Locked and loaded!
The best FPS games to play in 2023 are those with tight controls, badass weaponry, and gameplay that tests you to your very limits. The following games certainly do that as you blast your way through enemies with a typically powerful arsenal.
Apex Legends remains to be one of the best battle royale games out there, while Doom Eternal provides single-player fans with a juicy campaign packed to capacity with thrilling. Here are all the best FPS games you can play in 2023 right now.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a battle royale that came out of nowhere in 2019, courtesy of EA and Respawn, and has taken the world by storm. Moving around the world is excitedly energetic as you can slide and wall climb anywhere you please. Each character has their own ability to add to the chaos, such as Caustic dropping poisonous canisters onto the battlefield and Gibraltar summoning a bombardment toward their foes. It’s free to play and is crossplay compatible, so you can join games with your friends in a snap as well. The costumes you can buy are also pretty out there — as you can see in the picture above.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 brings everything you love about the series. A spectacular array of weapons, detailed multiplayer maps, and a thoroughly entertaining campaign. This series is the pinnacle of the FPS genre as each gun feels impactful and the controls are on point. The new maps, which include Breenbergh Hotel and the Valderas Museum, are also highlights — presenting depth and a wide range of scenarios from short-range to long-range combat. It’s just a shame this game is such a storage hog!
Call of Duty Warzone 2.0
Speaking of storage hogs, Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 is another FPS you might want to check out. If you don’t like the sci-fi abilities of Apex Legends or the cartoony nature of Fortnite, Call of Duty Warzone 2.0 is the battle royale for you. It’s grounded, and sees you collect various weapons and equipment as you progress through the open landscape. You’ll need to keep the cash rolling, however, by finishing contracts and defeating opponents in this metaphorical arena. The game’s map constantly changes, offering regular updates like the addition of personal watercraft and the “Search & Seizure” contract.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
The most intense FPS you can play in 2023 is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Available as a free-to-play title, this game offers intuitive shooting controls and will require precise shots from you to win. Beloved maps like “Dust 2” and “Office” require deep strategy as you maneuver through their tight corners. The system in which you buy each weapon also adds to the pressure of the game — Spend too much and you’ll be stuck with a pistol for one round. Perhaps this game will finally be dethroned by its upcoming sequel this summer, but it’s still one of the best FPS games available in 2023 regardless.
Destiny 2
FPS royalty Bungie has worked on the Destiny series for years, and that hard work has amounted to sci-fi shooting bliss. With an engrossing campaign and plenty of badass weapons to find, a big community has gathered around Destiny since its inception. You will occasionally be pestered to pay for expansions but, more often than not, Destiny 2 provides solid co-op FPS gameplay with out-of-this-world combat and bosses that will test your skills and abilities.
Doom Eternal
If multiplayer isn’t your bag and you want a shot at some intense FPS gameplay, Doom Eternal will call you. You’ll be ripping and tearing through demons as you shred bullets into them with your powerful weapons. The environments look unique as they’re hellish and post-apocalyptic. In addition, the music will keep your heart pumping while you take on some of the toughest bosses in gaming. If you decide to pick up Doom Eternal, you’ll be in for a thrilling time.
Rainbow Six Siege
If you’re tired of Counter-Strike and want to dive into more gadget-based encounters, Rainbow Six Siege should interest you. You’re setting up barricades, blasting explosives, and using an axe to dent the walls to either save the hostage or keep hostiles away. The shooting is intense as only a few bullets can seal your fate, and that rush of danger is what keeps many players coming back for more.
Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Prime has never looked better, thanks to Nintendo and its fantastic remaster. The game has stellar design, entertaining puzzles, and thrilling bosses to face along the way. The exploration of the world is key in the game and returning to past areas with new abilities is super satisfying. The remaster has improved the game significantly with a more modern two-stick control method.
The remaster has impressed us with its graphical upgrade. “Metroid Prime Remastered is a fantastic renewal of the classic GameCube title,” said Zoey Handley in their Destructoid review.”It now looks like how our brains tell us it looked the first time we played it.” It’s one of the best FPS games to play in 2023 as it offers a great opportunity to get caught up on the lore before the fabled Metroid Prime 4.
Overwatch 2
Like team-based gameplay? Check. A varied roster of heroes (or villains) to play as? Check. How about epic abilities that can turn the tables in any match? Also, check. Overwatch 2 is the total package of what makes a great FPS thrilling. Each player has their own role to play on the battlefield — such as Mercy providing healing and Reinhardt protecting his allies with a giant shield. Every move matters and the majority of maps are designed specifically to help create engaging moments in the battle. The original Overwatch won Game of the Year from The Game Awards for a reason and is a generation-defining title.
Valorant
Last up is Valorant. It combines the fluidity of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the ability-focused gameplay of Overwatch to create a triumphant FPS in and of itself. The maps are fantastically designed, and the weapons all feel great to control. It’s heroes’ abilities add further strategy to the original Counter-Strike-like formula as you create barriers with toxic gas, resurrect fallen allies, and activate seismic charges to shake up the opponent’s standing.
