Top 5 Best FPS Games of Q4 2017

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is not only one of the best first-person shooters of Q4 but it’s also one of the best shooter experiences for all of 2017. The New Colossus allows the beloved franchise to return in a blaze of glory with smooth gunplay, a captivating narrative, and a cast of characters that packs Wolfenstein with a ton of personality.

Leading B.J. Blazkowicz through his journey to take America back from Nazi rule is an intense and challenging experience. Throughout the campaign you will have the option to use stealth to take out foes before they call in for reinforcements or just take a bold approach of running through enemies with the most powerful weapons you have on hand. Gameplay remains fresh from beginning to end and the only huge complaint about the whole thing is that it doesn’t offer any real incentive to dive back into the game once you have completed the campaign.

Call of Duty: WWII

To no surprise, the Call of Duty franchise returning to its roots turned out to be a much-needed revitalization for the classic FPS series. After Call of Duty took players to space in 2016’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, it certainly seemed like it was the perfect time to dial things back a bit and deliver a game that felt more like the Call of Duty players have known and loved since 2003.

There are elements you would expect from a Call of Duty game — great gunplay, a predictable story that still manages to be satisfying, and a fantastic multiplayer experience that keeps the game’s fanbase alive and well. Then there are new elements and features like War Mode and the new Headquarters social space that add something new and fresh to the series as a whole. Call of Duty: WWII doesn’t come without its flaws but the decision to bring Call of Duty from the world of jetpacks back to the dirty, gritty world of historical wartime combat is one decision that gave birth to one of the best FPS games of 2017.

Destiny 2

The first Destiny game was applauded for its visuals, gunplay, and gear. Destiny 2 managed to improve on all these elements while also introducing better storytelling and new multiplayer modes. One particularly notable difference between Destiny 2 and its predecessor was its ability to make its world feel full of life and lore. While the first game seemed to loosely toss a story together that felt incomplete and lacked a real sense of depth, the story introduced in Destiny 2 is not only told through the campaign but also further explored as players complete various Adventures that expose more about this interesting universe.

Unfortunately, Bungie still struggled with the way it handled its DLC for Destiny 2 which was a bitter reality for players who were still licking their wounds from the first game. Despite a the first DLC being a bit of a disappointment for Destiny 2 so far, it’s not enough to overshadow the fact that the base game is still beautifully crafted with tons of content to keep you coming back for more.

Star Wars Battlefront II

Star Wars Battlefront II had a release that was shrouded in the dark clouds of the great loot box controversy but if you manage to look beyond EA’s blunder, you’ll find a game that makes great improvements to its predecessor. Star Wars Battlefront II brings a single-player campaign to the series. Even a mediocre campaign would have been a nice addition since the previous game didn’t offer one at all but Battlefront II delivers a well-paced and enjoyable single-player campaign that is sure to satisfy any Star Wars fan.

The new campaign is a great addition but it would mean very little if Star Wars Battlefront II didn’t also deliver when it comes to multiplayer game modes. Here, a class system complements the equitable Star Cards, which provides more variety in how you want to play the game. No matter how you choose to approach the game in terms of strategy, you’ll be met with gunplay that feels fluid and snappy. Great gunplay is always the most important aspect of a FPS, so the gunplay here helps to make up for various other shortcomings. In addition to the intrusive loot boxes, you’ll be met with useless AI, a lack of balance between difficulty settings, and clunky menus. All this fades away though as you enjoy a game that just feels good to play, offers a ton of content, and has stunning art direction.

DOOM on Switch

It seemed a bit hard to believe that Doom would actually be able to make its way to Nintendo’s new hybrid console but the iconic FPS is actually looking pretty good in its handheld form. Doom is a shooter that actually isn’t about perfectly snappy gunplay or a collection of customizable weapons. This is a game that has always found its glory in being over the top. Who needs a complicated strategy when you can run into any room guns blazing and mow down enemies in whatever manner your heart desires?

The port for the Nintendo Switch captures all of Doom’s wonderful ridiculousness, albeit with some expected downgrades in terms of visuals. This isn’t an ugly port by any means but there is definitely a loss in the picture quality when compared to Xbox One and PS4. What you lose in graphics, you’ll gain in mobility. Since Doom doesn’t require a lot of precision, it’s actually a great fit to still be enjoyable on the go in Switch’s handheld mode. It marks another great port of the iconic title that also received a successful VR version in Q4 this year.