More so than any other genre in video games, PS4 owners are never left wanting for a solid first-person shooter to play. It’s the style of game that has remained the most popular for almost two entire console generations now, with plenty of titles perfectly primed to let players kick back and relax as they satisfyingly pull the trigger on a whole host of real-life and alien weaponry.
Don’t believe us? The following is a dedicated list of the 10 best first-person shooters on PS4, intended to highlight those special games that give you the sensation of viewing the world down the sights of a gun unlike any other. Sure, the PlayStation 5 may now be upon us, but you’ll soon realise that PS4 first-person shooters still offer great variety in terms of tone and story, despite all playing out from the perspective of the protagonist’s eyes. It’s time to lock and load…
10. Borderlands 3
PS4 players had been left wanting a full 7 years for a true Borderlands sequel. Luckily, Borderlands 3 managed to knock it out of the park, returning to the platform with a fresh batch of procedurally generated guns that all handle and fire entirely uniquely. It’s the same comic-book style universe you love, albeit greatly expanded with more planets to shoot across, four new vault hunters that are more flexible than ever, and a wealth of modes in which to fight side-by-side as a party of four. If you’re looking for creativity and chaos, Borderlands 3 is the PS4 first-person shooter for you.
9. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
Infinity Ward took a big risk returning to the ‘Modern Warfare’ sub-brand of Call of Duty in 2019. Reimagining fan-favourite characters like Captain Price and Nikolai as part of a totally new campaign seemed like it could only end in failure, but this soft reboot exceeded player expectations by being one of the most feature-complete, bombastic entries yet. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare delivers some of the tightest-feeling shooting you will ever experience in an FPS across single-player and multiplayer. Hence why it makes our list of the 10 best first-person shooters on PS4.
8. Titanfall 2
Though the first Titanfall game may have been an Xbox One exclusive, the sequel more than made up for this on PS4 by delivering a pulse-pounding single-player campaign alongside a robust multilayer portion. You play as a solider separated from his crew, fighting to survive against enemy forces by teaming up and kindling a friendship with your giant robot mech called BT. Titanfall 2 is often lauded as having one of the best FPS stories of the generation, so don’t discount the ability to judge this bold claim for yourself.
7. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
The Wolfenstein franchise came back in a big way in 2014, rebooting BJ Blaskowicz’ fight against the Nazis for a new generation of players using modern shooting mechanics and a thoughtful alternate universe story. This foundation was further built upon with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus as its sequel, continuing this fight by moving the timeline onwards to a period where the Nazis have arrived in the US. Featuring a slew of satisfying historical and sci-fi guns to get a hold of, this is easily one of the best first-person shooters on PS4.
6. Doom Eternal
While some first-person shooters might shower you in enemy gunfire, forcing you to dip behind cover in order to recoup your health, Doom does things very differently. Instead you’re encouraged to get up close and personal with the various demons coming your way, taking them down with a saw to gain more ammo and performing glory kills to regain health. Doom Eternal leaned into this sense of push-forward combat more than ever, rewarding aggression by letting you mow down bad guys and always maintain a fast pace. PS4 first-person shooters don’t get gorier than Doom Eternal.
5. Battlefield Hardline
Ever wanted to live out your own cop drama? The now defunct Visceral Games made this possible back in 2015 with the release of Battlefield Hardline. This is a PS4 first-person shooter with the same tight gunplay and impressive physics as the mainly series, only here you get to experience it all within the format of a blockbuster police procedural. You play as an officer trying to clean up the mean Miami streets, arresting criminals and taking part in intense shootouts in the bid to end the war on crime. If hard-bitten military shooters are getting old, Battlefield Hardline is a worthy FPS alternative on PlayStation 4.
4. Metro Exodus
The Metro series of shooters differ from most in that they tend to be bleak, often harrowing affairs that show a darker side on the idea of a post-apocalypse. For Metro Exodus, however, the series came up for air by letting you venture above ground and explore this ravaged world in the daylight. It’s a semi open-world survival game where one bullet can be the difference between making it back to your home base or certain death. Metro Exodus is one of the 10 best first-person shooters on PS4, if only due to its unique setting mixed in with survival elements.
3. Killzone: Shadow Fall
Killzone: Shadow Fall may have been an early PS4 launch title, but its luscious environments and gripping story still makes it worth a look almost seven years on. Fast forwarding on the Killzone timeline to an era when aliens and humans must learn to co-exist, this shift in perspective makes it an ideal FPS to play for both newcomers and veterans alike. It’s certainly one of the prettiest first-person shooters on this list, no doubt aided by the fact that it’s a PS4 exclusive.
2. Star Wars Battlefront II
George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away has seen several video game adaptations, but the second entry in this rebooted Star Wars Battlefront series has easily grown to become one of the best. It features a single-player campaign that fills in the gap between episodes VI and VII, sure, but what makes this a blast are the epic online multiplayer skirmishes that take place against the backdrop of some of Star Wars’ most memorable battles. Literally every Star Wars period is featured here, making Star Wars Battlefront II a must-play FPS whatever your favourite era.
1. Destiny 2
If you’re looking for a PS4 first-person shooter designed to keep you invested and engaged for hours on end, you needn’t look further than Destiny 2. An original space opera from the makers of the Halo games, it’s quickly become one of the richest play experiences out there and pretty much invented a new genre known as the MMOFPS. Engage in missions with a squad of friends, take the fight to others in the crucible… experience a story against an alien menace. Destiny 2 isn’t just a game but a platform, easily making our list for the best first-person shooters on PS4.
