It’s an undeniable fact: the first-person shooter is one of the most popular video game genres around. Whether it’s due to how good they make pulling the trigger feel or the natural way they encourage you to ‘git gud’ when competing against others, you can always be certain that there’s an abundance of games to play. With that said, what exactly are the 10 best first-person shooter games you can play in 2019?
Here we’ll be running you through the best of the best; those particularly great first-person shooter games that continue to make the act of pouring lead into enemies fun no matter how much the pressure is on. Whether you’re playing on PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, you needn’t look any further for a list of the best first-person shooter games currently out there. We’ll even show you where to pick them up at the best price.
Rainbow Six Siege
One of the most realistic first-person shooters still played in 2019 is also one of the most tactical, as Rainbow Six Siege challenges players to breach and clear their way to victory – in addition to gunning down foes. Ubisoft’s flagship FPS is still regularly updated with new seasonal content, whether that’d be in the form of new rewards or all-new operator classes that shake up the way you can play.
Each round of Rainbow Six Siege is tense and thrilling, as you never know what operator or trap lies ahead waiting for you around that next corner. Players go at it in small teams of four, with their being a heavy emphasis on communication so as none of your team members die. Guns feel explosive, the maps incredibly thought through, and there’s enough game modes to keep both PVE and PVP gameplay feeling fresh. Rainbow Six Siege is arguably the best tactical first-person shooter out there.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
It's no secret that the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare kickstarted a whole new era of first-person shooter. Treating players to a blockbuster campaign in addition to a full suite of multiplayer modes, the highly popular sub-series will return in 2019 with the simply titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. Don't be fooled, however, this isn't a flimsy port or remake (they did that already in 2016) but an all-new re-imagining of the concept and these characters.
The new Modern Warfare yet again places emphasis on portraying military concepts and ideas as realistically as possible. This means players can look forward to a gritty campaign unafraid to touch upon brutal subjects - a topic which has already hit the news headlines several times. New multiplayer modes make their way over by way of a new 2V2 offering pitched as the "anti-Battle Royale", while the Spec Ops co-op also makes a return. Here's hoping this new rendition of Modern Warfare will recapture the magic of the original when it releases in October.
Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5 surprised everyone when it released in 2018, doing away with the exotic landscapes of previous entries to instead focus on a setting a little closer to home. Hope County is a fully explorable homage to the American South, now unwittingly occupied by Joseph Seed’s doomsday cult, of which it is your job to take down. Gunning down chaotic bad guys and liberating camps is still fully intact, looking better than ever thanks to Far Cry 5’s gorgeous visuals.
The game features two-player online and local co-op, meaning you don’t have to go it alone. This, combined with a new buddy system that always sees an AI partner by your side, creates a different kind of Far Cry experience. It’s the best the series has ever been, making it one of the best first-person shooter games you can play in 2019 on either PS4 or Xbox One.
Metro Exodus
As the third and presumably final entry into 4A Interactive’s Soviet shooter series, Metro Exodus decided to tackle the Russian post-apocalypse differently by letting protagonist Artoym venture above ground. Until now, you’ve been left to explore the tunnels of the metro system in the hopes of finding a cure. Metro Exodus, however, is much larger in scale, working as a full-blown road trip that lets you gun down numerous mutants while travelling across the continent.
Despite this stark change, Metro Exodus manages to maintain an expert blend of solid shooting and elements of survival horror. One minute you can be caught in a car chase underneath the baking sunlight while the next you can be crouching through the disparate halls of an underground facility. Variety really is the spice of life in Metro Exodus, making it an inherently unique take on the first-person shooter genre.
Apex Legends
We’ve already included one Battle Royale FPS on this list, but Apex Legends arguably serves as a more accessible option by nature of being free-to-play. However, for those wanting to gain a small edge when first starting out, you can still purchase the founders pack. This will gift you 2000 coins of in-game currency, exclusive banner frames and three limited edition character skins.
Like most Battle Royale games Apex Legends begins by several players dropping down onto one map, but the main difference is that you do it in squads of three. This means that no longer are you going it alone in order to survive, but instead need to work together as a team to maintain a decent edge. Apex Legends’ fanbase has continued to grow since its early 2019 launch , not least due to its cool character builds and smooth gameplay which makes it one of the best first-person shooter games you can play in 2019.
Star Wars: Battlefront II
George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away has been the subject of many video games throughout the years, with some – like Knights of the Old Republic – being considered some of the best ever made. Star Wars: Battlefront II stakes its claim to this ambitious title, reinventing the idea of a first-person shooter set in the Star Wars universe for a second time. While at launch it received a lot of flack for its deluge of micro-transactions, developer DICE has continued to make up for it with various seasonal content updates.
The most recent update saw the addition of maps and characters centred around Attack of the Clones, letting players take on the role of Count Dooku on the Dark side and Anakin Skywalker on the light. Also new is a fresh PVE mode, where teams of 4 can accomplish goals as a squad of clone troopers within the world of Kamino. All this content arrives alongside what was already a pretty large-scale online shooter, one which lets you recreate famous battles like Hoth and Endor.
Overwatch
Overwatch had been teased numerous times ahead of release, building up much excitement as the first game from Blizzard (creators of World of Warcraft) in quite a while. Luckily, Overwatch arrive as a hero shooter with lots of personality and tactical possibilities, making the act of working together as a team be invigorating and instantly rewarding. All characters boast their unique action skills, and more often than not have abilities that go beyond the simple act of shooting.
For a fully dedicated multiplayer shooter (there is no single player offering) people have applauded Overwatch for just how in-depth its lore is. It’s a universe that’s been gradually built up over time, with added texture coming in via new characters, skins and sporadically released short films. It’s one of the best first-person shooter games you can play in 2019, however, because every match never ceases to be thrilling, largely because every character can outbalance another in a cool way.
Borderlands 3
As one of the most recent entries to release on this list, Borderlands 3 is a no-brainer for one of the best first-person shooters you can play this year because it advances the looter-shooter formula in every way. Not only does it increase the number of lootable weapons into the billions, but also grants players with four new Vault Hunter classes to do it with. Fl4k, Moze, Zane and Amara each boast their own action skills, which when joined up in a team of four, all combine to make this cell-shaded shooter soar.
New villains The Calypso Twins step up to the plate to fill the large hole left by previous antagonist Handsome Jack, whispering sweet taunts into your ear to make you more determined to get to them. Borderlands 3 also marks the first time our heroes have expanded beyond the planet of Pandora to go to all new worlds, rending this threequel the most visually diverse entry yet. So, if you’re a long-standing Borderlands player or are just jumping in now, you’re guaranteed a good time.
Titanfall 2
You must look a little harder for dedicated single-player shooters these days, but Titanfall 2 is considered by many to have the best story campaign featured in one for years. It’s all built around the connection between both the protagonist and his mech friend BT, who quickly find themselves caught up in all sorts of cool scenarios. One level sees you constantly jumping between the past and present, while another sees you traverse a factory building houses. Navigating through these is made thrilling thanks to the ability to pilot BT, which also sets the foundation for some cool combat.
Titanfall 2 did launch alongside a mech-battling multiplayer mode, but the player base is now so small that it’s incredibly hard to find a game. Developers Respawn went on to make Apex Legends following this, so there is an option for players craving a multiplayer experience set in this world. Titanfall 2, however, is one of the best first-person shooter games you can play in 2019 – particularly if you want a meaty narrative campaign.
Doom Eternal
As one of the first first-person shooters to ever release, Doom unequivocally set the bar high way back when it first debuted. The series eventually came back with the 2016 reboot for PS4, Xbox One and now Nintendo Switch, coining a new style of play called “push-forward” combat that encourages you to aggressively take the fight to enemies instead of hiding behind cover. The primary way Doom does this is by rewarding if you get up close and perform what’s known as Glory Kills - and its set to return in 2019 sequel Doom Eternal.
Glory kills, as you might imagine from what they’re called, are particularly grizzly. It isn’t just blood that will spool out of enemies, though, but lots of ammo, health and armour too. This unique system works in tandem with the incredibly creative weaponry to make blasting demons across Mars and the depths of hell extremely fun. Doom Eternal is the sequel that will release later this year and brings all this back, and fingers crossed it’s as successful as the first.
