Most gamers are familiar with titles like Call of Duty, Halo, Half-Life 2, and Bad Company 2. However, many other excellent first-person shooter games have been largely forgotten, appearing now only as nostalgic memories for dedicated fans. There are several reasons why a truly great game might not get the recognition it deserves or become difficult to find. Sadly, many of these hidden gems haven’t been well-preserved or made available to players today.
There are many games that explore this idea, but let’s focus on just a few to start. While not all of these older shooters are available for digital download, some newer ones are on Steam, meaning you can play them immediately without much trouble.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay
One Of The Greatest FPS Movie License Games Ever
Man, it’s a shame how forgotten The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay has become. It’s been super hard to find since the mid-2010s – they pulled it from sale along with Assault on Dark Athena, which was a remastered version of the original. If you want to play this amazing game – seriously, it’s one of the best based on a movie ever – and you can’t track down a physical copy of either version, you’re gonna have to get resourceful. What really stood out to me, even back then, was how the game made you feel like Riddick. Unlike a lot of FPS games where you just saw floating guns, this game actually showed you his body – it was pretty groundbreaking for the time!
Escape from Butcher Bay is mainly a stealth game with some shooting, but Riddick uses his knife and hand-to-hand combat much more often than guns. The combat system is excellent, with well-designed swings and a satisfying counter move. When you do get to use ranged weapons, they’re really fun. Plus, the prison environment is incredibly well-made and immersive – it’s much more than just a series of hallways.
Who should play The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay?
If you enjoy immersive sims such as Deus Ex, you should definitely check out this game, if you can get your hands on it.
TimeShift
A Great FPS That Has Been Forgotten With Time
Around late 2025, I started enjoying older, critically-panned games from the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, like Legendary, Inversion, Blades of Time, Lost Planet 3, and Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. I mistakenly thought TimeShift belonged in that same category, but I quickly realized it was actually a genuinely good game, not just one you might enjoy under certain circumstances.
2007 was a fantastic year for first-person shooters, but TimeShift unfortunately came out alongside huge hits like Halo 3, BioShock, Crysis, and Modern Warfare, and didn’t get as much attention. While it’s not quite as groundbreaking as those classics, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game. As the name suggests, TimeShift lets you control time, allowing players to manipulate the environment and outsmart enemies. The game uses time manipulation in scripted events, but also gives players a lot of freedom to slow, rewind, or stop time, essentially turning each fight into a strategic puzzle. And the puzzles themselves are cleverly designed around these time-bending abilities.
The game TimeShift changed a lot during its creation. Originally planned with a steampunk style, it shifted to a darker, more realistic look to fit in with other popular first-person shooters of the time. While that made sense commercially, it unfortunately meant the game ended up looking similar to many others released then. But despite that, TimeShift is actually a unique and memorable shooter.
Who should play TimeShift?
Anybody with a Steam account.
Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason
A Creepy-As-Heck Psychological Horror FPS Game
Instead of focusing on sneaking and fast-paced gameplay, let’s talk about psychological horror. This genre was really popular from the late 2000s to the early 2010s, but Cryostasis: Sleep of Reason remained a hidden favorite. Sadly, the game, which was only available on PC, was removed from both GOG and Steam in 2013, making it an overlooked gem that few people clearly remember playing.
Created by a Ukrainian team, Cryostasis puts you on a wrecked icebreaker that feels like a frozen tomb. The game is incredibly tense, and you have to constantly stay warm or the main character will die. It’s similar to Metro 2033, but instead of underground tunnels, you explore the dark, claustrophobic insides of a huge ship. What makes Cryostasis unique is its ability to let you experience the last moments of dead crew members – and even try to prevent their deaths. These scenes play out like puzzles where you must figure out how to survive a dangerous situation.
Despite some performance issues, Cryostasis was remarkably advanced for its time in 2009, showcasing the developers’ high goals.
Who should play Cryostasis?
Anybody into slow-paced horror with some first-person shooting.
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No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’s Way
Here Is An FPS Series That Should Have Lived On Forever
Many consider the original The Operative: No One Lives Forever a hidden gem and a perfect first-person shooter, and it truly lives up to that praise. But its sequel, No One Lives Forever 2: A Spy in H.A.R.M.’s Way, is just as deserving of recognition – and in many ways, it improves upon the first game’s ideas. It’s easily one of the greatest FPS games ever made, and it’s also likely the best spy game and spy parody game you’ll ever play.
Building on the strengths of the original, No One Lives Forever 2 features smarter enemies, better-designed levels, more gadgets, and more dynamic gameplay, and adds a skill-based progression system. The game cemented Cate Archer’s place as a truly iconic gaming hero, which makes it disappointing that she only appeared in two titles. It’s much more than just a parody of 1960s spy films – it’s a genuinely excellent game from start to finish. Unfortunately, due to a complicated licensing situation involving multiple companies, it’s unlikely this series will ever return.
Who should play No One Lives Forever 2?
Anybody looking for a stylish, vibrant shooter that lets them decide how to approach missions.
Peter Jackson’s King Kong
It Was License Hell That Killed The Beast
This article proves that quality video games based on licensed properties aren’t new. In the mid-2000s, gamers were often wary of movie tie-in games, especially ones like King Kong which didn’t seem suited for a first-person shooter. However, Ubisoft had already proven they were good at these kinds of projects, and King Kong was released before the standards set by games like Far Cry 3, which benefited it.
I actually enjoyed Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. It’s a solid game that follows the typical Ubisoft open-world style, and I don’t mind seeing them use that formula for licensed properties like Avatar. But, King Kong wouldn’t have held up as well over time if it had been made as an open-world game.
Instead of a sprawling open world, the game takes place across a series of connected levels, letting you play as both Jack Driscoll and Kong. The sections where you control Kong are particularly impressive, showcasing his immense size and strength, and they work well with the more vulnerable, first-person sections as Jack. Surprisingly, King Kong is a very immersive experience, lacking traditional game elements like a heads-up display or targeting reticle. This helps you truly feel small and defenseless against the massive creatures around you. At its core, it’s a survival shooter, but it focuses on limited resources like ammunition to create tension, rather than relying on health or stamina bars.
Who should play King Kong?
It’s frustrating that another good game has become hard to find. King Kong would be a great recommendation if it were still available on Steam, but it isn’t. Luckily, it was released on several consoles, and I’d suggest looking for the Xbox 360 version.
Strife: Veteran Edition
Merge DOOM With A Fantasy RPG, And You Get A Masterpiece
I originally considered highlighting the 1996 release of Strife: Quest for the Sigil, but I suspect most players in 2026 will be familiar with the improved 2014 version. Regardless, Strife was a groundbreaking early example of a first-person shooter combined with role-playing elements, appearing years before games like Thief and Deus Ex.
Like many shooters from the mid-1990s, Strife was created using the DOOM engine. However, it appeared as the genre was beginning to evolve beyond that classic 2.5D style. While Strife wasn’t a visually stunning game, it stood out by adding a central hub world, characters who responded to your actions, and even dialogue choices. Though you could still play it as a straightforward run-and-gun shooter, Strife also allowed for stealth, which wasn’t a typical option in games of that time.
Honestly, I enjoyed other lesser-known ’90s shooters like Blood, Powerslave, SiN, and Redline a bit more, though Strife really tried some new things. (But seriously, if you haven’t played any of these, you should!)
Who should play Strife: Veteran Edition?
This first-person shooter is a fantastic game, and it’s easy to find on platforms like Steam. If you’re a fan of classic ’90s shooters and prefer a slightly slower style of gameplay, you’ll definitely want to check this one out.
The Darkness
Pull This FPS Game Out Of The Darkness Of Obscurity
You might be thinking, “The Darkness is a well-known game!” And you’re right to some extent. However, most people probably remember the 2012 sequel, The Darkness 2, more than the original from 2007. The Darkness 2 was a fantastic game – and a better shooter overall – and it’s still easily accessible on PC. The first Darkness game hasn’t been as well-preserved. It only came out on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. While Xbox 360 owners can play it on newer Xbox consoles or through the Xbox store, PlayStation 4 or 5 players are limited to streaming it through PS Plus Premium, which isn’t ideal for many.
When it comes to just shooting and fighting, The Darkness 2 is better. But as a complete game experience, the original The Darkness is stronger. Its story is a dark and tragic one, dealing with loss and corruption, and it doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects. The demonic powers you wield feel genuinely disturbing, not just fun. The idea of using light as a weapon was brilliant – Alan Wake even borrowed it – and The Darkness offers much more engaging gameplay than that later game.
Who should play The Darkness?
If you’re a fan of first-person shooters and enjoy games with compelling characters that make you feel both strong and a little dangerous, this is for you. And if you’ve ever wanted to watch the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird… you actually can, within the game! There’s a scene where you can sit back and watch the entire movie play out.
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2026-05-15 03:36