Duke Nukem 3D

3D Realms’ Duke Nukem 3D hasn’t aged well when examining its more risque elements. At the time, it stood out for imbuing some character into the first-person shooter genre, courtesy of Duke’s one-liners. The environmental interactions and destruction also felt fresh, to say nothing of bizarre weapons like the Shrink Ray for cutting enemies down to size.

SUPERHOT

What should be a gimmicky concept – time only moving when you do – results in an engaging, clever experience in the first-person shooter space. Superhot isn’t just about scoring headshots, throwing weapons, or swinging katanas to take out scores of enemies – it’s the assessment, the moments between each kill, that make it sing.

Valorant

Mix Counter-Strike: GO’s tactical shooting with characters befitting a hero shooter and you get Valorant, in a nutshell. As slow-paced and odd as it may seem, this is also one of the best tactical shooters, if not competitive multiplayer titles, out there. Despite only being out for a little over four years, Valorant offers tense gameplay that’s hard to put down.

Borderlands 3

Ignore the base game’s story, characters and writing for the sake of your sanity, and the gameplay in Borderlands 3 is a significant step up. From the smoother response and feedback and improved mobility to more varied gun types and deeper build crafting, it’s a strong looter shooter, though nowhere near as timeless as its predecessor.

DOOM 1 + DOOM 2

While fairly recent, DOOM 1 + DOOM 2 collects the best of both titles into one excellent package. Boasting all their additional content, Sigil, and a great new campaign by MachineGames, the release is made even better with in-game mod support, a stellar remixed soundtrack and cross-platform multiplayer deathmatch, with 26 new maps to cause chaos on.

Killzone 2

After the infamous E3 2005 incident, Guerrilla Games’ first-person shooter had nowhere to go but up, and subsequently knocked it out of the park. The gorgeous visuals were a factor, of course, but the well-designed missions, gunplay, intelligent AI, and tight level design made for an incredible experience (even if the ending was underwhelming).

Halo 3 ODST

Though not quite the follow-up that fans expected, especially after Halo 3’s thunderous conclusion, ODST was still a worthy side story. It focused on one of the most compelling units, the Helljumpers, as they infiltrated New Mombasa and engaged in urban warfare with the Covenant. Perhaps its biggest contribution is the introduction of Firefight, a Horde-style variant with difficulty modifiers, a shared lives pool, and multiple sets to overcome.

Bulletstorm

People Can Fly and Epic Games had a pretty simple goal with Bulletstorm – gamifying stylish ways to kill the opposition. The story and characters are ultimately secondary; kicking enemies into environmental hazards, sending them sky high for some skeet shooting, and more for extra points is ultimately what sold the experience. Even if it remains underrated (no thanks to its terrible VR port), Bulletstorm is still a hell-raising good time.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

The Zone remains as haunting as ever in GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, the third title in the series and most compelling yet. Though it has its share of bugs, the sandbox gameplay combined with the atmospheric horror and survival elements make for a harrowing time, whether you’re dealing with Anomalies or the various factions.

Destiny 2

Bungie’s live service shooter has had a long history, one with many ups and downs. Even throughout all of the changes, it remains perhaps the best of its kind. Between excellent campaigns like The Witch Queen and The Final Shape, an unmistakable feel for its weapons, gorgeous art direction, and stellar raids, Destiny 2 is still worth playing.

Unreal Tournament

When Quake 3 Arena was believed to reign supreme, Unreal Tournament appeared out of nowhere and claimed the throne. While the former still held a strong esports presence, the latter was the overall better product, from its map design and visuals to the sheer variety of mode types. Assault alone is an incredible addition to the competitive FPS formula and playing with AI bots actually felt enjoyable, even on the higher difficulties.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

Turok may have initially come across as “What if FPS but killing dinosaurs instead of humans?” but surprised many with its exploration and gorgeous visuals on the Nintendo 64. Of course, the combat was no slouch either, as each of the 13 weapons resulted in ample gore. Together, these elements made for an unorthodox but memorable shooter.

Prey (2017)

What could have been with the Prey franchise if Human Head Studios’ sequel wasn’t cancelled? We’ll never know, but in the meantime, Arkane Austin’s 2017 reboot, which embraces a more immersive sim structure and deep space paranoia, is excellent. As Morgan Yu, players must survive in a massive space station overrun with Typhon, but not everything is as it seems. The result is one of the finest first-person titles ever made.

Far Cry 3

Moving away from Far Cry 2’s realistic sandbox, Far Cry 3 went much bigger, returning to the tropical island setting while introducing a compelling new villain. Though the story is far more structured, the open world is rife with quests, enemy camps, wild animals, and much more. To this day, Far Cry 3 remains in a class of its own.

Metro: Last Light

Much as Metro Exodus embraced an open-world-style approach to its large areas, there’s something about Metro: Last Light and its linear narrative. Maybe it’s how well-designed each section felt, whether you were escaping from captivity or slinking through the surface, avoiding contact with its mutants. Perhaps it was the moral dilemmas that Artyom faced. Either way, the series’ brand of survival and fast-paced gunplay is at its peak here.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Classic)

Ignoring the utter cluster that Aspyr’s re-released turned out to be in the online department, the classic Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is still a timeless game. The campaign is enjoyable enough but Galactic Conquest was a game changer of a single-player mode, offering a Risk-like map to fight through and conquer. Multiplayer was still arguably the highlight of it all, especially with 24 maps and modes like Hero Assault.

Medal of Honor (1999)

Developed by Dreamworks Interactive, it was the premiere World War 2 title, immersing players in the conflicts of the time while offering a top-tier presentation. Allied Assault would be more remembered thanks to its recreation of the Battle of Normandy, but Medal of Honor still deserves its flowers.

Left 4 Dead 2

Decried as little more than an expansion pack before launch, Left 4 Dead 2 expanded so much on its predecessor’s already compelling co-op gameplay. New Special Infected, deeper campaigns with more varied objectives, a wider variety of melee weapons and guns, and incredible replay value courtesy of its AI Director were just some of the reasons it stood out. Of course, its modability over the years has also ensured some great laughs.

Resistance 3

As the conclusion to the Resistance trilogy, Insomniac’s Resistance 3 is also its least successful. It’s a shame because, on top of new and old weapons, the atmosphere and dark subject matter added to the stakes, making it feel like humanity’s last desperate attempt to stay alive. While it still needed some polish, the gunplay and overall presentation made for a fitting end to the series.

System Shock (2023)

One of the best first-person titles ever made, System Shock is also far from easy to remake. Nevertheless, Nightdive Studios took a swing, rebuilding the visuals from the ground up while staying true to the far-future cyberpunk aesthetic of the original. Even with the improved UI, overhauled Cyberspace and other changes, it still maintains that sense of dread and terror that defined the original.

GoldenEye 007

Rare was already pretty well-established before GoldenEye 007 and yet, its launch raised the developer’s stock considerably. It isn’t just one of the best video game adaptations of a movie (usually a formula for failure back then), but proof that console shooters could be great. The local multiplayer alone defined many gamers’ lives growing up.

Cyberpunk 2077

After all the updates, revamped perks, and improvements, Cyberpunk 2077 has gone from a good first-person shooter to a great one. It’s backed by actual build variety, whether you’re a manic Mantis Blades user, a Netrunner overloading every single enemy, or skilled in a variety of guns. Of course, everything else that makes the game great, from its side quests to its open-world activities, doesn’t hurt either.

Wolfenstein 3D

While not quite the first-ever FPS made, Wolfenstein 3D is what ultimately led to the genre’s rise. It was frantic and fast-paced, with revolutionary visuals and excellent weapons. Though it offered secrets to discover throughout its ten episodes, the simplicity is ultimately what made it such a universal hit.

Quake 2 Remastered

Crafted with Nightdive’s assistance, the recent enhanced edition of Quake 2 packs all the mission packs, Quake 2 64, and a new episode from MachineGames into one package. Then it adds the id Vault, AI opponents in multiplayer, 4K/120 Hz support, and various quality-of-life features, turning one of id’s best shooters ever into a contemporary must-play.

The FINALS

Embark Studios’ THE FINALS is often forgotten when discussing competitive shooters, especially free-to-play options. Nevertheless, it’s a strong package with some unique modes, dynamic combat thanks to full environmental destruction, and extensive strategy, thanks to the unique gadgets. The arena-style combat may not appeal to everyone, but it still makes for some intense PvP sessions.

Black Mesa

If developing a sequel to Half-Life is challenging, remaking the experience, especially as a small team of fans, is an almost Herculean effort. Yet throughout many years of waiting, Black Mesa was finally a reality, delivering everything we loved about the original with gorgeous revamped visuals and entirely new sections like Xen.

DOOM (2016)

Considering how diminished interest had been in the franchise, it’s a miracle that DOOM even released. The fact that it’s this good is just an anomaly. Everything about it, from the visuals and action, particularly the new Glory Kills, is simply fantastic.

Perfect Dark

GoldenEye 007 showcased Rare’s surprising expertise for incredible first-person shooters and Perfect Dark only solidified it. With a tighter narrative focus and strong characterization (as seen with the iconic Joanna Dark), it weaved stealth, tense gunplay, memorable set pieces, and stellar levels into one cohesive package. The fact that it delivered so much despite the Nintendo 64 nearing the end of its lifespan is an achievement unto itself.

Titanfall 2

While it’s a shame that the original didn’t become all that popular, Titanfall 2’s fate is even more tragic given the sheer quality involved. The multiplayer is much more involved with its variety of Titans, weapon types and abilities (even if some maps could be hit or miss). Furthermore, the campaign is simply an all-timer with its level design, boss fights, and stories, making it worth the price of admission alone.

Half-Life 2

When you’re in Valve’s shoes and Half-Life is the pinnacle of narrative first-person shooters, there are high expectations. Yet, Half-Life 2 surpasses with relative ease, from the presentation and world-building to the story-telling and characters. Each area is memorable and unique; the Combine makes for enjoyable foes to fight; and the Gravity Gun is iconic all on its own.

The Carcano – Sniper Elite 4

Sniper Elite 4 – as evident from the title itself, has a great assortment of sniper rifles that players can utilize in the game’s many missions. The Carcano however, stands out from the rest particularly due to its ability to deal some crazy amounts of damage along with a decent magazine size, which makes it a great choice for those wanting more stopping power. It can be hard to master though, particularly because of its high recoil – but those who do will undoubtedly have a great time sniping heads from afar.

Friendly Fire

We can’t really resist doing this in single-player games either. But sometimes, we just really have to know. Can our teammates go down in a cursing mess after too many bullets? Will the game boot you for it? Will your teammates boot you for it? You can also suffer a penalty to money (which is bad) or be killed in the next round and not play (which, hey, free carry).

Explosive Barrels

It’s probably happened a few times in Borderlands 1, 2 or 3 because really, who can keep up with all of the annoying colored barrels, projectiles, screaming psychopaths, mechs, pets, Rakks, etc? You’ll like find yourself irradiated, electrocuted or just plain burning from a stray bullet grazing the odd barrel. On the bright side, there’s nothing quite like triggering a bunch of explosive barrels near an enemy and watching the fireworks.

Super Shotgun – DOOM (2016)

The Super Shotgun in Doom 1 and 2 was revered for its close range devastation and this carried over beautifully to DOOM (2016). It may not be the BFG 9000 but the Super Shotgun can rip a hole through several smaller enemies at once, besides inflicting heavy damage on bigger demons. It’s the Slayer’s signature weapon and is only getting better in DOOM Eternal with the introduction of a grappling hook.

Epic Games’ Fortnite has done very well for the developer, thanks in no small part to its Battle Royale variant. The sheer amount of resources being devoted was evident when Epic shut down Paragon, its struggling action MOBA, to allocate more manpower to Fortnite. Now, it seems that the next game to be affected is Unreal Tournament.

Revealed in 2014 and functioning as more of an open-source project, as it stands right now, Unreal Tournament unfortunately isn’t being “actively developed”, according to Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney. While speaking to Variety about the impact that the upcoming Epic Games Store and Fortnite had on current projects, Sweeney revealed the current state of the first person shooter. “Unreal Tournament remains available in the store but isn’t [being] actively developed,” he said.

There is some good news for fans of classic titles from the studio though. “We’ve recently worked with GOG on making classic Epic Games titles available, and we’re planning to bring more of them to the store in their original glory,” said Sweeney. While Unreal Tournament’s current state isn’t simply due to Fortnite, one does have to wonder if Epic will ever return to the game with so much else going on.

Mercenaries 2: World in Flames

Destruction sandbox Mercenaries 2 caps off its story in the only way it possibly could – by giving the player a mini nuke to break open the enemy’s bunker. Going forward, it’s possible to purchase more mini-nukes, thus allowing for more wanton nuclear destruction across the map. It’s a living, we suppose.

There’s still plenty of mystery surrounding the man. We know he was busy making LawBreakers and ranting after his sabbatical from Epic Games but what about his past? What about all the little facts that make up the man? What lies beneath the persona of the man who created some of the greatest shooters of our time? What don’t you know about Dude Huge, including how he got the name Dude Huge? Let’s take a closer look at Cliff Bleszinski himself and find out.

How He Became Dude Huge

For a long time, Cliff Bleszinski went by many names. CliffyB, The Cliffster, etc. However, one day, Kotaku writer Brian Ashcraft accidentally wrote “Dude huge” instead of “Dude hugs” in a post about Bleszinski. From that point onward, the name stuck and Bleszinski only wanted to be referred to as Dude Huge. Yes, that’s really the entire story. Yes, that grammatical mistake was fixed (but not before Bleszinski saw it) and yes, we wish were making this all up. Naturally Bleszinski wanted to be known as something else, namely The B. He finally said people could call him whatever we want but we’re not sure how Clifford would go down with him.

Father Issues and Gears of War

One of the core stories in the Gears of War franchise – and which seems to continue in Gears of War 4 – is the relationship between father and son. Marcus Fenix is at odds with his father’s philosophy, even in the end when the latter decided to sacrifice himself to save the human species. This core storyline was actually inspired by Bleszinski’s own father issues especially when the latter passed away while he was a teen. Bleszinski always tried harnessing his personal feelings in constructive ways and the Fenix family’s blues is only one example of the same. Unfortunate as it may sound, Bleszinski has believed in accepting what life gives you, both the good and the bad, especially when trying to be so public with your image.

Started Developing at Age 17

By his own admission, Cliff Bleszinski isn’t a master programmer or coder. His reputation as a designer is solid but it’s not just because he’s gifted – the man himself has been working on video games since the age of 17. So while most of us were still concerned with exams and part-time jobs, Bleszinski was busy creating video games. Credit is due to the people he worked with who helped with the visuals and overall programming but there weren’t many teens back then – even with the odd John Carmack and John Romero – pursuing a career in the gaming industry.

Jazz the Jackrabbit

Unreal may have been Bleszinski’s first real break in video games – and at Epic – but it wasn’t his first major creation. After a point and click adventure title Dare to Dream in 1993, Bleszinski would use his skills to design the action platformer Jazz the Jackrabbit. It wasn’t just a commercial success – Jazz the Jackrabbit spawned a sequel and spin-offs, pushing Bleszinski’s talents forward and on to bigger things like Unreal, Unreal Tournament and eventually, Gears of War.

The Drama King

Did you ever find it strange that of all the designers in the industry it would be Cliff Bleszinski constantly pushing to get his face out there and being the symbol of development for Gears of War? It turns out he learned quite a bit about being the centre of attention at an early age – Bleszinski used to act in high school plays like Romeo & Juliet and Ten Little Indians. He even worked with actress Courtney Ford who would go on to act in True Blood and Dexter. If it seems like there’s a sense of drama to Bleszinski’s overall demeanour, then it’s probably his inner high school self shining through.

The brand new Unreal Tournament game, which is coming on PC, just got a new video from Epic Games, which takes us behind the scenes and shows us the development of the Titan Pass Capture the Flag level. The video is the final episode in a five part series that took a look at the development of the game.

In this making-of video, Epic’s developers show how a rough sketch for CTF-Outside became the fully realized and playable Titan Pass level. It’s actually cool to see what goes into the development of a balanced map for an arena multiplayer shooter (especially since it’s been a very long time since we last had a good multiplayer arena shooter).

You can check out the final episode, in three parts, below, and let us know what you think in the comments section. To follow along with the Unreal Tournament Pre-Alpha Season, visit unrealtournament.com.

Unreal Tournament and Fortnite developer Epic Games has reported to users that its forums have been compromised by a hacker who has gained “unauthorised access to usernames, email addresses, passwords, and the date of birth provided at registration.”

The security breach was reported through emails sent to users, which stated that, “The affected forum site covers UDK, Infinity Blade, Gears of War, Bulletstorm, and prior Unreal Tournament games.

“We apologize for the inconvenience this causes everyone. To further understand what’s happened and prevent it in the future, we’re working with a computer security firm to identify the nature of the compromise. We will report further information on the forums when they reopen.

“It is possible that any information stored or sent by you using the forums may have been accessed. Since this is a public forum, we do not collect or maintain financial information, but we advise you to be alert for suspicious email such as phishing attempts.”

It seems that forums for Fortnite, Unreal Engine 4 and the upcoming Unreal Tournament were untouched however. Thoughts on the security breach? Let us know below.