Every year a new Call of Duty gets released and every year hordes of players complain of the tired formula and outdated graphics. They cry out for new experiences whilst they hand over their cash to the cashier and walk out of the store, Call of Duty in hand, vowing to never play another. 12 months later, the cycle begins all over again.
Instead of complaining, why not, you know, just play something else? There’s plenty of other options to choose from and better yet, they aren’t all total crap. Check out the following ten alternative shooters and your woes will be forgotten. Until November at least…
10. Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
A first person shooter set in the Old West might not sound like everyone’s cup of tea, but if you’re a fan of first person shooters, action packed adventure and historical settings then it’s at least worth taking a look at. It’s not going to provide you with the online thrills that come with shooting 10-year-old children online, but the single player is a top-notch effort even if it’s a little on the short side.
9. Medal of Honor: Airborne
Medal of Honor: Airborne was probably the last decent Medal of Honor game before EA decided to try to emulate the success of Call of Duty by bringing in some modern warfare with mixed results. World War II is your battleground, the Nazi’s are your enemy and parachuting is devilishly difficult to master yet satisfying when you land a good drop. Some of the finest first-person shooter action you could wish for and guess what? It’s less than £10 on Amazon. What are you waiting for?!
8. Killzone 3
Guns? Check. Evil bad guys to shoot? Check. Decent single player? Check. Online? Check. Seems pretty simple but there’s many who’ve yet to take on the Helghast in Killzone 3, if you’re one of those poor souls fear not, you can pick it up cheap online or in store. If it’s story driven action you’re looking for then Killzone 3 will do the job and if you’re more interested in the online component then you could always just but the multiplayer separately on the PlayStation Store. Win-win!
7. Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3 is a bit of an odd one if I say so myself. There’s an open-world for you to run around and shoot bad guys in as you follow the games brilliant story, then there’s the online component. It’s the online that sits a bit strange to me. Taking some elements from Call of Duty and mixing them in with Far Cry 3‘s fast paced gun play works surprisingly well. If you can get into a full game, you’re in for a treat.
6. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas
Tactical shooters have lost their way in recent years with developers and publishers opting for arcade-style action in the hope of pulling some of the Call of Duty crowd. There’s still some gems within the genre and Rainbow Six Vegas (and Vegas 2) shine brightest. Instead of just going all in and riddling the place with hot lead, you’ll have to use your brain. Yes, brain. Plan accordingly or you might find yourself a man down and outnumbered. Cheap as chips these days, why not give it a go?
5. Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 isn’t a story driven single player game. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Online multipalyer where anything goes is probably the best description for this class-based shooter from Valve. Free-to-play on Steam or part of the Orange Box collection, you can guarantee yourself a good time online with this one. A bit more bonkers than Call of Duty, but definitely just as much fun.
4. Call of Duty 2
I know the title says alternative to Call of Duty, but hear me out. Recent Call of Duty games have put the multiplayer on the forefront whilst leaving the story to wheel itself along feebly. Early Call of Duty games were different, the single player campaigns took you all over the world during World War II, giving you the chance to take part in spectacular battles and die many times at the gruesomely cruel AI. Worth a look if you’re into historical games and even better if you’ve only played the recent entries.
3. BioShock Infinite
It’s only just released yet I’m worried that within a month or two the steam around the BioShock engine will have disappeared and the excellent title will be lost amongst the crowd forever. If you’re a fan of the previous BioShock games then you know what to expect when it comes to gameplay, if not, then you’re in for some fun. Mixing fantastic gun play with magic powers (shooting flames from your hands is pretty magic) and some gruesome melee action, you’ll be amazed at how the beautiful world of BioShock Infinite can be so grim. (Our review is due up soon!)
2. Portal & Portal 2
This won’t be for every one, but Portal doesn’t actually require you to do much killing, if any. Instead you solve puzzles. OK, I know I’m losing you here but trust me, you’ve never done a puzzle until you’ve done a Portal puzzle with your big fat Portal gun and it’s gravity bending muzzle. Now say that fast five times… Seriously though, if you’re tired of killing wave after wave of faceless foe, I strongly recommend giving Portal a shot, it’ll have you scratching your head more than you’ll ever admit.
1. 007 Goldeneye
If you just want some multiplayer action with a few friends, dig out your old Nintendo 64 and blow the dust off your Goldeneye cartridge and get ready to fight it out. It’s still fun to this day and with a few mates over splitting the screen and cramping the couch, you’re in for something that’s lacking in todays online shooters: fun.
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Have you got any to add to the list? Put em’ down in the comments below!