First-person shooters have gone through massive shifts and changes since the early days of their inception, with this genre being one of the most profitable ones in the industry that has churned out hit after hit. Players love this genre for the satisfaction they experience after landing a headshot, going through amazing set-pieces, and the sheer sense of immersion they feel when they see the world through the eyes of the protagonist.
It took some time, with the genre requiring quite a few developments before reaching such heights. From the early days of having no horizontal aim to expecting a wealth of other systems that further improve the gameplay of these titles, there are many FPS games that showed the potential of this genre and then some.
1 Half-Life
There was a time when most people assumed that good video game stories couldn't be told without switching perspectives. Half-Life twisted that notion, however, with the game featuring no cutscenes whatsoever.
Players could move away from NPCs while they were speaking, giving them the opportunity of following the story at their own pace. There's a reason why Half-Life is a masterpiece, with the immersive storytelling being revolutionary for its era.
2 Deus Ex
An immersive sim that still continued to be impressive to this day, Deus Ex was a massive achievement for its time and one that showed what video games were all about. The title allowed players to pursue a wealth of playstyles to achieve their goal, making the investment of skill points a pretty tough choice every time.
Players could either be extremely adept at wielding guns or find other ways to deal with enemies. Whatever path players chose, they could rest assured that Deus Ex catered to their build in every meticulously-designed level.
3 Wolfenstein 3D
Wolfenstein 3D is a classic FPS game in which players go through a Nazi base, killing many enemy soldiers before eventually taking on Hitler himself in an epic showdown. The fast-paced and satisfying shooting gameplay paved the way for more FPS titles to enter the mainstream.
This was one of many titles developed by id Software that set the foundation for the genre. As more and more FPS titles came out featuring the same gameplay, it was clear that Wolfenstein 3D had led this charge in many ways.
4 Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
After focusing on actual historical warfare for the longest time, Call of Duty decided to change things up with their fourth mainline entry. The end result was a legendary title called Modern Warfare, which formed a template for future games in the series to follow.
Modern Warfare takes a unique look at what a modern war would be like, with the game's many iconic set-pieces being a blast to experience in every way. The multiplayer was also a great step in the right direction that hooked many people to this amazing series, and the rest is history.
5 GoldenEye 007
Many people felt like consoles were not a great platform for FPS games to flourish on. This perception changed with the release of GoldenEye 007, which many people know as the first FPS game to really become a massive hit on consoles.
The couch multiplayer of this title was a thing of beauty at the time, allowing friends to battle against each other in some nerve-wracking firefights. There are many reasons why Rare was held to such high standards early on, and the success of GoldenEye 007 was certainly one of them.
6 Doom
Doom is one of the most legendary FPS titles ever made, with the simple act of killing demons being a blast courtesy of this title's presentation. The music is iconic, and the various demons in the game are pretty challenging yet fun to defeat in their own way.
The custom levels of Doom added to the title's replayability, and the fact that this game is still being modded to this day is a testament to how beloved the game really is. Many fans attribute this title to be a major reason why the FPS genre caught on, which is no mean feat.
7 Half-Life 2
Half-Life was revolutionary in its own right, but what the second game brought to the table was in a class of its own. Integrating a proper physics system that was used in both combat and puzzle-solving, Half-Life 2 is a masterpiece in every way.
The physics system is still mind-blowing to this day, with very few games coming close to the complex systems used in Half-Life 2​​​​​​. It's easy to see why so many people were clamoring for a new Half-Life game, given how incredible the experience of playing through this perfect sequel was.
8 System Shock 2
The first System Shock game was pretty great in its own way, but there's no denying that the game's interface and controls were quite convoluted and haven't really aged well either. However, System Shock 2 is a completely different story.
The combination of survival horror, RPG, and FPS elements in this unnerving game was a massive achievement that has held up in every way. This game is considered a spiritual predecessor for BioShock, which is proof enough of just how revolutionary the game really was for its time.
9 Trespasser: Jurassic Park
Trespasser: Jurassic Park is a game whose ambitions were too big for the time. Trying to integrate everything from a minimalistic HUD to a groundbreaking physics system, Trespasser bit off more than it could chew and ended up buckling under the weight of its own expectations.
Despite the apparent failure of the game, Trespasser has been quoted by many high-profile developers as an inspiration for their own games. The game used audio logs to tell its story as well, which is an idea that several other titles have replicated since.
10 Perfect Dark
If GoldenEye 007 served as a prototype for what console shooters could achieve, then Perfect Dark honed this concept to a T. Weapons had alternate firing modes and the reloading animations were pretty neat.
Of course, it was the multiplayer that stole the show once again. Perfect Dark allowed players to customize several aspects of the multiplayer gameplay, ranging from the behavior of AI to the type of weapons used in the game.