IGN: Top 100 Video Game Shooters Of All Time

focus
focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

We've been overcoming impossible odds in shooters ever since Wolfenstein 3D first popularized genre way back in 1992.

Since then twitch-skill games like Serious Sam and Painkiller have helped us blow off steam, tactical shooters like Rainbow Six and Star Wars Republic Commando have worked our brains, and franchises like Halo and Call of Duty have helped shooters dominate the video game landscape.

Shooters have continued to evolve and remain relevant longer than nearly any other video game genre. Naming just 100 greats is no easy task - how can Half-Life 2's pitch-perfect storytelling be compared to Doom's interplay of tension and player power? But through sheer determination and plenty of shouting, we've managed to narrow the nearly endless supply of shooters down to 100 must-play picks.

Publishing Schedule:
Monday, September 9: #100-81
Tuesday, September 10: #80-61
Wednesday, September 11: #60-41
Thursday, September 12: #40-21
Friday, September 13: #20-1

#100
XIII
Released: 2003

#99
Black
Released: 2006

#98
Tron 2.0
Released: 2003

#97
SiN
Released: 1998

#96
Halo: Reach
Released: 2010

#95
Turok 2: Seeds of Evil
Released: 1998

#94
Red Faction 2
Released: 2002

#93
Jedi Knight: Dark Forces II
Released: 1997

#92
Crysis 2
Released: 2011

#91
Heretic
Released: 1994

#90
Battlefield 3
Released: 2011

#89
Doom 3
Released: 2004

#88
Unreal Tournament 2003
Released: 2002

#87
Star Trek: Voyager: Elite Force
Released: 2000

#86
STALKER: Call of Pripyat
Released: 2009

#85
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Released: 2011

#84
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Released: 2003

#83
Aliens vs. Predator (PC)
Released: 1999

#82
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Released: 2004

#81
Counterstrike: Source
Released: 2004
«1

Comments

  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Gears of war for top 10 at least top 20.
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #80
    Tribes: Ascend
    Released: 2012

    #79
    Timesplitters: Future Perfect
    Released: 2005

    #78
    S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
    Released: 2007

    #77
    Crysis 3
    Released: 2013

    #76
    Blacklight Retribution
    Released: 2012

    #75
    Red Steel 2
    Released: 2010

    #74
    Clive Barker's Undying
    Released: 2001

    #73
    Hexen
    Released: 1995

    #72
    Red Orchestra 2
    Released: 2011

    #71
    Red Faction
    Released: 2001

    #70
    Killzone 3
    Released: 2010

    #69
    Rainbow Six: Vegas
    Released: 2006

    #68
    Halo 3
    Released: 2007

    #67
    Borderlands
    Released: 2009

    #66
    Bulletstorm
    Released: 2011

    #65
    Far Cry 2
    Released: 2008

    #64
    Prey
    Released: 2006

    #63
    Singularity
    Released: 2010

    #62
    The Darkness
    Released: 2007

    #61
    Soldier of Fortune 2
    Released: 2003
  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bulletstorm at 66? Yea ? this
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2013
    Bulletstorm at 66? Yea ? this

    You think it should be lower...or, higher?

    TitanFall should be top 50 off the previews alone.
  • vagrant-718
    vagrant-718 Members Posts: 4,569 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Sion wrote: »
    Golden Eye & Perfect Dark should be #1 and #2 respectively but b/c these lists are paid for Black Ops II and the rest of the COD games will be #1 and dominate the top 10 SMMFH.

    #1 probably half life 2
    bioshock 1 should be in top 10 arguable top 5
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2013

    bioshock 1 should be in top 10 arguable top 5

    I agree, but muthafuckas hate on the shooting mechanics of Bioshock so we'll see. I wouldn't even mind seeing Bioshock 2 for the gun/plasmid dual wield or Bioshock Infinite because of the innovation with the Skyline.
  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Goldeneye was an awesome game. People dickride too hard though.
  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Doom will probably make top 10.


    I'd put COD4 as #1. That changed the game for everybody.
  • KillaCham
    KillaCham Members, Moderators Posts: 11,417 Regulator
    Battlefield 3 pretty much guaranteed Top 10/15. No way they're gonna let the read shooter of the year go lower than that.
  • KillaCham
    KillaCham Members, Moderators Posts: 11,417 Regulator
    Karl. wrote: »
    Goldeneye was an awesome game. People dickride too hard though.
    I don't even remember the campaign/story mode for that joint. To be honest.
  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    KillaCham wrote: »
    Battlefield 3 pretty much guaranteed Top 10/15. No way they're gonna let the read shooter of the year go lower than that.

    It's already posted at #90 on the list.
  • KillaCham
    KillaCham Members, Moderators Posts: 11,417 Regulator
    ? know I can't read. :(
  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #60
    Timesplitters 2
    Released: 2002

    #59
    Rise of the Triad
    Released: 1994

    #58
    Return to Castle Wolfenstein
    Released: 2003

    #57
    Halo 3: ODST
    Released: 2009

    #56
    Painkiller
    Released: 2006

    #55
    Perfect Dark
    Released: 2000

    #54
    Marathon
    Released: 1994

    #53
    Metro 2033
    Released: 2010

    #52
    No One Lives Forever
    Released: 2000

    #51
    Serious Sam
    Released: 2002

    #50
    Quake
    Released: 1996

    #49
    Doom 2
    Released: 1994

    #48
    Unreal
    Released: 1998

    #47
    Call of Duty 2
    Released: 2005

    #46
    Halo 4
    Released: 2012

    #45
    Left 4 Dead 2
    Released: 2009

    #44
    Call of Duty: Black Ops
    Released: 2010

    #43
    Borderlands 2
    Released: 2012

    #42
    Battlefield: Bad Company 2
    Released: 2010

    #41
    Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
    Released: 2007

  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    focus wrote: »
    Bulletstorm at 66? Yea ? this

    You think it should be lower...or, higher?

    TitanFall should be top 50 off the previews alone.
    ? shouldn't even be in the top 500
  • KNiGHTS
    KNiGHTS Members Posts: 4,435 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Perfect Dark ain't top 3? ? ? this list in the face.
  • satyrone
    satyrone Members Posts: 4,696 ✭✭✭✭✭
    At leadt rise of the triad got some love.
  • genocidecutter
    genocidecutter Members Posts: 17,825 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2013
    They gave Timesplitters props Im not mad. Edit I just saw Counterstrike source at 81 ? this list
  • Swiffness!
    Swiffness! Members Posts: 10,128 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Perfect Dark, Quake 1, Serious Sam, all just got robbed. C.O.D 2 put Call of Duty on.

    I'll wait to see where they put Descent 2 before I declare this list ? .....
    Sion wrote: »
    Well at least they gave Soldier of Fortune 2 it's props IMO it was one of the best shooting games of that year and one of the most underrated shooters of it's time. It was ahead of it's time when you look back and think about it.

    If I had my way, some variation of the G.H.O.U.L system's detailed gore would be mandated in all shooting games by law.

  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #40
    Aliens vs. Predator (Jaguar)
    Released: 1994

    #39
    Far Cry
    Released: 2004

    #38
    Rainbow Six 3
    Released: 2003

    #37
    Star Trek: Elite Force II
    Released: 2003

    #36
    Star Wars: Republic Commando
    Released: 2005

    #35
    System Shock 2
    Released: 1999

    #34
    SWAT 4
    Released: 2005

    #33
    Far Cry 3
    Released: 2012

    #32
    Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
    Released: 2005

    #31
    Bioshock Infinite
    Released: 2013

    #30
    PlanetSide 2
    Released: 2012

    #29
    Star Wars: Dark Forces
    Released: 1995

    #28
    Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
    Released: 2002

    #27
    The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay

    #26
    F.E.A.R.
    Released: 2005

    #25
    Crysis
    Released: 2007

    #24
    Left 4 Dead
    Released: 2007

    #23
    Battlefield 2
    Released: 2006

    #22
    Tribes 2
    Released: 2001

    #21
    Duke Nukem 3D
    Released: 1996


  • focus
    focus Members Posts: 5,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #20
    Medal of Honor
    Released: 1999

    #19
    Ghost Recon
    Released: 2001

    #18
    Team Fortress 2
    Released: 2007

    #17
    Quake III
    Released: 1999

    #16
    Unreal Tournament
    Released: 1998

    #15
    Rainbow 6
    Released: 1998

    #14
    Deus Ex
    Released: 2000

    #13
    Battlefield 1942
    Released: 2002

    #12
    Metroid Prime
    Released: 2002

    #11
    Wolfenstein 3D
    Released: 1992

    #10
    Quake II
    Released: 1997

    #9
    Counter-Strike
    Released: 2003

    #8
    BioShock
    Released: 2007

    #7
    Halo 2
    Released: 2004

    #6
    GoldenEye
    Released: 1997

    #5
    Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4
    Released: 2007

    #4
    Halo: Combat Evolved
    Released: 2001

    #3
    Half-Life 2
    Released: 2004

    #2
    Doom
    Released: 1993

    #1
    Half-Life
    Released: 1998


    When you look at the history of first-person shooters, it all breaks down pretty cleanly into pre-Half-Life and post-Half-Life eras.

    In the mid 1990s we got games like Doom, Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, and Star Wars: Dark Forces. Great games? Absolutely. But what's different in those games compared to what came after is that their worlds feel more like run-and-gun themeparks than actual places.

    In November of 1998, everything changed. Suddenly shooters were all trying to copy the Black Mesa Research Facility and its amazing sense of place. Using scripted events like the classic introductory tram ride and the massacre of the scientists, Half-Life gives us the impression that this isn't a world that exists solely to give Gordon Freeman something to shoot at. It's a world where something terrible and mysterious is happening, and we just happen to be caught in the middle of it. This approach to storytelling has become the cornerstone of first-person-shooter design today.
  • Melanin_Enriched
    Melanin_Enriched Members Posts: 22,868 ✭✭✭✭✭
    So no gears of war? At all? But bullet storm is on the list? ? THIS LIST
  • stoneface
    stoneface Members Posts: 2,491 ✭✭✭✭
    So no gears of war? At all? But bullet storm is on the list? ? THIS LIST

    The list is only for first person shooters. Theres no third person shooters on there at all.

  • Karl.
    Karl. Members Posts: 8,015 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Half Life is that good, huh?
  • CJ
    CJ Members Posts: 15,312 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Ehh I played half life when I copped the orange box some years back.

    ? bored me.
  • genocidecutter
    genocidecutter Members Posts: 17,825 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Well that got number 1 right