Summary
First-person shooters have long been one of the industry’s most popular genres, and little has changed concerning that over the years. It’s easy to see why — stepping into a first-person perspective and blasting your way to a good time is a classic recipe for success.
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High on Lifestands out from the other FPS offerings on Xbox Game Pass in more ways than one. Not only does it mix some platforming in with its more shooty-shooty features, but its humor is off the charts. Every weapon you hold in your hand, from melee-oriented sword-things to doughy guns with faces, speaks to you throughout your adventure. The zaniness ofHigh on Lifecannot be understated.
If you have a low tolerance for crude jokes,High on Lifeis definitely going to test your limits. But if you enjoy immersing yourself in classic Rick-and-Morty-esque laughs, this game was made for you. Not every first-person shooter game has to involve deathmatch; some just need to take you on a hilarious space-faring journey with a talking gun.
Doom: The Dark Ages
Look further down this list and you’ll find most of theDoomgames already on here. And after playing throughThe Dark Ages, you’ll be happy to know it’s onehellof a good FPS game. (I’m sure that’s the first time you’ve heard that joke.)
Let’s address the elephant in the room. How doesDark Agescompare to 2016 andEternal? In many ways, it’s not as good as previous entries in Bethesda’s take on theDoomseries. However, being just shy of “superbly perfect” still makesDark Agesstand out as a fantastic first-person shooter.
Doomguy is back, but this time with a kick-ass shield. As the Doom Slayer, you can raise your shield to block and parry demon attacks, and then blam-shoot and whump-bash them into oblivion. You can also use your shield as a zooming ram to close the gap between you and any enemy on the field. (It’s seriously a distance-eliminator on par with the Meat Hook fromEternal.) The story is epic and full of cool moments, though nothing too narratively gripping. That’s okay. We’re here to rip and tear anyways.
TheBorderlandsseries in general combines explosive good fun with humor and engrossing looter-shooter mechanics. And now, as part of your Xbox Game Pass subscription you can play the ultimate edition ofBorderlands 3.Borderlands 3is the culmination of years building the universe and gameplay of the franchise. It maintains the cooperative chaos of having up to three other friends play alongside you by providing four unique “classes” you can try.
Whether you want to be more of a tank tanking bullets or more of crowd-control character channeling siren powers, the game has got you covered. And while you might feel like you’re competing against each other to get as many kills and acquire as much loot as you can, when you’re all up against a signatureBorderlands-style boss, you’ll feel more of that jolly cooperation the series is known for.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
WHERE TO PLAY
Uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, a first-person, single-player adventure set between the events of Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade. The year is 1937, sinister forces are scouring the globe for the secret to an ancient power connected to the Great Circle, and only one person can stop them - Indiana Jones™. You’ll become the legendary archaeologist in this cinematic action-adventure game from MachineGames, the award-winning studio behind the recent Wolfenstein series, and executive produced by Hall of Fame game designer Todd Howard.YOU ARE INDIANA JONESLive the adventure as Indy in a thrilling story full of exploration, immersive action, and intriguing puzzles. As the brilliant archaeologist – famed for his keen intellect, cunning resourcefulness, and trademark humor – you will travel the world in a race against enemy forces to discover the secrets to one of the greatest mysteries of all time.A WORLD OF MYSTERY AWAITSTravel from the halls of Marshall College to the heart of the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt, the sunken temples of Sukhothai, and beyond. When a break-in in the dead of night ends in a confrontation with a mysterious colossal man, you must set out to discover the world-shattering secret behind the theft of a seemingly unimportant artifact. Forging new alliances and facing familiar enemies, you’ll engage with intriguing characters, use guile and wits to solve ancient riddles, and survive intense set-pieces.WHIP-CRACKING ACTIONIndiana’s trademark whip remains at the heart of his gear and can be used to distract, disarm, and attack enemies. But the whip isn’t just a weapon, it’s Indy’s most valuable tool for navigating the environment. Swing over unsuspecting patrols and scale walls as you make your way through a striking world. Combine stealth infiltration, melee combat, and gunplay to combat the enemy threat and unravel the mystery.THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERYVenture through a dynamic mix of linear, narrative-driven gameplay and open-area maps. Indulge your inner explorer and unearth a world of fascinating secrets, deadly traps ,and fiendish puzzles, where anything could potentially hide the next piece of the mystery – or snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?
There are an assortment of FPS games on Xbox Game Pass; you would expect nothing less from the company that now ownsHaloandCall of Duty. But if you’re looking for a first-person-shooting kind of experience that’s not necessarily a blueprint of one of these multiplayer games, we’ve got you covered. Separate from the stereotypical shooter experience, we’ve got the phenomenal, story-drivenIndiana Jones and the Great Circle.
It’s got puzzles and exploration up the wazoo, and the combat is hilariously satisfying. If your guns fail you, you can pick up improvised weapons to chuck at fascists or just throw down with your fists. You can also try stealthing if you want. But is Indiana Jones known for top-notch sneaking around? NO. He’s known for frequently getting caught and having to run and punch his way out of trouble.The Great Circleis a fantastic game and feels like the premier way to experience Indiana Jones’ glory at this point.
Once you’re done with the rapid movement and fast-paced awesomeness that isCall of Duty: Black Ops 6, you might want to try something more akin to a Soulslike when it comes to FPS difficulty. That’s whereStalker 2comes in.Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobylis a horror survival FPS that sees you roaming the Chornobyl Anomalous Zone, looking for supplies and, more often than not, shooting whatever you come across. Just bear in mind that glorious unfairness is the name of the game.
Enemies will spot you from leagues away. You’ll expend more ammo than you find in an effort to stay alive for a menial side quest. Bugs are an acquired-taste part of the experience. This is what we know and love from aStalkergame. So if you’re in the mood for a methodical FPS game that tests your determination and immerses you in a hardcore survival situation, the Zone is waiting for you.
Black Ops 6is likely the firstCall of Dutytitle in quite some time that manages to pack in high marks across the entirety of the experience. A strong single player campaign? Check. A multiplayer suite that maintains the series DNA while innovating enough to stay fresh and exciting? Double check. An addictive PvE horde mode to take on with buddies? Yep, triple check. Describing a contemporaryCall of Dutytitle as “innovative” comes with a high set of expectations, butBlack Ops 6pulls it off with aplomb.
The campaign’s progression mechanics do well enough to keep it interesting, but its real strength is in the variation of mission types and design — yes, you’ll have plenty of classic gunfighty goodness, but wrap in a few “open-ended” stealth missions, a passable open world segment, and one particular twist that I won’t do you the disservice of spoiling, and you’ve got one remarkably solid experience on your hands.
The multiplayer, for the most part, packs in the nuts and bolts you’d expect from aCoDmultiplayer affair, but it’s the tinkering they’ve done with the moment-to-moment gameplay mechanics that really make it sing.Black Opshas always been the more “movement-inclined” wing of the franchise, andBlack Ops 6moves the bar in that respect with its new “omni-directional” movement. All in all,Black Ops 6is shaping up to be the franchise’s highest point over the past decade, and it’s worth hoping that trend continues.
Microsoft is really flexing their acquisition muscle with this one — but if you’re looking to sate some intensely team-based multiplayer FPS action, then it’s hard to go wrong with one of the biggest modern multiplayer shooters.
In the event you’ve somehow missed out on the game’s near-decade of life up to this point,Overwatch 2is essentially the sequel and replacement to the originalOverwatch— it’s a competitive hero shooter. You pick from a hefty roster of heroes with unique weapons and special abilities and head into one of a variety of competitive 5v5 game modes to take on the opposing team. If you think along the lines of a streamlined, stylized, and faster-paced Team Fortress 2, then you’re in the neighborhood.
Overwatch(2) is generally well-loved for its diverse roster of highly stylized heroes and the unique playstyles attached to them — from classic support healers like the angelic Mercy to faster-paced, in-your-face damage dealers like Tracer or Genji, there’s a playstyle flavor available for practically any taste. It’s also got a booming competitive scene that it’s never too late to get into.
We’ve managed to get our hands on touched-up official ports of the originalDoomclassics before — for the most part, they’re pretty barebones beyond some absolute minimums on QOL improvements, or some cherry-picked modding support. But this time? Bethesda and id Software weren’t messing around.
Putting this together was a labor of love for the folks at id Software, and that love definitely shows.
Immortals of Aveumis a sadly well-known game, recognized for flopping hard due to poor sales upon its release. However, despite this,the game itself is not bad at all. It’s actually an incredibly satisfying experience, andmany speculate its poor sales had more to do with the triple-A giants that launched during the same release window, its exorbitant budget, and the risk of being a new IP. Its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass (through EA Play) makes it an enticing offering.
InImmortals, you step into a fantastical world where you play as Jak, an up-and-coming mage in a magical war that is tearing apart the different factions of Aveum. How then does this qualifyImmortals of Aveumas a great FPS game? Well, it just absolutely nails “magical” shooting. Jak shoots different-colored magic from his fingertips, and while that is a juvenile description on my part, it’s heckin enjoyable combat.
Bright bolts and flashes of red, green, and blue magic fly across the screen accomplishing different things. (Each represents weapons like a shotgun, assault rifle, and sniper rifle.) And as you race through a battle, you’ll find yourself switching between each. So despite the fantasy-setting seasoning, the meat ofImmortals of Aveumis an entertaining FPS game with a fun story. What more could you want?
Superhotis an FPS experience like no other. You play as a geometric human figure engaging in a variety of shoot-outs against other geometric human figures. The notable difference between this game and others of its like is that time only moves when you do. Every step your character makes pushes time forward. If you stop moving, time stops and your enemies remain motionless.
This allows you to take stock of your position, dodge bullets, toss projectiles, and take cover at a measured pace. This slow take on the shooter genre makesSuperhotfeel more like a puzzle game, but witnessing your actions in real time after clearing a level makes you feel like a veritable bad-ass.
This won’t feel like a typical FPS game, so don’t necessarily go into it expecting twitch shooting or anything like that.
