6 Best FPS Single Player Campaigns, Ranked

First-person shooters have been around for decades, going back to the early 1970s. It took some time for the genre to develop into the expansive juggernaut it is today, and there are tons of excellent IPs. These days, FPS games’ focus has largely shifted away from single-player campaigns to multiplayer, which makes sense, as it generates a ton of profit. Players also love multiplayer, so campaigns have taken a back seat in many IPs. Regardless, several have excellent stories and immersive experiences that fans of single-player challenges enjoy. We’ve looked at the best single-player campaigns in FPS games and came up with the top six. We only focused on straight-FPSs, so no action-RPG series like Fallout was considered. Also, we chose the best of a given franchise and came up with these six killer single-player campaigns.

6) Titanfall 2 (2016)

The first Titanfall game was entirely a multiplayer affair, but in the sequel, a single-player campaign was added to rave reviews. It’s not the longest story-driven game, but it’s still immersive, with phenomenal gameplay throughout. Narratively, the campaign ensconced the player in more than a giant mech, thanks to the characters you must interact with and fight against or alongside. The story drew inspiration from a variety of sources, including Half-Life and buddy-cop films. The game — and the campaign in particular — received widespread critical acclaim for its design and execution. Titanfall 2 was nominated for numerous awards, including Game of the Year.

5) Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus (2017)

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus follows its predecessor, The New Order, as it’s set in an alternate history where the Nazi’s won World War II. The game is set in 1961, when the United States is subjected to Nazi totalitarian rule. Gameplay involves taking control of William “B.J.” Blazkowicz as he fights the forces of evil surrounding him. Every aspect of The New Colossus is an improvement over its predecessor, which also boasts an excellent single-player campaign. The game is unusual in that it lacks any form of multiplayer, which the devs purposefully avoided, as they believed it would dilute the game’s storytelling, ensuring that everyone who played Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus dove into a fantastic adventure.

4) Half-Life 2 (2004)

The Half-Life franchise launched in 1998 and was followed by Half-Life 2, widely considered one of the best FPS games ever made. The game took five years to complete due to the need to concurrently develop Valve’s Source game engine, and the result is a strong contender for one of the greatest games of all time. When it was released in 2004, Half-Life 2 scored nearly 40 Game of the Year awards, solidifying Valve’s place as a dominant force in the FPS genre. The game lacks a multiplayer mode and focuses entirely on the story, though Half-Life 2: Deathmatch adds multiplayer via elements from the base game. 

3) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

The Call of Duty franchise is no stranger to amazing story-driven single-player campaigns, and the fourth entry is no exception. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is the fourth title in the franchise and the first to move away from World War II settings. Instead, it focuses on what the title indicates: modern warfare. The campaign is an excellent exploration of different characters’ points of view, as each story overlaps while occurring simultaneously. It’s not only fun and intense, but also brilliant storytelling in a game that establishes many of the franchise’s elements moving forward.

2) Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)

When the Xbox unleashed Halo: Combat Evolved on the gamer community, it launched a massive multimedia franchise that continues to this day. While every game has its own story that takes players across the cosmos to tear through legions of aliens and the Flood, the first is arguably the best. It sets everything up through an incredibly well-written storyline that explores the enigmatic Halo, and it’s highly replayable. Sure, its multiplayer mode is also fantastic, but the campaign of Halo: Combat Evolved truly sets it apart as one of the greatest single-player campaigns of all time.

1) BioShock (2007)

Every fan has their favorite BioShock game, and there are a few to choose from. Still, most fans would likely agree that the first is the best, as it establishes the franchise’s roots through dynamic storytelling in a unique world. The game is extraordinary, blending elements of horror and survival gameplay into a deeply immersive FPS that has an atmosphere that keeps the player guessing throughout. The story is cinematic and deserving of a feature film adaptation, which is in development as of writing. You can dive back into BioShock and enjoy it decades after its 2007 release, as its story is incredibly well-written and engaging.

What’s your favorite single-player FPS campaign? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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