Ready for some action? Check out our list of the 5 most popular FPS games ever! Relive the excitement and find out what makes them legendary.

First-person shooter games have become the staple for entertainment and experience. The genre is so big that almost any game where you point a gun could be a candidate, which makes it particularly hard to find exactly what you want to play. To that end, the best FPS games are classics precisely because they allow for multiple shooter experiences.
Many of these games are either not very good and/or just trying to capture the popularity of a genre, which is of little surprise. Yet, once in a while, a game gets released that reminds everyone how great a well-designed first-person shooter can truly be. Therefore, to keep it simple, we will have one game per franchise on this list.
1. Halo 2

Bungie faced an enormous challenge in developing Halo 2 because of the monumental success of its predecessor, which had forever changed the FPS landscape. It is still largely considered one of the most important launching games of all time.
They wisely chose not to reinvent the wheel glitch for Halo 2 and instead worked on worthwhile aspects of the game, improving them while adding a few new elements. This resulted in a game that provided arguably the best single-player campaigns and multiplayer modes in first-person shooting history.
2. Battlefield: Bad Company 2

A considerable portion of the player base has nostalgia for Battlefield: Bad Company 2. It is considered the best installment in the Battlefield series. The Bad Company additions included destructible environments, which were really impressive at the time of release. The ability to blow up a wall to see an enemy hiding in a house made the Battlefield experience 10 times better than its rivals.
Each multiplayer map was packed with details, encouraging players to return for just one more match. The entire game was quite polished, according to fans. Even today, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 lives up to the name created at the time of its launch.
3. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Numerous fans claim Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare to be the pinnacle of the series. However, even the most critical member of the gaming community would have a tough time arguing that the franchise has not put out some great titles throughout its run.
Call of Duty 4 had updated the series from its traditional World War II background to the modern-day tour. It helped change the franchise for the better. Its incredible single-player campaign, as well as its revolutionary multiplayer mode, helped solidify it as the most significant game in the series, if not in the entire genre.
4. Half-Life 2

Half-Life 2 is a popular first-person shooter that is widely regarded for the game’s groundbreaking mechanics and fantastic plot. Valve is one of the most famous names in first-person shooter gaming and delivered it well in Half-Life 2.
When released, the gameplay and graphics were ahead of their time. Remarkably, the title still feels fresh and original despite the aging visuals. What’s more, the zombie-based Ravenholm stage is one of the best levels that ever existed in FPS. If you have not sliced an enemy in half with flying circular saws, then have you really experienced the gaming world?
5. Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive is another title on this list developed by Valve. The first-person shooter was released over a decade ago, in 2012. However, it continues to be one of the most played titles on Steam.
The gameplay is simple. Join the game either as a terrorist or an anti-terrorist, and win by either defusing/planting the bomb or by eliminating the opposition.
In 2023, the game was updated to Counter-Strike 2, which was built using the Source 2 engine. Therefore, it now features cutting-edge, physically based rendering, state-of-the-art networking, and improved tools for the community workshop.
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