Best of 2016: Top 10 Shooters (First Person Shooters & Third Person Shooters)

2016 was a great year for shooters. From the demon infested hellish pits of Doom to the colorful booty-filled arenas in Overwatch, shooters saw an unexpected comeback, in what had become a tiresome genre. Here are the best shooters from 2016 that you absolutely must play:

1. Overwatch

   • Release Date: 23rd May, 2016
   • Platforms: Windows PC, PS4, XBONE
     

   While it can be put simply as Team Fortress with waifus, Blizzard’s hero shooter Overwatch is absolutely fantastic. And while Overwatch is not strictly just a shooter, you are shooting the whole time, be it shooting bullets, grenades, at your enemies or streams of health at your friends. Blizzard keeps it simple, giving you just a few modes and maps, but gives you a range of characters with unique abilities and playstyles. It’s easy to get into and get a hang of and really fun to master. Any and progression is purely cosmetic, so even if you are new to the game, you are never at a disadvantage. This is one colorful, vibrant shooter every gamer must try, and it a refreshing breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale genre. Also, there’s porn of it available, which I’ve heard is good.

2. Doom

   • Release Date: 13th May, 2016
   • Platforms: Windows PC, PS4, XBONE
     
     

   If you thought that Doom was never coming back from the disappointments the last few games in the series were, you were wrong. The new Doom is not just good, it beats every single player shooter in the market right now. Fast, frantic, and gloriously brutal, Doom captures everything that was great about the first game, and cranks everything up a notch. The game looks slick, the weapons feel badass, the gameplay is fluid, and the music is just perfect for DoomGuy’s bloodthirsty rampage through the burning pits of hell. The multiplayer was a bit weak, the campaign more than makes up for it.

3. Ratchet And Clank

   • Release Date: 12th April, 2016
   • Platforms: PS4
     
     

   Insomniac’s reboot of everybody’s favorite Lombax, was not just a fun game, but also one of the best this year. Ratchet and Clank is not a shooter in the conventional sense. The weapons in the Lombax’s arsenal range from the Pixelator that make your foes explode in a burst of colorful pixels, to the Groovitron that makes them dance angrily while you pellet them with other similarly hilarious weapons. The same humor translates to the main story and characters as well and will have you laughing out loud on many occasions. The puzzles and platforming sections in the game are challenging and offers enough variety to keep you hooked. If you own a PS4, this game is a must play.

4. Titanfall 2

   • Release Date: 28th October, 2016
   • Platforms: Windows PC, PS4, XBONE
     
     

   Titanfall 2 is one of those great games that got lost or forgotten because of it’s big brother Battlefield 1 which the geniuses at EA decided to release around the same time. If you haven’t played Titanfall before or are a bit tired of Battlefield, you should give this one a try. The campaign is a mix of great platforming, and well designed levels with a lot of variety. The bosses were fun to take down, though they did get easy after a while. But the overall story keeps you motivated till the end. Titanfall 2’s multiplayer is also fantastic, and in my opinion better than both Battlefield 1 and Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare. With all upcoming DLC, including maps and modes available for free, Titanfall 2 is great package overall.

5. Battlefield 1

   • Release Date: 21st October, 2016
   • Platforms: Windows PC, PS4, XBONE
     
     

   Where other shooters looked to modern or futuristic settings, Battlefield 1 took us all the way back to world war 1. Battlefield 1 takes World War 1 and changes it into a fun shooter, with a single player campaign which, for the most part, keeps the somber tone of World War 1, and a multiplayer which adds to the classic formula of the large scale Battlefield maps, by introducing new modes that keep the game feeling fresh. Be it hour long sessions playing operations, or chasing down pigeons, or the classic conquest modes, or a quick round of deathmatch, Battlefield 1 can be your go to game at the end of a long tiring day.

6. Rainbow Six Siege

   • Release Date: 1st December, 2016
   • Platforms: Windows PC, PS4, XBONE
     
     

   While actually released in December last year, Rainbow Six Siege has evolved and improved a lot over time and become a beloved shooter for a lot of players. With an emphasis on tactics and team based gameplay, Rainbow Six Siege is similar to Counter Strike in a lot ways. The main modes  of play are Hostage situations and bomb defusal. Where it differs is the destructible environments and greater verticality in levels. The different loadouts make team co-operation and co-ordination a must, so that the whole team can come together and support each other. Ubisoft has also done a great job of adding content to the game, and keeping the player base even more active than it was at the time of launch.

7. Gears Of War

   • Release Date: 11th October, 2016
   • Platforms: Windows 10, XBONE
     
     

   Like father like son, and that same saying stands true for Gears Of War 4. It’s more Gears Of War, with some gameplay and visual improvements. But it’s still a great game, with the new main characters JD and Katie having their own story to tell and adventure to embark upon. The new threat feels very similar to the locust from the previous games in the series, but the new weapons you use to blast their faces off with keep things feeling fresh. The cover based shooting that the original Gears made popular is refined even further, and new melee techniques make the combat feel tighter. The game ends a bit abruptly, but it’s clearly being set up for a sequel.

8. Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare

   • Release Date: 4th November, 2016
   • Platforms: Windows PC, PS4, XBONE
     
     

   Despite all the hate that it gets, Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare has one of the best campaign among all the Call Of Duty games released in recent years. Sure, it’s still the average modern shooter, but I like sci-fi and Infinite Warfare has more sci-fi than any of the previous titles. The multiplayer is forgettable, it does nothing new, and absolutely not worth investing time in. The shooting feels as good as in any Call Of Duty game, and though it’s no visual masterpiece, it’s still has the polish that one can expect from Call Of Duty.

9. Destiny

   • Release Date: 9th September, 2014
   • Platforms: PS4, XBONE
     
     

   Yes, this game released over two years ago, but Bungie is still adding great content to the game, be it expansions, or regular events. The community that plays Destiny is still very active, and the last few expansions have been very well received.

10. Shadow Warrior 2

    • Release Date: 13th October, 2016
    • Platforms: Windows PC
      
      

    Many complained that Shadow Warrior 2 was overly similar to the first game, but if you were new, then you were bound to love the fast fluid combat, and how gorgeous the game looked, specially with the blood of your enemies spilled all over the place. The game also had a crass sens of humor, which can be a hit or miss depending on how many dick jokes you can take, but still offered decent amount of fun while it lasted.

So that was our list of the best shooters from 2016. If we missed any, be sure to let us know in the comments.

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