Greatest First-Person Action Games Of All Time

It’s proven difficult for video games to create truly engaging first-person action combat. The challenge lies in balancing the need for players to be aware of their surroundings – looking around in a first-person view – with the demands of fast-paced fighting that requires quick reactions and combo execution. While many games attempt this, few manage to pull it off successfully.

A select few first-person action games truly stand out. While each offers a unique experience, they all excel at delivering combat that feels both fluid and responsive, without the camera becoming a hindrance. Whether you prefer quick, challenging fights or more open-ended, creative combat, these are some of the greatest first-person action games ever made.

Just to clarify, these games aren’t shooting games. Although first-person shooters are often considered action games, we’re categorizing “first-person action” as a separate genre. There might be some similarities, but you’ll easily be able to tell the difference between these games and traditional shooters.

Ghostrunner 2

Speed, Precision, And Intense Difficulty

One-hit kills for both Jack and most enemies make this like cyberpunk Hotline Miami.
There’s a motorcycle, and Jack rides it down the side of a building.

Some players prefer the original Ghostrunner for its gameplay, and they have good reasons. However, Ghostrunner 2 takes things to the next level with a larger world and more things to do. You still play as Jack, a fast-moving cyberpunk ninja, and your goal is still to defeat enemies quickly. You can still do all the things you loved in the first game – run on walls, swing across gaps, deflect lasers, and use ziplines – but Ghostrunner 2 really shines with all the new additions and improvements.

One of the highlights is a thrilling motorcycle chase where Jack escapes Dharma City by riding down the outside of the building. This transitions into a level with more freedom, letting players tackle goals in any order while navigating challenging motorcycle platforming sections. The boss fights are also significantly better in this sequel. While the first game only had one truly memorable boss, Ghostrunner 2 offers several, and each one cleverly uses the game’s core mechanics. There’s even a fantastic boss battle that takes place while riding the motorcycle!

Neon White

A Speedrunner’s Fever Dream

Flips the first-person shooter formula on its head.
Timing is everything, and knowing the best moment to shoot is crucial.

Speedrunning, the art of completing a video game as quickly as possible, isn’t for most people. It usually takes dedicated players countless hours to master. However, Neon White is different. It doesn’t treat speedrunning as an extra challenge; it’s built right into the core gameplay. The game is specifically designed to make fast play both easy and rewarding. As the player, you fight your way through levels set in Heaven, which have been invaded by demons. You collect cards during each level, and these cards serve as your weapons. Each weapon has limited ammo, but you can also discard a card immediately to activate a powerful special ability.

Once players become skilled, the game blends precise aiming, timing, movement, and strategy beautifully. Initially, a level feels like a typical shooting and platforming game. But players soon discover ways to improve their speed – like eliminating an enemy at the start to bypass a section, or using abilities to quickly skip platforming challenges. This creates a compelling cycle of improvement, and the game is designed to encourage finding these shortcuts. Even small time savings feel incredibly satisfying, and competing with friends for the fastest completion time is a lot of fun.

Superhot

Stop. Hammertime!

A brilliant time-stop gameplay mechanic that turns every encounter into an action scene.
Enemies go down easily, but so does the player, making each battle a puzzle to be solved.

The core concept of Superhot is surprisingly simple, yet incredibly effective. Time only moves when you move – if you stand still, everything freezes. Add in guns, swords, and other weapons, and the game transforms into a stylish, over-the-top action experience where you feel like a total action hero.

When shooting starts, immediately stop and find cover. Then, focus on one enemy, take them down, and grab their weapon. You can even throw that weapon at another enemy, catch the previous enemy’s gun mid-air, and use it against a third, all while avoiding incoming bullets. This is a basic example, but it shows how surprisingly satisfying the gameplay can be. Superhot encourages players to experiment, and often, creative tactics lead to incredible, almost choreographed action sequences.

Mirror’s Edge

Sprinting Never Felt So Good

Some of the best freerunning in any video game.
Combat is there, but isn’t necessary; escape is just as viable.

It’s surprising how few games have tried to recreate the unique experience of Mirror’s Edge. You play as Faith, a skilled runner in a futuristic city, delivering messages and packages. Because runners operate outside the law, Faith has to avoid security forces while navigating the dangerous rooftops and buildings with incredible agility.

No other video game makes you feel freerunning quite like Mirror’s Edge. While Dying Light comes close, it doesn’t offer the same incredible speed and smoothness. Leaping, climbing, sliding, and swinging across rooftops is effortless and chaining these movements together is incredibly rewarding. You can fight security guards if you encounter them, but it’s not required – it’s mostly a way to escape and keep running. And honestly, taking down a guard with a kick, wall-running to another, and then launching into a full sprint is a fantastic experience that few games deliver.

Warhammer: Vermintide 2

Beat Back The Rats

Endless hordes of Skaven give players plenty of opportunities to experiment.
Co-op makes things both more enjoyable and more tactical.

It’s incredibly satisfying to fight off hordes of enemies, and Warhammer: Vermintide 2 delivers that experience. Players can choose from five characters, and each one has multiple career paths – at least three, and up to twenty if you purchase the downloadable content. These careers offer unique abilities, skills, and weapons, ensuring the game stays fresh and replayable.

The gameplay isn’t overly complex, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Enemies are usually easy to defeat, yet their sheer numbers keep you on edge. This creates a perfect balance – you feel both powerful and vulnerable at the same time. Tougher enemies do appear, and they’re much easier to handle with friends. A good team of four can easily spend hours in Vermintide 2, fighting hordes of rat-men, finding loot, and improving their characters, then repeating the cycle to test out new abilities and see how much destruction they can cause.

Dark Messiah Of Might And Magic

A Kick In The Right Direction

Physics-based combat makes each swing feel hefty.
Combat is not easy, meaning players must pick a specialization, stick with it, and master it if they want to succeed.

Though it was released some time ago, Dark Messiah of Might and Magic remains a very enjoyable game. It’s still considered a standout example of first-person melee combat, and it’s easy to understand why. Players can customize their character with different skills – focusing on magic, stealth, ranged attacks, or close combat – but the challenging combat requires mastering your chosen build to succeed.

Let’s talk about fighting up close, which is definitely the most challenging way to play. Enemies are tough, block attacks effectively, and frequently attack in groups. This makes using your surroundings – like traps and hazards – essential for survival. Thankfully, this character also has an incredibly powerful kick. There’s something really satisfying about kicking enemies into spikes, off cliffs, or into fire – it’s likely to become your go-to move. It might seem a bit over-the-top, but trust me, it feels great. Plus, after dealing with such relentless enemies, they deserve everything you can throw at them.

Dishonored 2

Stay Quiet Or Get Very, Very Loud

While it’s renowned for its stealth mechanics, the action side of things is equally fun.
Combat abilities range from guns to possession to summoning rats.

Many players consider Dishonored 2 primarily a stealth game, and for good reason – its stealth mechanics are exceptionally well-crafted, offering numerous ways to approach challenges and powerful, enjoyable abilities. However, the game doesn’t push you towards stealth. Players are free to engage in direct combat, and doing so transforms the experience into a fast-paced, action-packed game with remarkably precise controls.

With Corvo and Emily’s quick movements and supernatural powers, combat in Dishonored 2 can be incredibly exciting for action game fans. You can throw bombs, fire guns, summon swarms of rats, or even link enemies together so they all fall when you take down just one! It’s a chaotic and creative space where players are encouraged to combine their skills, movement, and weapons for unique and memorable moments. The more you play, the more rewarding the combat becomes, as you discover new and inventive ways to use your abilities. Dishonored 2 truly encourages creative thinking, and surprisingly, those spontaneous ideas you have during battle almost always pay off in spectacular ways.

2025-11-30 11:36