By Sharon Smith
The 2010s delivered some of the best first-person shooters the genre has ever seen. From 2010 to 2019, developers pushed gunplay, level design, and player freedom in ways that still inspire newer FPS games. That decade boosted the best of everything, from large-scale tactical warfare to stealth missions. Each year in the decade brought a standout FPS title that captured what players wanted at the time.
Looking back at these games now, their impact feels even clearer. Titles like Halo: Reach and Doom didn’t just succeed because they were popular; they refined how shooting feels in motion and how enemies react to it. This list pairs the best FPS game from each year between 2010 and 2019 with a strong spiritual successor released in 2025 or 2026.
Halo: Reach
Release Year: 2010
- An elite Spartan squad defends the human planet Reach from a massive alien invasion.
- Known for its large campaign battles, customizable Spartans, and deep multiplayer modes.
Halo: Reach is basically a prequel to the original Halo storyline. Instead of playing as Master Chief, players control Noble Six, a customizable Spartan soldier who joins an elite squad known as Noble Team during the Covenant assault on the planet Reach. Combat keeps the traditional Halo sandbox intact while adding new tools, such as armor abilities and reusable equipment like sprint boosts, jetpacks, or temporary camouflage. Instead of one-time gadgets, these abilities run on a cooldown and can be swapped during gameplay, allowing for different combat styles in both campaign and multiplayer.
Multiplayer in Halo: Reach was pretty ambitious. Competitive modes include classic playlists like Capture the Flag and Slayer, while cooperative Firefight mode lets players survive waves of enemies. The Forge editor even allows players to build their own maps and game modes. Because it combines a dramatic campaign with a huge amount of multiplayer content, Halo: Reach became one of the most complete FPS packages released in 2010. For players chasing that same Halo: Reach feeling in 2026, they can try out Halo: Campaign Evolved. It brings back the classic Halo formula with new features, sharper enemy AI, and expanded combat options.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Release Year: 2011
- Cyberpunk shooter where players investigate a biotech facility.
- Combines first-person shooting with stealth, hacking, and RPG-style upgrades.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution stands out for treating the shooter genre differently from most military FPS games. While a typical FPS focuses only on action, this game gives players the freedom to solve problems in several ways: combat, stealth, hacking, and social interaction. A player can sneak through ventilation shafts to avoid enemies, hack computers to unlock doors, persuade characters during conversations, or fight directly using firearms and gadgets.
The cyberpunk setting of Deus Ex: Human Revolution explores themes such as transhumanism, corporate power, and social division between augmented and non-augmented humans. While 2011 had several great shooters, Deus Ex: Human Revolution delivered something deeper than typical military FPS titles. For a newer alternative to Deus Ex: Human Revolution, players can check out Cyberpunk 2077. Updates have turned Cyberpunk 2077 into a strong and immersive FPS experience. It offers flexible builds, varied combat approaches, and detailed environments.
Far Cry 3
Release Year: 2012
- An open-world shooter where a tourist fights pirates on a dangerous tropical island.
- Combines exploration, crafting, stealth combat, and dynamic wildlife encounters.
Far Cry 3 is not only the best Far Cry game, but it’s also one of the best games of the 2010s. The game’s biggest strength lies in its open-world design. Players can roam jungles, mountains, and villages while completing missions in any order. Outposts can be captured through stealth or explosive gunfights, and wildlife hunting provides resources to craft equipment upgrades.
Combat in Far Cry 3 feels dynamic because the world reacts to the player's actions. Enemies patrol roads, wildlife attacks unexpectedly and different weapons encourage different tactics. Players might silently clear an outpost with a bow or cause chaos using explosives and heavy weapons. Another reason the game became iconic is its villain, Vaas Montenegro, whose unpredictable personality and intense monologs left a lasting impression on players. If you are looking for a good Far Cry 3 alternative to play in 2026 outside the Far Cry series, you can consider Atomfall, an immersive post-apocalyptic open-world game.
BioShock Infinite
Release Year: 2013
- Story-driven shooter where a detective searches for a mysterious young woman.
- Fast gunplay, supernatural abilities, and a strong narrative about politics, religion, and alternate realities.
BioShock Infinite pushed the FPS genre toward cinematic storytelling. It’s basically about Booker DeWitt, a former Pinkerton agent, trying to rescue a mysterious woman named Elizabeth from the airborne city of Columbia. BioShock Infinite does a good job combining traditional firearms with supernatural powers called Vigors, which allow players to launch fire attacks, control enemies, or create traps. The Sky-Line rail system adds vertical movement to battles, letting players zip across the environment while fighting enemies.
Elizabeth also changes the typical FPS companion system. Instead of being a burden, she actively helps during combat by throwing supplies and opening temporary rifts that summon weapons or cover. BioShock Infinite fans can also play RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business if they want a single-player FPS in 2026 with a story-based campaign. While technically DLC for RoboCop: Rogue City, Unfinished Business is a standalone expansion that doesn't require you to play the base game first.
Wolfenstein: The New Order
Release Year: 2014
- Story-driven FPS set in an alternate timeline where the Nazis won World War 2.
- Run-and-gun shooting with modern storytelling.
Wolfenstein: The New Order revived the classic shooter series with a surprisingly good story and modern gameplay systems. The game is big on aggressive gunplay. Players can carry heavy weapons, dual-wield rifles or shotguns, and fight through large groups of enemies. Stealth is also an option in certain missions, allowing B.J. Blazkowicz to quietly eliminate officers before any alarms are triggered. This flexibility gives players multiple ways to approach encounters.
The game’s world mixes historical ideas with science fiction. Nazi forces use giant robots, advanced drones, and experimental weapons developed during the war. These technologies create unusual combat situations that go far beyond traditional World War 2 shooters. Another new FPS game that delivers a somewhat similar experience is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. It’s a linear, story-driven campaign with grounded gunplay, scripted missions, and cinematic pacing.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
