5 – Turbo Overkill
This. This is my favourite shooter of 2023, and it ranks amongst my top 5 best first-person shooters ever created. Turbo Overkill is a retro shooter that melds ultra-fast-paced FPS action with a cyberpunk aesthetic, delivering a high-octane experience that does more than just pay homage to classic shooters. Turbo Overkill picks up the Boomber Shooter formula and builds on it so much that, it’s in a league of its own. Set in a dystopian future where mega-corporations rule with an iron fist, players take on the role of a cybernetically enhanced mercenary equipped with a chainsaw for a leg (and later, 2 legs if that suits you). It’s more similar to Duke Nukem than it is Doom or Quake, with massive arenas and huge bosses to fight.
What makes Turbo Overkill stand out is how it manages to effectively combine the adrenaline-fueled gameplay of classic FPS titles with modern graphics and its physics-based chainsaw leg thingy, resulting in a visually stunning and action-packed experience. With its fluid movement system, dynamic gunplay, and customizable cybernetic upgrades, the game is packed with replayability, and I don’t doubt I’ll be playing it for years to come. If you can only buy one game from this list, buy Turbo Overkill.
4 – Squad
After I stopped Armed Assault 2, I think that it was the launch of Squad that brought me back to the tactical first-person shooter genre, and that was mostly due to its emphasis on communication, and realism in its gameplay mechanics. As an FPS game that owns a lot of its design to Project Reality 2, Squad places players in the boots of infantry soldiers engaged in large-scale battles across vast and detailed environments. With a focus on operational coordination and squad-based tactics, victory only comes with one thing, and one thing only: order and discipline.
Some of my best memories in first-person tactical shooters come from Squad. From engaging in prolonged firefights that could last up to 45 minutes, to desperately defending and assaulting important positions, to commanding units while implementing true-to-life tactics, Squad will forever live in my memory as a game I’ll always enjoy and be ready to jump into. Its only negative side is that you need to be in the right place of mind to work with a squad. Venture alone and nothing gets done.
3 – Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is the best way to enjoy the Halo first-person shooter games developed by Bungie. It offers players the opportunity to experience the iconic Halo franchise in its (almost) entirety. The collection includes remastered versions of classic titles such as “Halo: Combat Evolved,” “Halo 2,” “Halo 3,” and “Halo 4,” along with additional content such as multiplayer maps and game modes. As an FPS game, the Halo series is known for its good storytelling, excellent sci-fi setting, tight gunplay, and epic and visceral multiplayer.
With Halo: The Master Chief Collection, players can relive the adventures of the first-person shooter’s most iconic character: The Master Chief. Jump into the Mjolnir Powered Assault Armor of this faceless protagonist as he battles against the Covenant and the Flood across a variety of memorable and futuristic landscapes. The collection also offers enhanced graphics and updated features, allowing both longtime fans and newcomers to experience the Halo universe in stunning detail. If you want, you can even switch to the original graphics! Overall, with its extensive content and impeccable gameplay, Halo: The Master Chief Collection is the way to play Halo in 2026, and it stands as a testament to Bungie’s legacy in first-person gaming history.
2 – Ready or Not
Ready Or Not is precisely one thing, and one thing only: what the SWAT series would be in 2026 if they kept it alive. Ready Or Not is a modern, tactical first-person shooter that emphasizes tactical realism and strategic gameplay. It does its best to immerse players in the role of elite law enforcement officers tasked with confronting various high-risk scenarios, from hostage rescues to counter-terrorism operations. In fact, the game is so immersive that I legitimately have several jumpscares whenever I get shot at by someone and my team never saw coming.
In “Ready Or Not,” players are equipped with an array of realistic weapons and equipment, as well as advanced tactical gadgets and tools. While Each mission presents unique challenges and objectives, the campaign is where the real meat is at. Not only do players have to coordinate their teams on the ground, but also take care of their men when they get back to the station. It’s one of the few games where a wrong decision can spell doom for an entire operation, and no matter how often you play every mission, it always manages to feel tense and challenging.
Ready or Not AI is also incredibly complex to deal with. Some enemies refuse to surrender the moment you order them to stand down, some even fake surrender and pull out their weapons, others will lure you and try to shank you. It’s really impressive and heart-pounding stuff. On top of that add the game’s impressive graphics and unique sound design and few games manage to do what Ready or Not does: providing players with a thrilling and rewarding first-person shooter experience.
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