Summary
FPS titles are some of the most popular games right now, and have been for a few decades.Doomstarted the large FPS boom period, and the genre has been going strong ever since. Like most genres, a lot of FPS games released in a given year are from established franchises likeCall of Duty,Battlefield,Halo, and more.
While some sequels can feel a bit tired, others can really advance a series, offering something that earlier titles just didn’t. They can serve as effective evolutions of a concept, or complete revolutions, but a great FPS sequel, however it’s approached, is worth celebrating. Here are some of the very best FPS follow-ups ever made.
Platforms
1994
PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Switch, GBA, Xbox 360 (Series X|S Backwards Compatible), Xbox One, PlayStation, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Sega Saturn
One year after the first Doom title,Doom 2blasted onto store shelves. The campaign itself has both good and bad parts, but what really makes Doom 2 is the new enemies and the new weapon you get. All the monsters, minus the Hell Knight, add significantly to the depth of the combat and make the original title seem rather tired in comparison.
The Super Shotgun is also excellent, as it’s very powerful but can drain your ammo if you’re not using it properly. The new tools are perfect for custom levels (or WADs as they’re called in Doom) and the community knocked it out of the park, continuing to release stellar new content to this day.
After the success of Halo: Combat Evolved,Halo 2was massively anticipated. In a year already filled with huge triple A titles, Halo 2 was quite possibly the biggest of them all, and it absolutely delivered. It’s one of those sequels that trumps the original in virtually every way.
The story is incredibly engaging, switching between Master Chief and the Arbiter, and the core conflict is executed about as perfectly as you could get. The gunplay and map selection were both leagues above Halo CE, too, and with a long campaign of 15 levels, it never drags once. Plus, it had online multiplayer, unlike the original. Halo 2 still holds up remarkably well, a testament to its quality.
2020
PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
WhileSerious Sam: The Second Encounter is objectively the best sequel of the series, it feels more like Serious Sam Part 2 rather than a true follow-up. Out of the following games, the best has to go to Serious Sam 4. It’s a complex matter, because the game has its highlights and its shortcomings, but the bottom line is this: When it hits, it’s one of the most enjoyable single-player FPS games you’ll ever play.
The pure chaos of the fights here is unmatched, and you do get into the wild action much quicker than in the third installment. The final level, in particular, is one of thegreatest single-player FPS levels of all time, with some of the best combat encounters in a horde shooter.
2007
PC, Mac, Xbox 360 (Series X|S BC), Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii
The FPS genre was riddled with shooters set during World War 2 for a long time, but starting withCall of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, that all changed. With a modern setting and more contemporary conflict, it changed the look of the genre going forward. The game itself is still very accomplished all these years later, a solid package in both single- and multiplayer.
The campaign is high-octane througout, with dramatic setpiece after dramatic setpiece. The title’s multiplayer experience was revolutionary as well, implementing the leveling system that has since become standard in most FPS games. The sequel, though, pushed things even further.
ClassicModern Warfare 2is a game that will continue to be fun, no matter how much time passes. It truly changed the shape of multiplayer games in terms ofhow easy it is to get into. Many games of the time tried to be fully balanced for competitive play, but that wasn’t a concern here. This title has a lot of beginner tools to put new players on a more even playing field with the veterans.
The most famous of these, of course, was the grenade launcher attachment, but these beginner strategies won’t actually work in high-level competitive play. Nor was that the intention. Such additions were simply meant to enable beginners to jump straight into the game and have a blast, and this design philosophy made Modern Warfare 2 as popular as it was. You still see beginner tools like this in most multiplayer games today.
Six long years afterHalf-Life, its successor arrived, and it was well worth the wait. For 2004, the physics, graphics, and environments were really impressive, and continue to prove that good design is timeless. Half-Life 2 continues right where the first game left off, and you meet numerous characters, both new and old, as you go through a 13-chapter epic journey.
The campaign is so diverse, and it’s constantly switching things up. This keeps the experience fresh. The gunplayfeels a lot punchier (thanks to some quality sound design)than the original, and it’s more satisfying as a result. No Steam library is complete without Half-Life 2, as it’s one of the most beloved PC classics of the decade.
Left 4 Dead 2is more akin to the leap from Doom to Doom 2 than most other FPS sequels at the time of release. When you look at both side-by-side, there isn’t a big graphical leap from the original Left 4 Dead, but the gameplay, on the other hand, has a ton of additions and refinements. The team knew they had a winning formula, and simply expanded upon it. Lots of new weapons are added, including melee ones, which debuted here.
Along with new tools like the Defibrillator and Bile Bomb, there’s more strategy than ever with the range of options available. The new Special Infected are a treat, too, and all serve an important purpose in the context of the team-based gameplay. In addition, Valve ended up pulling aHitmanby porting all the campaigns in the first game over to the second one. This means you can start the series with Left 4 Dead 2 and won’t miss anything.
The originalTitanfallwas a solid multiplayer FPS, but Titanfall 2 was the first entry to receive a campaign. Expectations weren’t all that high, but when the game released, it blew everyone away. Titanfall 2 still has one of the best single-player FPS campaigns you can play right now, with its engaging villains and relentless action.
In a genre that sometimes offers rather throwaway single-player campaigns, this gripping narrative was something new and different, particularly considering that the original offered no such mode. It’s a shame Titanfall 2 didn’t perform well enough to receive a proper sequel, as it’s a must-play FPS title.
Wolfensteinhas had its share of soft reboots, and The New Order is the best among them. At release, it was such a refreshing FPS game compared to other triple-A fare. Old-school FPS elements like a standard health and armor system were nice, but the real showstopper was dual-wielding.
You can dual-wield every gun in the game, and it makes for incredibly visceral combat. The perk system was also executed well, encouraging different playstyles while not being too demanding. With a surprisingly good alternative history story on offer, this is another must-play modern FPS title. It’s available on both console and PC Game Pass and is one of thebest FPS titles on the service.
2005
PC
Originally a Sierra point-and-click adventure series, Police Quest eventually developed into SWAT. SWAT 3 was already a solid tactical shooter, but SWAT 4 was even better. The tactical realistic squad gameplay is still effective and fun to this day. It will never age, unlike the graphics.
The levels are very well-designed and even contain memorable stories that you’ll never forget. It does show its age in several places, but if you can get past that, you’ll have a great time here. Unfortunately, SWAT 4 never received a proper sequel, but there is also Ready or Not, a fantastic spiritual successor. The blend of deep gameplay and gripping shooting action is what sets this title apart.
