exactly done much with the gameplay of the original, Doom II gave us so much more. The array of enemies gave us an enormous amount of variety in our wanton destruction and, of course, the Super Shotgun. But it was the pioneering support for dial-up modems, engineering the possibility for some 28kb/s multiplayer, deathmatch fun, and even allowing for co-op play that ensures this game's place on our list.
9: Rainbow Six Vegas (2006)
Whilst one would normally associate cover systems with 3rd person shooters, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas took the best of both worlds. With arguably one of the best cover systems ever seen in a shooter, this game managed to marry the narrative quality of COD with expansive maps, superb AI and stunning locales.
8: Duke Nukem 3D (1996)
Big, brash, unashamedly controversial, Duke Nukem was more of a pop culture hero than a gaming protagonist. Stuffed to the brim with cultural references, filled with destructible items, this was another game that helped pioneer online gaming, with users able to create their own multiplayer levels. Shake it baby!
7: Metroid Prime (2001)
Nintendo hardly pulled out all of the stops when it came to the (still vastly underrated) Gamecube, but this was a crowning achievement for them. Not only did Metroid Prime manage to pack in an awful lot of scintillating bug-blasting action, but the puzzles weren't simply throwaway affairs either. A brilliant achievement, Samus Aran's reinvention was one of the highlights of the new millennium for gamers.
6: Serious Sam: The First Encounter (2001)
As games increasingly began to push for realism, Croteam figured they make a game that captured a sense of the old-school thrill of big guns, big bangs, and big numbers of enemies. Forget your tight corridors and conservative gameplay, this was classic action with an updated twist, and truckloads of sly references and knowing wit. Seriously good fun.
5: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)
Infinity Ward might have refined the formula for its sequel, but it was COD4 that really put them on the map with smart, setpiece-driven action, a gripping campaign mode and some of the finest multiplayer action across all genres. By lifting the Call of Duty series into the present day, IW revitalised the franchise, making a stellar sequel practically a formality.
4: BioShock (2007)
What happens when you splice together a twisting tale of dystopian backstabbing and greed, the theories and philosophies of Ayn Rand, some cracking FPS action and some of the prettiest water ever seen in a videogame? BioShock, that's what: The thinking man's FPS.
3: GoldenEye 64 (1997)
Who can forget sniping at clueless, toilet-bound guard with the Silenced PP7, or busting out the ludicrously powerful RCP-90 on the Train level or cursing loudly during four player deathmatch because someone (there was always one) was slapping peoples knees as Oddjob. Hailing back to a time when Rare actually made astonishingly good games, Bond has never been bettered.
2: Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
One of the finest action games of all time, the first instalment in the wildly popular Halo franchise was smart, offered setpieces galore, and expansive singleplayer maps - just play through the Silent Cartographer level to see what I mean. The game still manages to look impressive today, a trendsetter in the genre that has been copied to the death ever since. many have tried to emulate it, and few have succeeded beyond mediocrity. This game is the Chief.
1: Half-Life 2 & The Orange Box (2004/2006)
To be honest, Half-Life 2 would probably top this list just by itself thanks to its smart, subtle gameplay, superb presentation, excellent physics and, of course, that Gravity Gun. But when you add in the class-based multiplayer romp that is Team Fortress 2, combined with the cerebral originality of Portal, it is clear that this spot belongs to Valve's compilation, defining value for money.
About the author:
Matt Gardner is the Senior Editor of UK-based video games website Dealspwn (http://www.dealspwn.com). Check out Dealspwn.com for the hottest gaming deals, insightful news bulletins, honest game reviews and expert commentary. You can find more of his writing at http://www.dealspwn.com/author/matt/
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