Summary
A good first-person shooter likeDoom EternalorHalois always fun, especially with the amount of weapons available for the player. However, certain games have taken things a step further for the shooter genre by including powers to wield alongside guns and knives.
From something as simple as throwing a fireball to something as complex as controlling time, some first-person shooters provide more than shooting enough rounds into an enemy before they drop. In some cases, they are essential mechanics due to the game’s structure for stealth, puzzles, or story progression.
Inthe long-lasting looter shooterDestiny 2, players can play one of three classes: Warlock, Titan, and Hunter. Each has its benefits, including its abilities and super abilities which are often a mix of science fiction and fantasy, from healing and buffing to barricading.
However, thanks toDestiny 2featuring subclasses for every season of the game, the player never feels the same, since the game is always evolving. One season may result in the player enjoying cryomancy, while the next might have a better subclass featuring fire abilities. The best part is that players can swap subclasses whenever they see fit.
On the one hand,Singularityfeatures well-made first-person shooter gameplay like Raven Software had done withSoldier Of FortuneandQuake 4. On the other hand, the main character wields a wrist-bound device known as the TMD which allows the player to move objects and certain enemies backwards and forwards through time, similar to what was seen in Christopher Nolan’sTenet.
Not only does time manipulation lead to a mind-bending journey through 1950s and present-day Russia, but it also makes for fun gameplay mechanics inSingularity. An explosive barrel that’s thrown at the player can be reversed, sending it back at the enemy that threw it, or the player can cause an enemy to age so rapidly, that it turns into a skeleton.
Deathloopis, essentially, a video game version ofEdge Of Tomorrowwith the main characterCole living the same day over and over. He has to kill a group of mad scientists to stop the loop and, while he has plenty of weapons to help him on his journey, he also has a few abilities known as Slabs to assist him.
Cole can teleport short distances, interlock multiple enemies together psychically so that killing one will kill the rest, and granting Cole enhanced defense and damage are a few examples.Deathloopis often praised for its commitment to the time loop concept, but newcomers should be warned that even with those powers,Deathloopis a difficult experience from beginning to end.
In mostStar Warsgames, a Jedi character often results in third-person action, but that is not the case withStar Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast. In the third adventure of Kyle Katarn, the player wields a plethora of blasters from theStar Warsuniverse, from the standard E-11 blaster rifle to the Wookiee Bowcaster.
Jedi Outcastdoes not give Kyle Katarnhis blue-bladed lightsaberuntil almost the third hour into the game’s main story. Along with the lightsaber, Kyle has many abilities via the Force including Push, Pull, Choke, Lightning, Speed, and Healing. Those abilities can also be used when Kyle swaps to blaster gameplay, which is not the Jedi way but makes for fun gameplay.
Throughout theDarkwatchstory, Jericho Cross goes from a regular human toa powerful yet heroic vampire. As a result, he gains the ability to grant himself armor, see his enemies clearly with vampire vision, or even send out a bolt of magic that tracks and chain attacks opponents.
In many ways,Darkwatchis a culmination of supernatural action films at the time, such asVan Helsing,Underworld, andBladebut with an Old West twist. This has led toDarkwatchbecoming a cult classic of the PS2 era, allowing gamers to take on vampires, zombies, demons, and more with steampunk weaponry and vampire abilities.
Thanks to augmentation, Adam Jensen is given a set of technological enhancementsthat transform him into a superpowered cyborgto be reckoned with.Deus Ex: Human Revolutionand its sequel,Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, feature Adam constantly evolving and acquiring new abilities, from nearly flawless cloaking to arm blades to being able to see through walls.
One of the best things about bothDeus Exgames is that players are allowed to go about every mission how they wish. If a player wishes to be quiet and use their cybernetic abilities for purely stealth operations, that is viable. However, for those wanting to go in using their abilities and guns for an all-out warzone tactic, that is also valid.
What makesBulletstormstill stand out from most first-person shooters is the Skillshot system, incentivizing players to come up with creative kills for more points for better grading and experience. So, Grayson Hunt can slow them down by kicking them, pulling them with a whip, launching them, and sliding into them.
WhileBulletstormallows the simplest option to shoot the enemies while they are slow, there are so many inventive ways to finish the job across the memorable yet short campaign. The environment is filled with hazards to utilize, giving the player a reason to think outside the box and come up with creative methods to take out enemies using the powers gifted to them.
One of the first to mix spellcasting and first-person shooter gameplay,Clive Barker’s Undyingmixesthe Lovecraftian-like cosmic horrorthat Clive Barker is known for with Gothic horror seen in classic Universal monster movies and the result is an action-horror experience that was far ahead of its time.
The main hero, Patrick Galloway, has all the staple weapons of a classic first-person shooter: a revolver and shotgun. However, he has other fantastical weapons, including a scythe, a dragon gun, and a speargun that can be mixed with different spells to take on hordes of monsters, undead creatures, and the ghostly bosses of the Covenant family.
Rather than have one character with abilities,Borderlands 2,as well as every other game in the series, features multiple to choose torun around the planet of Pandora. There is the Siren with her powerful psionic abilities, the Commando with his summonable turrets, and more.
The main focus ofBorderlandsis the thousands of guns that can be collected, but every character’s abilities are not to be downplayed. As they level up, the skill trees are full of upgrades for the abilities and passive skills that can transform the character into a godly Vault Hunter ready to take on the Hyperion corporation.
While all threeBioShockgames feature powers and guns,BioShock Infiniteis where it is at its best. From the beautiful yet disturbing city of Columbia to what is often considered the best first-person shooter gameplay of the series,BioShock Infiniteis beloved by fans as a stellar threequel.
Along with a helpful companion in the form of Elizabeth,BioShock Infinitegrants the main character Booker powers known as Vigors. He can throw fireballs, pull enemies toward him with a water tentacle, and so much more, but most famously, Booker can unleash a murder of crows that can peck enemies to death, which is so satisfying when paired with the right gun.
