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The best FPS games to play in 2023 are those with tight controls, badass weaponry, and gameplay that tests you to your very limits. The following games certainly do that as you blast your way through enemies with a typically powerful arsenal.
Apex Legends remains to be one of the best battle royale games out there, while Doom Eternal provides single-player fans with a juicy campaign packed to capacity with thrilling. Here are all the best FPS games you can play in 2023 right now.
Apex Legends
Apex Legends is a battle royale that came out of nowhere in 2019, courtesy of EA and Respawn, and has taken the world by storm. Moving around the world is excitedly energetic as you can slide and wall climb anywhere you please. Each character has their own ability to add to the chaos, such as Caustic dropping poisonous canisters onto the battlefield and Gibraltar summoning a bombardment toward their foes. It’s free to play and is crossplay compatible, so you can join games with your friends in a snap as well. The costumes you can buy are also pretty out there — as you can see in the picture above.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 brings everything you love about the series. A spectacular array of weapons, detailed multiplayer maps, and a thoroughly entertaining campaign. This series is the pinnacle of the FPS genre as each gun feels impactful and the controls are on point. The new maps, which include Breenbergh Hotel and the Valderas Museum, are also highlights — presenting depth and a wide range of scenarios from short-range to long-range combat. It’s just a shame this game is such a storage hog!
Cyberpunk 2077
The Phantom Liberty expansion is just around the corner, but you can catch up with Cyberpunk 2077 any time. CD Projekt Red weaves an intriguing story led by the custom player character, V, and their companion, the mysterious Johnny Silverhand, played by Keanu Reeves. Somehow, Silverhand slowly takes over your mind, narrating a fascinating plot from beginning to end.
And if you soured on Cyberpunk at launch, now may be the time to revisit. CD Projekt Red has pushed a ton of updates since launch, and the heavy patching was enough to draw mass player attention two years later. Even if the story isn’t your thing, the gunplay’s still decent, with all manner of weapons to find among the open world of Night City and beyond.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
The most intense FPS you can play in 2023 is Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Available as a free-to-play title, this game offers intuitive shooting controls and will require precise shots from you to win. Beloved maps like “Dust 2” and “Office” require deep strategy as you maneuver through their tight corners. The system in which you buy each weapon also adds to the pressure of the game — Spend too much and you’ll be stuck with a pistol for one round. Perhaps this game will finally be dethroned by its upcoming sequel this summer, but it’s still one of the best FPS games available in 2023 regardless.
Left 4 Dead 2
This one’s an oldie but a goodie, and it’s likely almost all of your friends on Steam have it. In Left 4 Dead 2, hordes of zombies rage toward you and three other unlucky companions as you relentlessly unload against decaying foes. There are multiple types of swarming undead like the Spitters, who blast acid, or bulky infected that charge in without a moment’s notice—aptly named, you guessed it, Chargers. It’s intense, as the chaos demands you need to be alert at all times. However, Valve does provide some levity within the game’s funny dialogue. Left 4 Dead 2 certainly has aged well; the dedicated community proves as much.
Doom Eternal
If multiplayer isn’t your bag and you want a shot at some intense FPS gameplay, Doom Eternal will call you. You’ll be ripping and tearing through demons as you shred bullets into them with your powerful weapons. The environments look unique as they’re hellish and post-apocalyptic. In addition, the music will keep your heart pumping while you take on some of the toughest bosses in gaming. If you decide to pick up Doom Eternal, you’ll be in for a thrilling time.
Rainbow Six Siege
If you’re tired of Counter-Strike and want to dive into more gadget-based encounters, Rainbow Six Siege should interest you. You’re setting up barricades, blasting explosives, and using an axe to dent the walls to either save the hostage or keep hostiles away. The shooting is intense as only a few bullets can seal your fate, and that rush of danger is what keeps many players coming back for more.
Metroid Prime Remastered
Metroid Prime has never looked better, thanks to Nintendo and its fantastic remaster. The game has stellar design, entertaining puzzles, and thrilling bosses to face along the way. The exploration of the world is key in the game and returning to past areas with new abilities is super satisfying. The remaster has improved the game significantly with a more modern two-stick control method.
The remaster has impressed us with its graphical upgrade. “Metroid Prime Remastered is a fantastic renewal of the classic GameCube title,” said Zoey Handley in their Destructoid review.”It now looks like how our brains tell us it looked the first time we played it.” It’s one of the best FPS games to play in 2023, as it offers a great opportunity to get caught up on the lore before the fabled Metroid Prime 4.
Immortals of Aveum
Immortals of Aveum may have flown under the radar for FPS fans, but it’s certainly worth gearing up for. This one just launched in August 2023, so it’s still full price for a 10-hour campaign, but if you can grab it at a discount or possibly Xbox Game Pass in the future, it comes recommended. The magic-based take on the genre is refreshing, with spectacular effects and outstanding (and demanding) graphical capabilities all around.
The story is dull as hell, but the combat is a constant thrill. You’ll take on mighty bosses—like the mega-nasty dragon, Howler—with all manner of tools at your disposal. We’ve got a running list of Immortals tips and tricks outlining some of those special abilities, shields, and the game’s handy whip (which also works for traversal).
Valorant
Last up is Valorant. It combines the fluidity of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and the ability-focused gameplay of Overwatch to create a triumphant FPS in and of itself. The maps are fantastically designed, and the weapons all feel great to control. It’s heroes’ abilities add further strategy to the original Counter-Strike-like formula as you create barriers with toxic gas, resurrect fallen allies, and activate seismic charges to shake up the opponent’s standing.
