Nowadays, many FPS games require players to master a slew of skills to stand out from the crowd. Some shooters take a casual approach and aim to appease a large player base and help keep the game beginner-friendly while others embrace their difficulty and allow it to differentiate them from the saturated FPS market. The downside of high-skill ceiling games is their barrier to entry, as new players will need to learn the game mechanics quickly.
Some games can have a low barrier to entry, helping them become accessible to new players and improving the experience for new players. Games such as Escape from Tarkov are tough to learn and require a time investment to learn the mechanics to enjoy the game. This is why many players have taken to playing Escape from Tarkov in offline mode to have an easier time learning the game mechanics. These are a few high-skill ceiling FPS games.
5 Hunt: Showdown
The Louisiana swamps are a merciless place for a new player. The PVE in Hunt: Showdown will catch players off guard if they are not careful. There are many tips new players must know, otherwise, they will be preyed on by enemy hunters.
The weapons in Hunt: Showdown hit hard and have a low TTK. Most weapons only need two bullets to the chest for a kill. Hunt: Showdown is set in the year 1895 and all the weapons reflect this period. Revolvers and lever-action rifles dominate the Bayou with only one fully automatic weapon. Positioning in Hunt: Showdown is paramount as any weapon can one-tap the head.
4 Rust
While Rust is a survival game at heart, the game requires a crazy amount of time to master. The PVE elements of Rust are easy for new players to pick up and understand, but the involvement of other players requires gamers to beat the competition for resources.
There are many aspects that players will need to master to stand out in a large server. Base building and raiding take time to learn and optimize. Base building can be quick to learn with the help of a guide, and there are many tips to improve a building's stability. Map and monument knowledge are mandatory to speed ahead at the start of any wipe. Lastly, the guns in Rust have difficult recoil that many players have invested hours to master. Learning to manage the difficult recoil will take considerable effort but will be mandatory for gamers wishing to master Rust.
3 Counter-Strike Global Offensive
Counter-Strike Global Offensive is one of the most popular shooters in history. The game is relatively easy to pick up but complex to master. Players need to manage difficult recoil control, have an understanding of map knowledge, and learn to work as a team. Players need to memorize smoke grenade placements to compete in competitive plays and stay on top of the meta. The professional scene for Counter-Strike Global Offensive is among the most competitive of any FPS game. Many players have thousands of hours in Counter-Strike Global Offensive and are constantly improving.
The skill ceiling is high, and it will require thousands of hours to become among the best players. Counter-Strike 2 will play similarly to the original but has changed certain features to make the game more accessible to new players. Players are already excited about the release of the new game to the point that players spent lots of money after the reveal of Counter-Strike 2.
2 Apex Legends
Out of all Battle Royale games, Apex Legends is considered the hardest. Apex Legends is a bit difficult for new players to get into, as the game has a high time to kill compared to other shooters. A high TTK requires players to be more accurate with their shots, but this is more difficult in Apex Legends as the characters have small hit-boxes and move fast.
Many times in Apex Legends players will find themselves reloading multiple times during fights while not knocking down any enemies. The best SMGs in Apex Legends require high accuracy to down players and most often players use a secondary alongside their SMG to secure a knock.
Other than recoil control and accuracy, players have many variables they need to consider. Predicting the zone, identifying key points to defend, knowing when to strike another enemy team, and knowing where other players might be. Apex Legends also has a complex movement system that will require players to invest time into learning to stand out from other players.
1 Escape From Tarkov
Many people have seen the intricate degree of weapon customization in Escape from Tarkov. New players are required to invest time delving into Wiki pages to understand ammo types, among many other details like extraction points and where the best loot is.
The barrier to entry for Escape from Tarkov is high because players must possess a great deal of knowledge to compete for loot. Luckily, there are many guides to help beginners learn the ropes.
With around ten shotgun ammo types, it can be hard to figure out the best kind, but thankfully there are guides to help determine which ammo is best.
PVP in Escape from Tarkov is stressful and demands players to pay attention to multiple things. Learning to play aggressively will often shift the tides of a battle and cause opponents to start making mistakes. Players that spend a significant amount of time playing with improve as they start to memorize the map and navigate strategically.