RPGs With The Best Gunplay

First-person shooter games became popular in the 1990s with classics like Wolfenstein 3D and Doom. Today, the genre is much more varied. You’ll find games played from both the first-person and third-person perspectives, some incorporating role-playing elements and others being full-fledged RPGs. While many games focus on the satisfying experience of shooting and customizing weapons, even traditional turn-based RPGs are now offering enjoyable gunplay.

While first-person shooters are what most players associate with gun controls, many other high-quality games also deserve recognition. This list will be ranked based on how well those controls work, the overall quality of the game, and how central shooting is to the experience.

Parasite Eve

Keep Your Ammo Full

In Parasite Eve, players explore dungeons and fight enemies in a turn-based RPG system. During combat, you can choose to attack with a weapon – which uses ammunition – or utilize psychic powers.

The game features a unique battle system that blends turn-based strategy with real-time movement, allowing players to move, reposition, and avoid attacks while waiting for their next opportunity. Between battles, players can customize and upgrade their weapons at the police station, as long as they have the required parts.

Valkyria Chronicles

Anime WW2

I absolutely love Valkyria Chronicles! It’s a really unique RPG – it mixes traditional RPG elements with awesome tactical battles. What makes it different is how you manage your squad. Each turn, you get a certain number of ‘badges’ which limit how many times you can order your soldiers around or bring in vehicles. It’s a cool system that makes you really think about your strategy!

Players can move their characters freely as long as they have enough energy. They can stop moving at any time to target and shoot enemies. Enemies will also attack in real-time, making battles feel more dynamic and engaging.

Starfield

Fly True Space Cadets

While Starfield hasn’t reached the same level of popularity as Bethesda’s Fallout games, it excels in its shooting mechanics. The game features a huge variety of weapons, ranging from traditional pistols and rifles to futuristic laser guns, which players can discover while exploring planets and space stations.

The guns feel good to use, with satisfying feedback when you fire. While it’s not the most polished shooter out there, the combat is surprisingly fun for a Bethesda role-playing game.

Mass Effect: Andromeda

Its On Redeeming Quality

Despite getting a lot of criticism for not being as good as the original Mass Effect games, Mass Effect: Andromeda did have some advantages. It was built with newer technology, launched on more modern consoles, and featured a completely redesigned combat system.

Unlike earlier Mass Effect games focused on cover and team commands, Mass Effect: Andromeda played more like a traditional shooter, giving players more freedom to directly engage enemies. While companions and powers were still part of the game, it generally felt more polished and enjoyable as a shooting experience.

Outriders

Pop And Shoot

Outriders is a third-person shooter where you play from behind cover. At the beginning of the game, you select a class – there are four to choose from. Each class has unique abilities; for instance, the Pyromancer uses fire-based powers, and the Technomancer focuses on using gadgets.

While not a traditional ‘live service’ game, it featured cooperative play and encouraged replayability through the pursuit of rare and powerful weapons. These weapons included standard firearms like pistols and rifles, but also possessed unique abilities that could significantly increase damage against enemies. The game’s cover system and online co-op added a strategic layer to combat when played with a team.

Resonance Of Fate

In The Heat Of Battle

Resonance of Fate is a role-playing game where battles are turn-based. Surprisingly, despite not having real-time shooting, it features incredibly exciting gun combat. During fights, you control three characters, each skilled with a different type of weapon. When you target an enemy, you’ll see a line showing where your shot will go.

Players need to remember enemy attack patterns, as well as their own, to avoid confusing actions when they overlap. While the combat system is challenging to pick up, skilled players will feel like action movie directors, orchestrating intense battles like John Woo.

Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

Keeping DC Safe

In Tom Clancy’s The Division 2, the fight against a deadly virus moves from New York City to Washington DC. Players create a character and choose a preferred weapon type, giving them a special ability in combat. However, they aren’t permanently committed to that choice and can change it later.

Tom Clancy games are known for their solid shooting. Though some behind-the-scenes factors affect things, the guns generally feel accurate. While you can play aggressively, it’s more effective to use cover and team up with up to three other players online.

Cyberpunk 2077

The Future Of Weapons

Cyberpunk 2077 is a first-person role-playing shooter, but it plays more like a fast-paced action game like Call of Duty than a strategic RPG like Mass Effect. Unlike those RPGs, aiming in Cyberpunk 2077 feels consistently precise – it doesn’t seem to be affected by character stats or random chance.

It’s surprising how well Cyberpunk 2077 has done, considering its complex RPG elements – like meaningful dialogue choices and extensive character customization with cybernetics. CD Projekt Red successfully appealed to both RPG and shooter fans, and that’s just one of the reasons it’s still so popular, even after a difficult start.

Borderlands 4

Pick Your Poison

Borderlands 4 offers a diverse experience with a well-designed class system. Like previous games in the Borderlands series, it features millions of procedurally generated weapons, though some rare guns are specifically designed. Weapon handling in Borderlands 4 is the best it’s ever been, and different manufacturers clearly prioritize quality and control.

Whether you prefer throwing explosive weapons, flamethrowers, or classic sniper rifles, this game offers a huge variety of firepower. Every class feels incredibly powerful thanks to the massive arsenal available, making it great for both solo play and teaming up with friends.

Destiny 2

Top-Notch Handling

In 2001, Bungie revolutionized console shooting games with Halo: Combat Evolved, and they’ve consistently been innovators in the genre ever since. Destiny 2 delivers a similar high-quality experience to classic Halo titles, and stands up well against other popular first-person shooters like the newest Call of Duty and Battlefield games – even those that aren’t focused on RPG elements.

Whether players grab a futuristic laser weapon or a more traditional gun, the game instantly makes them feel powerful. Since its release in 2017, it’s remained popular because of its satisfying and precise controls, combined with a well-designed character system – it just feels great to fight aliens!

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2026-01-16 23:10