Best Story-Driven FPS Games

First-person shooter games have evolved a lot over the years. From their action-heavy beginnings in Doom and Quake to the rise of online multiplayer games such as Apex: Legends and Valorant, the genre has become as diverse as the people who play it.

With the rise in their popularity, developers often use FPS games as a way to tell exciting and engaging stories that push players’ abilities and expectations. Some of these titles blend multiple genres and take people to places no other genre can, all the while maintaining the fun, action-packed mechanics that make the genre such a joy to play.

Updated September 27, 2024 by Andy Chapman: Story-driven FPS games are a major part of the gaming landscape. From modern retro-style shooters to remastered classics or new action-filled titles, FPS games offer fast-paced, heart-pumping fun. While online multiplayer games continue to dominate the industry, high-quality, engaging, story-driven action games remain a popular genre.

In recent years, developers have been looking to the past for inspiration. Numerous retro-style FPS games have found a dedicated audience, while remasters of classic games such as Quake and Turok are being enjoyed by an entirely new generation. This article has been updated with additional entries to provide a broader selection of story-driven FPS titles.

Boltgun

Purge Daemons in the Name of the Emperor

• Average Campaign Length: 10 Hours

Warhammer 40k has enjoyed a recent surge in high-quality video games. From the CRPG, Rogue Trader, to the recent success of Space Marine 2, fans of the Grimdark setting have never had it so good. Boltgun is another critically acclaimed 40k video game that has enjoyed cult success.

This retro-style shooter is satisfyingly bloody as players surge through waves of enemies in near-unstoppable carnage. Players control Sternguard Veteran Space Marine Malum Caedo, who has been sent to the planet Graia to end a Chaos incursion. Boltgun’s story follows the events of the 2011 video game Space Marine, where a mysterious power source has been used to open a rift in the warp. Boltgun is a game that revels in its blood-soaked mayhem as players purge countless daemonic enemies. It is a simple, fun action game that will appeal to almost all FPS fans.

Prey

A Stunning Sci-Fi Open World

• Average Campaign Length: 16 Hours

Arkane Studios has become synonymous with unique FPS games that blend RPG, stealth, and action elements. Titles such as Dishonored and Deathloop have garnered cult followings for their immersive worlds and fun gameplay. Prey continues this trend with its engaging narrative and excellent open-world setting. Players control Morgan Yu, who must escape the orbital space station, Talos I, after an alien species known as the Typhon escapes confinement.

While exploring the game's open world, players have access to a range of abilities and weapons they must use to defeat the Typhon. The game blends horror and RPG elements into an addictive narrative experience. Prey received positive reviews and was considered one of the best games of 2017.

Rage

A Solid Post-Apocalyptic Adventure

• Average Campaign Length: 11 Hours

Developed by FPS heavyweights id Software, Rage is a post-apocalyptic shooter where players explore a large desolate world. Highly influenced by the Mad Max series, the game features an assortment of customizable weapons and vehicles. Players take control of US Marine Nicholas Raine. After being placed in hibernation, the former soldier awakens 106 years later in a very different world. The game follows this character’s story, as he becomes a wanted man and must fight against the ruling power known as the Authority.

Rage is a solid action shooter that never quite reaches its full potential. The setting is fun, yet largely forgettable, with the action always taking center stage. The game was praised on release for its excellent combat, graphics, and mechanics. While games such as Borderlands or Fallout offer more cohesive apocalyptic settings, Rage provides an exhilarating, action-packed game that fans of chaotic shooters will love.

Metro: Exodus

Explore the Ruins of Russia

• Average Campaign Length: 15-16 Hours

The Metro series is a landmark in survival shooters. Based on the novel Metro 2033 by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, the series is set within a post-apocalyptic Moscow. In the games, the remaining population is forced to live in the underground metro system, safe from the radiation and mutated creatures that roam the surface.

Metro: Exodus is the third game in the series. It expanded on the previous two titles in both gameplay and setting. Players once again take control of Artyom who, along with a team of allies, escapes Moscow and travels across the country, searching for a new home. The game features several semi-open world areas that are all diverse and fun to explore.Metro: Exodus was praised for its engaging storytelling, expansive gameplay, and excellent world-building.

Resident Evil Village

An Action Heavy Horror Experience

• Average Campaign Length: 9-10 hours

The second game to feature the character Ethan Winters, Resident Evil Village begins to move away from the horror genre and into straight FPS territory, with its greater emphasis on shooting. The story plunges Ethan into a European backwater community of vampires and monsters as he searches for his kidnapped daughter.

The game also features the iconic Lady Dimitrescu as one of the central villains, and with its fantastic world-building and action-packed set pieces, Resident Evil: Village is a memorable installment in the long-running series.

The Outer Worlds

An Underrated Sci-Fi RPG

• Average Campaign Length: 13-14 hours

Bringing role-playing mechanics and a retro-futuristic style to its game world, The Outer Worlds is an immersive FPS shooter that will please fans of both the FPS and RPG genres.

Developed by the same team as Fallout: New Vegas, Obsidian brought the same level of interactive storytelling to The Outer Worlds. The game is considered the spiritual successor to Fallout: New Vegas. Although The Outer Worlds has a greater emphasis on its FPS elements, the story-driven nature of the game mixes perfectly with the action and setting, which takes players to a variety of alien worlds.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter

The Original Dino-Shooter

• Average Campaign Length: 7-8 Hours

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is a classic late 90s FPS game that received critical praise on release for its excellent graphics and creative level design. While the game never reached the iconic status of Doom or Quake, Turok remains one of the best retro shooters available to modern gamers.

The game revolves around a Native American warrior who takes up the mantle of Turok. This warrior is tasked with protecting a barrier between Earth and the Lost Land from the forces of the Campaigner. In the game, players will take on human enemies and various dinosaurs while navigating complex levels with hidden areas and platforming sections. Turok may look dated by modern standards, but it fits in perfectly with the wave of retro-inspired shooters that have become popular in recent years.

Cyberpunk 2077

A Vibrant and Violent Open World

• Average Campaign Length: 25 hours

Following on from the huge success of The Witcher 3, CD Projekt Red were under a lot of pressure with their next release. Based on the tabletop role-playing game, Cyberpunk 2077 was released to much controversy, with its numerous bugs and low quality on previous generation consoles.

The game has come a long way since its rocky start, and more players are discovering the rich and varied world of Night City. Cyberpunk follows mercenary V, who is implanted with the bio-chip of rockstar and terrorist Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves. The game is a sprawling sci-fi epic that offers a lot of freedom in the player's choices, spread over a vibrant open world.

Resistance 2

Defend The Earth From Alien Invaders

• Average Campaign Length: 10 hours

Resistance: Fall Of Man was one of the PS3’s exclusive launch titles and was a fun, action-filled shooter set in an alternative timeline where aliens invaded the Earth in the 1940s. The game was a refreshing take on WW2 shooters and was generally well-received.

It was only with Resistance 2 that the series came into its own. With a fleshed-out world and a deeper storyline, the game took everything great about the first installment and cranked it up. Resistance 3followed later and was another great addition to this largely forgotten series.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

Take On the Fascist Threat

• Average Campaign Length: 11 Hours

One of the most famous franchises in FPS history, the early Wolfenstein games helped define the genre. These action-packed titles plunge players into an alternate reality where supernatural forces are turned into powerful weapons, and where the Axis powers won the Second World War. This eighth installment brings series regular William Joseph "B.J." Blazkowicz back into action, fighting the ruling Nazi regime in America.

The game follows Blazkowicz’s attempt to bring about a revolution in the occupied USA. With a variety of weapons and gadgets at the player’s disposal, TheNew Colossus is an over-the-top action-adventure journey into a history that never was. The game was praised for its strong narrative, well-written characters, and excellent combat mechanics.

Deathloop

A Unique Timeloop Shooter

• Average Campaign Length: 15-16 hours

Deathloop takes the familiar Groundhog Day time-loop trope and revitalizes it in a vibrant FPS game with a rich and detailed game world. Deathloop follows Colt, an assassin who must take out eight targets in a single day, or the loop resets and he must try again.

Set on a mysterious island known as Blackreef, players must learn the target’s patterns and locations to be successful. Colt can use a variety of actions to achieve his goals, including parkour, stealth, or even just going in guns blazing. Deathloop is a great example of how a narrative can inform gameplay, creating a unique FPS game that is both challenging and addictive.

Dishonored

A Cult Stealth FPS Classic

• Average Campaign Length: 12 hours

This popular FPS game has grown a cult following with its slick art style and fluid gameplay. Set in the fictional city of Dunwall, Dishonored follows the fallen bodyguard Corvo Attano, who must fight to clear his name after being framed for the murder of the Empress he was supposed to protect.

Based loosely on Victorian London, Dunwall is a grim backdrop with dark alleyways and dangerous gangs haunting the city's streets. To help fight their way through the game, the player has access to various weapons and supernatural abilities, which include teleportation and slowing time. The game has become a classic in the genre and is a must-play for fans looking for a unique FPS experience.

Far Cry 3

Survive a Dangerous Tropical Island

• Average Campaign Length: 15-16 hours

The Far Cry series has consistently delivered exciting story-driven FPS games for many years, engaging players in their often vibrant and deadly game worlds. With multiple entries into the main series, as well as several spin-off games, the Far Cry franchise has cemented its place in FPS history.

The game that took the series to its current level is undoubtedly Far Cry 3. Set on a stunning tropical island, the story revolves around Jason Brody and his friends, who must go up against local Pirate Lord Vaas Montenegro and fight to take back control of the island.

Titanfall 2

Control and Battle Powerful Mechs

• Average Campaign Length: 6 hours

Titanfall 2 was a genre-defining FPS game that blended the fast-paced action and movement of FPS games with the destructive firepower of Mech games. The game follows Jack Cooper as he discovers new abilities and gets to know his Titan BT-7274, all the while defeating multiple enemy types and navigating platforming obstacles.

Titanfall 2 was released to critical acclaim, perfectly blending a linear storyline with excellent gameplay, likable characters, and a fully realized game world. For players looking for an immersive story-driven FPS experience, Titanfall 2 comes highly recommended.

Borderlands 2

The Classic Looter Shooter

• Average Campaign Length: 30 hours

The vibrant and irreverent Borderlands is a stand-out series of FPS games that brings looting and shooting mayhem to a whole new level of fun. Merging mild RPG mechanics with a stunning cell-shaded artstyle, Borderlands looks great and plays brilliantly.

With the first game being heavy on action and light on story, it was with Borderlands 2 that the series came into its own. With the inclusion of antagonist Handsome Jack, Borderlands 2found its narrative footing and fleshed out its world-building, creating a seriously fun gaming experience.

Metro 2033

Survive Moscow's Post-Apocalyptic Underground

• Average Campaign Length: 9-10 hours

Based on the novel by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro 2033presents a bleak depiction of a post-apocalyptic Moscow, where the inhabitants are forced to live within the underground metro system and survive the frequent attacks from roaming outlaws and horrific monsters.

The two original games got a much-needed upgrade with the release of Metro 2033 Redux, which features the original game, as well as its sequel, Metro: Last Light,and with the addition of the third sequel, Metro Exodus, this has become a must-have trilogy for many FPS fans.

Crysis

A Stunning Action FPS Classic

• Average Campaign Length: 10-12 Hours

This futuristic first-person shooter revolves around a Delta Force Soldier, Jake Dunn, also known as Nomad, who travels to a fictional island where an ancient alien structure has been discovered. In the game, players fight against both North Korean soldiers and the emerging alien invaders. While the game features a basic story of alien invasion, the high level of gameplay and futuristic gear made Crysis a standout game on release.

The game was critically acclaimed and would go on to win several awards. It was praised for its level of freedom, emergent gameplay, and stunning graphics. However, it was also criticized for its steep technical requirements. Crysis was a fun sci-fi shooter with intense action that became a favorite among gamers and helped to advance graphics in video games to a new level.

Killzone 2

A Gritty Sci-fi War Experience

• Average Campaign Length: 7-8 Hours

This PlayStation-exclusive series plunged players into an interplanetary conflict between two warring human superpowers. As members of the ISA, or Interplanetary Strategic Alliance, players are thrown into the conflict against the fascist Helghast, pushing forward in a bloody campaign.

The second entry into the series took everything about the first game and improved on it. Killzone 2is a dark and gritty shooter, where players slowly make their way through the streets of the Helghast home planet, Helghan. The combat feels weighty and powerful, and many gameplay sequences have a strong forward momentum, which pushes the narrative ahead. The war against the Helghast is loud and chaotic, and the game portrays this perfectly. Killzone 2 was met with widespread acclaim and would go down as the high point in the series.

System Shock 2

An Influential Sci-Fi Horror Shooter

• Average Campaign Length: 1314 Hours

The long-awaited sequel to the influential sci-fi shooter, System Shock 2blends stealth survival horror gameplay with RPG mechanics. Players control an unnamed soldier on board a starship, plagued with a genetic infection that is causing chaos on the crew and ship. Players use various weapons and abilities to take down enemies and progress through the game, including hacking and psionic powers.

The game was released to critical acclaim and became highly influential for horror and story-driven FPS games. Its tense atmosphere, character customization, and engaging narrative made it an instant classic. The System Shock series has become a cult favorite among gamers and developers. The successful Bioshock series was considered a spiritual successor toSystem Shock, as was the 2017 game from Arkane Studios, Prey.

Bioshock Infinite

An Epic Adventure in the Clouds

• Average Campaign Length: 11-12 hours

The second sequel in the series, BioShock Infinite, was a breath of fresh air and continued to push story-driven FPS games into more complex and interesting areas. BioShock Infinite takes players to the floating city of Columbia and follows Detective Booker Dewitt as he searches for the mysterious Elizabeth.

The game brings the same level of interactive storytelling that the first game accomplished so well, with fully realized characters and settings. On top of this, it pushes storytelling to new places with deeper questions about the self and the nature of reality.