They changed our perspective on action gaming, but which third-person shooters are the best of the best?
The third-person shooter genre is an odd part of gaming history.
There are times when you have to stop and really consider the third-person shooter to be its own genre.
Yet, the third-person shooters influence can be felt in so many aspects of the modern gaming industry.
2D games and games that offered a prominent first-person perspective option were not considered eligible for this list.
However, games that feature minor first-person moments like aiming down sights (ADS) were eligible.
were not in contention.
Remarkably, a sequel to a lackluster third-person shooter starring 50 Cent isnt one of these titles.
Aaron Greenbaum
29.
The results were truly groundbreaking.
Though outdated in many ways by todays standards,Kill Switchreally could be considered the first modern third-person shooter.
It was a true turning point for the genre and an incredibly entertaining action game in its own right.
Matthew Byrd
28.
Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction
Though released in 2005,Mercenariesremains the cure for themodern open-world gamein many ways.
Mercenariesreally wanted you to feel like the star of an action movie of your own design.
The result wasAlan Wake.
Light is a key component to not only navigation but also survival.
In fact, many licensed games are straight-up bad, regardless of the quality their originators displayed.
The gameplay is fun on its own, butGhostbusters: The Video Gameexcels in presentation.
AG
25.Control
After Remedy Entertainment found success withAlan Wake, audiences clamored for a sequel.
Instead, the company developedQuantum Break: a game unrelated to that title.
While Remedy eventually releasedAlan Wake 2, the company took a detour into a kind of stealth successor first.
Plus,Controljust oozes style.
AG
24.
However, none of those titles achieve quite whatEverything or Nothingachieves.
Everything or Nothingisnt just an original Bond story; its practically a lost Bond film.
MB
23.
Resident Evil 4 (Remake)
2005sResident Evil 4arrived at a particularly stagnant time for the survival horror genre.
Crucially, many were also struggling to really make a sales impact in the rapidly changing marketplace.
MB
22.
Splatoon 2
Nintendo is synonymous with several genres, most notably platformers and RPGs.
Conversely, few people ever expected Nintendo to greenlight survival horrors and shooters.
NintendosSplatoonfranchise is as wonderful a collection of third-person shooters as they are colorful.
While the games have a campaign mode, the multiplayer is where most of the action is.
AG
20.
Doing so would earn you combo points that could then be used to purchase new weapons and gear.
However, Digital Extremes didnt experience true success until it publishedWarframe.
From the art to the sound, youve never played a game quite likeWarframe.
Still, developers tried their hands at video game adaptations every now and then over the years.
This one truly captured what the average day looked like for the series most famous faction.
Plus,Space Marinesports nails the loo, atmosphere, and general grandiosity of theWarhammer 40Kuniverse.
AG
17.
ThoughVanquishsometimes feels like a proof of concept for a more substantial experience, its just a ridicolously fun time.
MB
16.
The first-person perspective often lends itself to an inherently more competitive, skill-based experience.
MB
15.Binary Domain
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has become a household name as of late.
However, before the studio released that game, it developed its only third-person shooter,Binary Domain.
What unfolds is an action-packed shooter where players fight through waves of androids and other weaponized machines.
Cripple their legs, and they start crawling towards you.
Knock their head off, and the robots start firing blindly, potentially hitting their allies.
Moreover,Binary Domainreally hammers its reliance on squad shooter mechanics.
AG
14.
EachEarth Defensegame has the same plot: Save the world from invading aliens.
Thats it, but boy is it a blockbuster of a ride.
The spectacle and constant grind will keep players coming back for more, especially if they utilize the multiplayer.
Whats more enjoyable than nuking millions of giant ants?
Nuking millions of giant ants with friends.
Well, the recently releasedDead Spaceremake simply perfectsDead Spaces already exceptional third-person shooting.
MB
12.
Sunset Overdrive
Theres a degree to whichSunset Overdrivehas always been too weird to live.
Even its initial Xbox One exclusivity feels so odd in retrospect.
Thats especially true of the games wonderful (though surprisingly challenging) third-person combat system.
MB
11.
You play as a freedom fighter desperately trying to liberate the city from a superior force.
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10.
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9.
In the year 2023, what else can a third-person shooter show us that we havent seen before?
Yet,Remnant 2manages to separate itself from so much out there through itsoften surprising depth.
With any luck, FromSoftware will return to this style of gaming in the future.
AG
6.
Understandably, the highlight ofPsi-Opsphysics-based action sequences isnt its shooting but rather your characters arsenal of powerful psychic abilities.
MB
5.
Remarkably, the answer is a resounding, Yes.
Your reflexes will be challenged and your efforts will be rewarded time and time again.
Well,Rift Apartis basically a celebration of the series evolution.
Spec Ops: The Linestarts off as a normal squad-based shooter.
However, what makesSpec Ops: The Linetruly special is its narrative.
AG
2.
That said, it was not without its faults.
More is exactly whatGears of War 2offers.
MB
1.
Max Payne 2
2001sMax Payneis arguably the most important third-person shooter ever made.
So why doesMax Payne 2get the nod on this list?
Well, its arguably the perfect blend ofMax Paynes stylistic innovations and refined gunplay.
It also happens to beone of the great gamesregardless of genre.
This was the game that proved why Remedy is one of gamings truly special studios.MB
