5 Most Overpowered Weapons in Gaming History

Video games and weapons go hand in hand, and there have been hundreds of thousands of them seen throughout the years. In most games, a weapon is balanced so that it doesn’t remove the challenge while providing a boost to combat. Some are just too OP to be okay for either single-player or multiplayer gaming. You typically find these kinds of super-powered weapons in first-person shooters, but they’re included in other genres. We’ve dug through the lot, focusing on FPSs, and found five of the most overpowered weapons in gaming history, presented in no particular order.

1) Turok 2: Seeds of Evil – Cerebral Bore

In Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, there exists a weapon called the Cerebral Bore, and its name tells you all that you need to know about it. The game includes tons of different weapon types, and the Cerebral Bore is one of the most devastating and advanced. Once you target a particularly large and dangerous enemy with your reticule, you fire, and the projectile homes in on the target’s head. It zips about until it finds its destination, then literally bores into their skull, emitting a sickening squelch as it does. Once it finds the right spot, the projectile explodes, providing an insta-kill on the game’s most powerful enemies.

2) GoldenEye 007 – The Golden Gun

GoldenEye 007 is one of the most important games in the evolution of first-person shooters, and it includes Francisco Scaramanga’s infamous pistol, the Golden Gun. There is a balance to the Golden Gun, as it holds only one bullet and must be reloaded between shots. Outside of this, it’s pretty overpowered because the Golden Gun is a one-shot, one-kill weapon. It’s best employed in multiplayer matches, where getting the upper hand on an enemy means shooting first, making it something of a frustrating cheat for anyone on the wrong end of its barrel.

3) Halo 2 – Energy Sword

The Halo franchise is known for its weapons, and the most iconic is its signature Energy Sword. It first appeared in Halo: Combat Evolved, where it couldn’t be acquired for player use. A 2021 update changed that, but in Halo 2, it shone in multiplayer matches, which was one of the game’s biggest draws. What makes the Energy Sword so powerful is its ability to lock onto a target from a relatively far distance and lunge. The sword’s power often resulted in a single-strike kill. It can be risky to get in close for a strike, but players soon developed an expertise at the energy sword’s use, and it’s been a mainstay of the franchise ever since.

4) Doom – The BFG 9000

There are many overpowered weapons in gaming history, but the first that was widely recognized for its power is easily Doom’s BFG 9000. According to the Doom Bible, “BFG” stands for Big F*****g Gun, which is exactly what it is, though other explanations range from “Bio Force Gun” to “Big Freakin’ Gun,” and others. The BFG 9000 is the franchise’s ultimate weapon that emits a powerful green energy blast that can slaughter pretty much everything it hits. If you have this thing in your hand, mobs are no longer a concern, and in multiplayer games, it’s equally nasty. It’s described in the Doom instruction manual as follows:

“BFG 9000s are the prize of the military’s arsenal. Great for clearing the room of those unwelcome guests. Shoot it and see for yourself.”

5) Perfect Dark – FarSight XR-20

Perfect Dark is a classic Nintendo 64 game that is long overdue for a remake, but beyond that, it’s a great FPS filled with weapons. The most powerful is the FarSight XR-20, a railgun you hold in the palm of your hand that can fire through any obstacle or wall that’s in its path. This doesn’t just mean that you can shoot through a single wall and strike an enemy — you can shoot through as many walls as you need to, and it will fully penetrate to the target. If you’re wondering how to find enemies to shoot, it has an X-ray scope for that. It’s an insta-kill weapon that’s very rare in the solo campaign.

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