Highlights
- Quake and DOOM are classic first-person shooter games with complex map designs and nuanced movement, making them challenging and fun to speedrun.
- GoldenEye 007 requires precise aiming and strategic optimization of paths and objectives to complete missions quickly, adding to the challenge and enjoyment of speedrunning.
- ULTRAKILL and Neon White are newer FPS games that offer unique features like ultra-expressive movement and accessibility options, making them both difficult and enjoyable for speedrunning.
The first-person shooter genre is one of the biggest genres in gaming, with roots all the way back to the 1990s. These games, especially early on, focused on labyrinthine-level design and fast-paced action that perfectly suited speedrunning. Even today, older titles, such as DOOM, still have active speedrunners.
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Almost any game, and any first-person shooter, is fit for speedrunning. However, it could be argued that games with fluid movement and expert-level design are the most challenging and often the most expressive. There are plenty of FPS titles out there for players to speedrun, and though some can be quite difficult, they can also be incredibly fun.
7 Quake
Triggering Traps With Perfect Timing And Nuanced Movement Makes Quake An Expressive Challenge
Quake
- Platform(s)
- PC , Switch , Nintendo 64 , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S , Sega Saturn
- Released
- May 22, 1996
- Developer(s)
- id Software
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
Quake is arguably one of the most influential first-person shooters of all time. The game was developed by ID Software and pioneered a lot of the gameplay mechanics and technology that first-person shooters of that time were known for. What makes Quake so fun (and difficult) to speedrun, however, is the combination of its complex map design and nuanced movement.
Although Quake features all manner of movement techniques, most notably rocket-jumping and bunny-hopping, its map design (and more importantly, the way its levels are built) is what makes speedrunning it both rewarding and nuanced.
6 DOOM
Labyrinthine Levels And Momentum-First Gameplay Make DOOM A Non-Stop Rollercoaster
This fast-paced first-person pioneer is a massive part of gaming history and, due to its age and innovations, has one of the oldest speedrunning communities in the first-person shooter genre. DOOM's age also makes it a relatively inaccessible game to speedrun, with a handful of techniques, such as strafe-running, that may be alien to some players.
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Because DOOM has such smooth movement, it almost feels built for speedrunning. Furthermore, the game's focus on momentum and constant movement makes for interesting speedruns. Players who can use skill and knowledge to keep their momentum are those who perform best.
5 GoldenEye 007
Mandatory Objectives And Precise Aiming Make GoldenEye 007 A Unique Experience
Arguably one of the best James Bond video games to have ever been released, GoldenEye 007 has a long and storied speedrunning history. Speedrunning is certainly difficult in GoldenEye, often requiring perfect aim and timing.
The reason that GoldenEye is so challenging (and fun) to speedrun is that the game's missions will often task players with completing mandatory objectives. Because these objectives must be completed in order to progress, speedrunning GoldenEye becomes all about optimizing paths and playing around objectives to complete them as fast as possible.
4 DUSK
Loose Level Bounds And Bountiful Secrets Offer Multiple Ways To Speedrun
Much like the 90s shooters it's inspired by (primarily, Quake), DUSK is a game that focuses on fast and fluid movement. DUSK, while a fairly smooth and bug-free experience for the average player, is full of ways to break the game and escape the bounds of a level. This is arguably what makes DUSK such a perfect FPS for speedrunning.
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Many of DUSK's levels feature ways to escape its bounds, which is most often done through rocket jumping. DUSK also features many objects to interact with that can sometimes help players reach areas they would otherwise not be able to, and the game's many secrets can also help gamers achieve a faster time.
3 TimeSplitters 2
Enemy Ambushes And Complex Level Layouts Make TimeSplitters 2 A Test Of Knowledge
TimeSplitters 2
- Platform(s)
- GameCube , PS2 , Xbox (Original)
- Released
- October 8, 2002
- Developer(s)
- Free Radical Design
- Genre(s)
- FPS
Arguably one of the greatest first-person shooter sequels ever made, TimeSplitters 2 has a small but sturdy speedrunning community. Although it's a fairly old game, having been released all the way back in 2002, TimeSplitters 2 is arguably worth playing even today.
Much like the first game, success in TimeSplitters 2 comes down to player awareness; for a successful speedrun, gamers need to have a deep understanding of enemy placement and map layout. This challenge is amplified when playing on the harder difficulty, which forces players to complete objectives that would otherwise be optional. All of this makes TimeSplitters 2 a fun yet demanding speedrunning challenge.
2 ULTRAKILL
Ultra-Expressive Movement And A Variety Of Weapons Make Ultrakill A Stylish Challenge
This smash-hit indie game takes huge influence from the first-person shooters of the 1990s with its fast-paced movement and shooter action. However, ULTRAKILL also has its own unique flairs that make it particularly fun and hard to speedrun.
ULTRAKILL'svariety of weapons allows for niche utilities, and its stylish, expressive movement makes it a joy to aim for the fastest time. While more dedicated speedrunners may attempt baffling strategies to achieve the fastest time possible, ULTRAKILL is a game that encourages players to simply beat levels as fast as they can with as much style as they can muster.
1 Neon White
Accessibility Options And Clear-Cut Design Make Neon White A Tough-But-Fair Experience
Despite Neon White not being the most challenging first-person game to speedrun and barely qualifying as a shooter, it's arguably one of the greatest speedrunning FPS games to be released in recent years. This is primarily down to its sheer accessibility, offering plenty of ways to ease new players into the rush of speedrunning while simultaneously providing a fun and addictive gameplay loop.
Neon White tasks players with running through levels from point A to point B as fast as possible, making sure to kill every enemy along the way. To do this, players are given a variety of weapons in the form of cards that can be discarded for movement abilities. Although Neon White features plenty of ways to help players achieve faster times, there's still plenty of fun and challenge to be had in perfecting a run.
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