Great FPS Games That Are Fun From The Start

First-person shooters usually don’t focus on long, complicated stories. Instead, the plot unfolds as you play, through quick conversations with teammates and enemies during intense moments. While dramatic cutscenes are often used, the main goal is fast-paced action and excitement. That’s why many shooters choose straightforward, level-based designs over sprawling open worlds.

Players generally want games to be immediately engaging, with fun weapons and exciting action from the very beginning. If that’s what you prefer, these games should be a good fit.

7. Doom: The Dark Ages

Brand New Tools Of Destruction, And Not A Second To Lose

As you’d expect, the newest Doom game kicks off with explosive action – a massive barrage from the BFG, to be exact. The story begins with demons attacking a village, searching for the Heart of Argent. This prompts King Novik to deploy his most powerful weapon: the Slayer. He’s launched from a ship in orbit, landing with weapons ready, and immediately begins battling the demonic forces – a truly heroic entrance reminiscent of a Marvel superhero. The title screen appears at a perfect moment, right in the heat of the battle.

The game jumps right into the action, offering just a brief, intense cutscene to set the stage. As you start, helpful pop-ups appear to explain new gameplay elements like blocking and shield bashing. You quickly learn that while defense is important, it doesn’t slow things down – in fact, combat is faster and more intense than ever. The player character’s moves have evolved, and will continue to with new gear and abilities, but the core experience of speed, power, and relentless action remains. While mastering shield bashing and parrying adds a layer of skill, it keeps the gameplay thrilling and enjoyable.

6. Borderlands 2

If You Get The Game’s Humor, It’s A Hilarious Opening

The Borderlands games are known for their exaggerated, cartoon-like violence – which matches their unique visual style – and their goofy humor. They don’t take themselves seriously at all, and that’s clear right away when Marcus starts explaining the setup in Borderlands 2. He points out that the first Vault turned out to be a letdown, filled with nothing but tentacles. But the discovery of a new Vault and a valuable resource called Eridium by the Hyperion corporation brought a fresh wave of adventurers to the planet Pandora. Hyperion’s leader, Handsome Jack, used this as an opportunity to set a deadly trap for the original group of heroes. The player character survives the explosion, waking up in the snow to find Claptrap standing over them.

The game immediately grabs your attention, even before you start playing, and then fully embraces its signature Borderlands style. In the beginning, you’ll defend a quirky robot from bandits and wild creatures on a frozen glacier, battle a miniboss who might drop a powerful weapon, learn how to use elemental damage, and listen to Handsome Jack’s over-the-top banter. This opening area expertly sets the mood and gradually increases the difficulty, hinting at a large and exciting adventure to come if you enjoy the experience.

5. Anger Foot

Retrieve Your Preemo Sneakers From The Violence Gang

Many exciting stories start with a simple premise. In the fast-paced, over-the-top shooter Anger Foot, a complex story wasn’t needed – just a basic reason to kick things off. And that’s exactly what the game provides. The main character sees an ad for some cool sneakers, goes to buy them, but finds a gang has already snatched them up. So, naturally, they embark on a mission to get those sneakers back!

Even before gaining any special abilities, the main character’s kicks are incredibly powerful, sending enemies flying with each hit. The story kicks off when thieves steal all the sneakers from your collection, leading to a fast-paced quest for revenge and to get them back. From the start, the game is action-packed, and you’ll need to carefully manage your limited ammunition. This game is visually striking and makes a strong first impression.

4. TimeSplitters 2

A Time-Traveling Classic That Begins With A Legendary Homage

Fans of older first-person shooter games likely remember the opening of GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64, which featured a daring bungee jump from a Russian dam, mirroring the film. Years later, TimeSplitters 2, created by developers formerly of Rare, also began with a dam level – this one in Siberia, 1990. Both games center around destroying a secret facility, and the similarities – from the sound of gunfire to the enemies stationed in towers – are wonderfully reminiscent of classic gaming.

Like Borderlands 2, this game doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a great sense of humor. The story is engaging, jumping between different time periods as Sergeant Cortez tries to collect time crystals and stop the evil TimeSplitters. You’ll visit ten unique levels, each with its own goals, weapons, and characters. The shooting is satisfying, the weapons feel powerful, and the variety keeps the gameplay exciting. Plus, the challenges and matches in arcade mode are consistently fun.

3. Deathloop

Break The Loop

The game Deathloop starts with a startling moment: the player character, Colt Vahn, is killed almost immediately. While this might seem like a strange way to begin, it instantly grabs your attention. True to the game’s core idea, Colt doesn’t stay dead for long. He quickly finds himself back on a beach on Blackreef Island, with no memory of who he is, why he’s there, or how he arrived – though the area he wakes up in feels strangely familiar.

The game begins with a surreal experience – Colt sees floating, cartoon-like messages like “Who are you?” and instinctively grabs a gun he doesn’t remember owning. He’s guided by a mysterious voice named Rambling Frank, who seems to know more than he lets on. The core challenge is for Colt to eliminate eight powerful Visionaries on the island of Blackreef, all within a single day. If he fails, the day resets, forcing him to try again. Like many games of its type, success comes from learning through repeated attempts – discovering the best paths and strategies to defeat each enemy. Exploring the island is also crucial, as players need to find better gear and improve their abilities while managing their time. The combat is flexible, allowing for both fast-paced action and careful, stealthy gameplay. This makes Deathloop enjoyable for players who prefer a direct approach or a more tactical one.

2. The Finals

Destruction On An Absurd Scale

The early success of Donkey Kong Bananza on Switch proved how enjoyable it is to cause chaos and destruction. While The Finals doesn’t let you play as DK and use his powerful fists, it offers a similar level of mayhem with its wide range of weapons. Although it lacks a solo campaign, The Finals‘ unique core gameplay sets it apart. Players who enjoy team-based shooters will find it to be a uniquely fun and exciting experience, delivering a blast from the moment you start playing.

The weapons in this game are incredibly powerful, capable of leveling buildings, and the way they do so feels realistic. Unlike some other games, you can’t dig or create new paths, but the environments are constantly changing as structures are destroyed. This forces players to think on their feet and adjust their strategies based on what cover is available. Many first-person shooters become predictable once players find the best weapons and tactics for each map, but The Finals offers a chaotic and unpredictable experience. You can play in a variety of ways, whether you prefer supporting your team as a Medic with healing tools, or unleashing massive destruction as the Demolisher. Different weight classes also let you customize your character, and the whole game is presented as a fun, energetic gameshow, giving it a unique feel.

1. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger

The Greatest Wild West Adventure Since John Marston And Arthur Morgan

Western games are inevitably compared to the Red Dead series, especially Red Dead Redemption 2. That game is a landmark open-world adventure, setting a very high bar for its story, realistic details, gameplay, and the world itself – though it could be a bit slow at times. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger takes a different path, offering a fast-paced, arcade-style shooter that starts like a classic Western: with a mysterious bounty hunter walking into a saloon to tell his incredible stories. The game’s cutscenes have a unique comic book look, and the protagonist, Silas Greaves, immediately grabs your attention with a tale about Billy the Kid.

Throughout the story, Silas battles both with and against famous outlaws, including Butch Cassidy, and fully embraces the life of a bounty hunter. The gunfights are quick, feel natural, and include a scoring system that rewards accurate shooting and skillful plays like headshots. The way the game lets you experience the missions Silas talks about in the saloon is a clever storytelling device. Even now, Gunslinger remains a strong game thanks to its engaging gameplay and visuals. It’s much more than a simple shooter; the interesting story and well-developed systems make it a truly enjoyable experience.

2026-02-16 11:35