2024 was a phenomenal year for games, with surprise hits likeIndiana Jones and the Great Circledominating the charts. Luckily for those who prefer immersive experiences, many of the best games of the year were first-person shooters. From indies to major triple-A games, fans of FPS games had a lot to look forward to and add to their burgeoning backlogs.
Of course, 2025 is full of some of themost anticipated FPS gamesof all time, which is great for those who have already made their way through 2024’s selection. However,it’s important to celebrate all the best FPS games of the year to help players identify which ones are actually worth playing. Fortunately, whether it was anime-inspired boomer shooters or immersive survival horror games, there were plenty of phenomenal FPS titles in 2024.
10Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6 (Treyarch/Raven Software)
One Of The Best CODs In A Long Time
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6was a much-needed return to form for the franchiseafter the debacle that wasModern Warfare 3. It proved that Activision still knows what it’s doing withCOD, in large part thanks to itsexcellent back-to-basics campaignfull of familiar faces, a plethora of twists and turns, and a healthy sprinkling of spectacular set pieces. The multiplayer modes were also released in a great state with a strong selection of maps available at launch and frequent updates adding new content.
It’s Time For Call Of Duty To Have A Refresh, Not A Return To Basics Game Like Black Ops 6
The Call of Duty franchise needs a major refresh and change in genre rather than the back-to-basics style of gameplay that Black Ops 6 offers.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise thatBlack Ops 6is one of the best first-person shooters of the year, especially considering just how polishedCall of Dutyis now. It’s a powerhouse in visual fidelity, offering some of the most striking environments, and the gunplay has never felt better. While there are always divisive new features,Call of Duty: Black Ops 6still manages to be one of 2024’s best triple-A FPS games.
9STALKER 2: Heart Of Chornobyl (GSC Game World)
An Intense Survival Horror Experience
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylmay have been released in a buggy state, but severalenormous game-changing patcheshave made it the game it was always supposed to be. Fortunately, even at launch,STALKER 2was able to showcase its unique blend of survival horror and surreal sci-fi with its huge immersive open world. It is a game packed with surprises that both those familiar with the series and those new to it can enjoy.
What makesSTALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylsuch a great FPS game is its attention to detail, whether that’s in its ridiculously good eating animations or its approach to dialogue choices and NPC interactions. There’s also little handholding to be found, ensuring that the player can get completely lost within the anomaly-riddled world. It may be scary at first, but it all pays off excellently, makingSTALKER 2an immensely worthwhile immersive experience unlike any other.
8Anger Foot (Free Lives)
A First-Person Kicker
Anger Footis, as the name suggests, a game all about kicking bad guys in intensely aggressive ways. It’s an indie title from developer Free Lives and the exceedingly delightful publisher Devolver Digital thatsees players kick and shoot their way through a series of environments in creative wayswhile listening to one of the most high-octane scores in a video game. ImagineDOOMmeets Nike.
Players can collect shoes and a selection of different weapons while exploring these dingy locales, which they can then use to replay levels and beat them at record speeds. It’s a game about precision, but also about having as much fun as possible.Kicking a bad guy into a wall so hard their pants fall down never gets old, which is fortunate, asAnger Footprovides experiences like that and many more throughout its runtime.
7MULLET MADJACK (HAMMER95)
An Anime Boomer Shooter
Mullet MadJackis an aesthetically pleasing boomer shooter with some of the most over-the-top, high-octane gunplay in all of 2024.Pulling from ’80s anime, every level, weapon, and character design inMullet MadJackis oozing with style, making it a genuine joy to play through. What makes it stand out over other games like it is the way it handles health. Rather than having a pool of health or a traditional health bar, players have 10 seconds to live.
Fortunately, killing other enemies will add more time, allowing players to keep going. This incentivizes learning every level by heart in order to best maximize the amount of time left at the end of it.Mullet MadJackends up being an incredibly frantic game as a result, one in which strategically killing enemies while also attempting to blast through each level is a finely tuned balancing act.
6I Am Your Beast (Strange Scaffold)
A Fast-Paced Revenge Thriller
I Am Your Beastis essentiallyRambothe video game as it sees players attempt to take down the overwhelming forces of the military-industrial complex that are hunting them down.This is, at its heart, a narrative-driven thriller with 20 thoroughly enthralling missionsto complete. However, what makes it so compelling is the way that it allows players to embody the ultimate survival fantasy.
10 Best Indie Games On Xbox Game Pass Right Now
With unlimited access to hundreds of Xbox Game Pass games, players can enjoy indie games like Powerwash Simulator, Moonlighter and more.
I Am Your Beastwill see players run through a forest, climb a tree, drop onto a nearby enemy, grab his gun, turn it against him, throw it at another enemy, catch it midair, and then blast another.It’s ostensiblySUPERHOTwithout the time mechanic, a frantic shooter all about utilizing the tools at one’s disposal. With a great story, strong mission design, and fluid combat mechanics,I Am Your Beastis easily one of thebest indie FPS gamesof 2024.
5Witchfire (The Astronauts)
A Fantasy Extraction Shooter
Witchfireis a dark fantasy extraction shooter with RPG elements. It seesfans choose from a variety of unique weapon types before heading into one of the many distinct biomes in search of loot. Of course, there will be terrifying enemies to face, bosses to fight, and the titular Witch of the Black Sea to contend with, all of whom threaten the player and their collected loot. If it is dropped, there’s just one opportunity to head back in and claim it before it’s lost forever.
Naturally,this leads to a risk-reward gameplay loop in which players must decide whether to extract what they have or push on to gather more, but risk fighting even harder enemies. With unbelievably satisfying gunplay and a strong progression system,Witchfireis a consistently engaging experience that’s sure to please those who love extraction shooters.
4Destiny 2: The Final Shape (Bungie)
A Refreshing Expansion For The Live-Service Shooter
Destiny 2suffered a little with the release ofLightfall, a somewhat disappointing expansion that failed to reach the same heights as previous entries. Fortunately,reviews forThe Final Shapepainted it in a far more positive light, as it managed to be the return to form that the live service shooter desperately needed.The Final Shapewas a bigger and bolder expansion, one with great level design, encounters, and multiplayer content.
The Final Shape’snarrative was one of the best in the game’s history, featuring some compelling moments and great character development that fans have been asking for. However, Bungie really proved it’s still at the top of its game withThe Final Shape’sphenomenal missions, the majority of which remain some of the most memorable in all ofDestiny 2.
3Selaco (Altered Orbit Studios)
A Fully Destructible Sci-Fi Shooter
Selacois a narrative-driven indie FPS with one key feature that helps set it apart: destructible environments. While currently in Early Access - with only a handful of the planned Chapters available -Selacois an incredibly audacious and ambitious shooter with a lot to offer. Those aforementioned destructible environments make every action-packed mission all the more exciting, as entire locations can be reduced to rubble.
Additionally,Selacotakes a lot of inspiration fromFEAR, including its AI.Fans will have to go up against some of the smartest AI in an FPS, as every enemy works together to bring the player down. It’s a heart-pumping indie shooter, one with a lot of phenomenal moments, great action, and a beautiful art style that brings the entire experience together.
2Echo Point Nova (Greylock Studio)
An Open-World FPS From The Developers Of Severed Steel
Echo Point Novais an open-world FPS in which players skate around on a hoverboard, swing around platforms using their grapple hook, and blast enemies away with a variety of weapons.It’s a fluid shooter, perhaps one of the most satisfying in all of 2024, that excels at both its gunplay and world design. For those who love frantic shooters with a versatile environment,Echo Point Novais a great choice.
It also comes from the developers of another critically acclaimed FPS,Severed Steel, and a lot of that game’s DNA can be found inEcho Point Nova. From its fast-paced action to its overall style,Greylock Studio have clearly perfected the first-person shooter formula. 2024 had a slew of great indie FPS games, butEcho Point Novastands out as one of the most ambitious.
1Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (MachineGames)
The Best Piece Of Indiana Jones Media In A While
Indiana Jones and the Great Circlewas a surprise hit, especially as many doubted that it’s first-person perspective suited the source material. Many likely imagined anUncharted-esque experience was a better fit, but MachineGames thankfully proved everyone wrong.The first-person perspective adds a great deal of valueto this unbelievably immersive, action-packed cinematic masterpiece.
Should Indiana Jones and the Great Circle get a sequel?
Having garnered widespread acclaim and landed on many publications' Top 10 of 2024 lists, I already find myself looking to the future of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and whether it should get a sequel. As a longtime fan of the franchise, I think MachineGames has done a fantastic job on the game in recreating a lot of the adventurous feel of the movies, particularly the whip mechanic and puzzle solving. Admittedly, there have been a few things that have struck me a tad awkwardly, including the Harrison Ford face design sometimes feeling a tad uncanny valley, but I’m absolutely open to seeing the studio make a sequel. I think it’d also be a fun idea for each game to start with a recreation of an iconic setpiece from the previous movies, much like Great Circle started off with Raiders of the Lost Ark’s opening.
From exploring huge diverse hubs to getting into intense scrapes with Nazi soldiers,Indiana Jones and the Great Circleboth perfectly encapsulates the feel of the original films and offers a satisfying FPS experience. While there were so many amazing first-person shooters in 2024,Indiana Jones and the Great Circlestands above them all.
