Shooters have become one of the most popular video genres over the last few decades. Thanks to the popularity of great games like Call of Duty, Halo, and dozens more, fans of the genre have more than enough great games to play. Beyond those all-time classics are several exceptional hidden gems that have gone under the radar for many players. The list below includes six of those, which are all available on modern platforms. If you can’t easily pick it up these days, it’s not eligible, even if it’s great. So, if your favorite underrated shooter is missing, blame the publisher.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Here are six hidden gem shooters you should still play today.
6) Star Wars: Dark Forces
Dark Forces is basically Star Wars‘ version of Doom. The developers at LucasArts saw the success of id’s generational shooter and decided to jump in on the emerging first-person shooting trend. You jump into the shoes of Kyle Katarn, who discovers the Dark Trooper Project and has to take it down.
It’s a great shooter that sold relatively well back in the ’90s. Thankfully, it’s easy to get your hands on today, thanks to the 2024 remaster from Nightdive Studios. The game features updated graphics and quality-of-life improvements, but you can swap back to the old style if you want. Nightdive has always had a knack for remakes, but this is some of its best work.
5) The Darkness 2
The Darkness 2 puts you back in the shoes of Jackie Estacado, a mafia hitman who has supernatural demon arms. The mix of shooting action and RPG elements makes for an innovative shooter that’s a blast to play. Toss in a fun story that mixes mob drama, surreal comedy, and romance, and you have a shooter that deserves more love.
The good news is that this 2012 game got a PC release, so you can easily pick it up on Steam. You can also get it on most consoles via backwards compatibility, but no matter where you play, it’s worth playing through Jackie’s tale.
4) Call of Juarez: Gunslinger
The Call of Juarez series has been an up-and-down series, partially due to developer Techland’s decision to leave the Wild West behind for a modern-day take on the gameplay with The Cartel. Thankfully, they went back to the Wild West for Gunslinger, ending the series on a high note.
Not only is Gunslinger available on PC and most consoles via backwards compatibility, but it also got a 2019 port to the Nintendo Switch. Thankfully, that version doesn’t lose too much of what made the original so beloved, making it a great option for anyone who wants to gunsling on the go.
3) Timesplitters: Future Perfect
The Timesplitters series has long been overlooked. That’s a shame because the series has long had some of the most feature-packed multiplayer options of all time. There’s just so much to do in all of the Timesplitters games, giving fans dozens of hours of best-in-class shooting gameplay.
For my money, Future Perfect is the best of the bunch, mostly because of its over-the-top, time-hopping single-player story mode. It’s a wild romp filled with memorable characters, and you can still pick it up on PlayStation 5. In fact, you can grab all three Timesplitters games on the platform for relatively cheap.
2) Black
Black is the definition of short and sweet. Developer Criterion Games wanted to make a shooter that felt as lifelike as possible, using gun visuals and sounds from hit movies to take the presentation over the top. Sure, there’s no multiplayer and the campaign is frustratingly short, but the cinematic action is more than worth the price of admission.
Thankfully, Xbox players can easily grab Black via Xbox Game Pass. You can drop a few bucks to grab it without the service, but it’s a great addition to Game Pass, letting players who missed Black jump in as part of their subscription. Considering the length, this might be the best way to play through Black.
1) F.E.A.R.
F.E.A.R. is one of the scariest games of all time. It’s also a phenomenal shooter that features groundbreaking enemy AI that raised the bar for how opponents approach fights against a player character. Even going back, it’s impressive how well-designed Monolith’s 2005 shooter is.
The good news is that going back is pretty simple. F.E.A.R. and its sequel are both available on Steam, usually for pretty cheap. If you’re a fan of horror or shooting, it’s worth spending the money to grab the series. F.E.A.R. is sure to blow your mind with how ahead of its time it was, and will make you even angrier that Monolith had to close its doors in 2025.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Image Courtesy of Netflix -
Image Courtesy of Ufotable
