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Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
It can be hard to find shooters that prioritize single player over multiplayer gameplay. That said, many of us still crave immersive campaigns that offer challenging solo battles and compelling storylines. Fortunately, a few kickass developers have taken note and started pouring more time and energy into the single player experience. Enter the best single player shooters.
The best single player shooters deliver that classic shoot ‘em up experience. If you want to survive, you’ll need to overcome a multitude of challenging obstacles while weaving your way through captivating storylines. It’ll take expert hand-eye coordination, sharpshooting, and overall tactical prowess. Think you’re up for the challenge? This article takes you through the top single player shooters on the market and peeks at the hottest upcoming titles. Let’s dive right in.
12 Best Single Player Shooters for Solo Gaming
We’ve curated this list of the top single player shooters to give you a look at some options for the next game to add to your library.
1. Doom Eternal
- Website: https://bethesda.net/
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, Stadia
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: ID Software
- Release: 2020
If you’re a fan of the original Doom collection or the 2016 remake, Doom Eternal is one of the hottest games out there right now. Players assume the role of Doom Slayer once again, but this time you’ll be protecting Earth itself. Push forward to take down the demon spawn, and collect exciting new weapons and gear along the way. Doom Eternal is a challenging, fast-paced, and metal as hell game that you won’t want to put down.
2. Titanfall 2
Our pick for one one of the best rated shooters
- Website: https://www.respawn.com/
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: Respawn Entertainment
- Release: 2016
Titanfall was criticized for its lack of a single player campaign, and Respawn Entertainment responded with one of the best single player FPS games on the market. The storyline is told from two different points of view— one as a pilot, and one as a titan. Fight your way through the campaign, unlocking loadouts and gear upgrades along the way. Titanfall 2’s level design is heralded as top-notch, and there are countless puzzles and unique mechanics to solve and explore.
3. Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare
Our pick for one of the most popular single player shooters
- Website: https://www.callofduty.com/
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: Infinity Ward
- Release: 2016
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare was developed by Infinity Ward but published by Activision. The result? A killer game that offers the perfect balance of single and multiplayer modes. Earth has been stripped of its natural resources and humans are in need of new supply. The only place to go— outer space. Players assume control of Captain Nick Reyes of Special Operations, whose job it is to defend interstellar resource outposts from the insidious Front Organization. Think you’re up for the task? Check out Infinite Warfare on PC and console today.
4. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Our pick for one of the best single player FPS games
- Website: https://www.stalker-game.com/
- Platform: Windows
- Genre: FPS, Survival, Horror
- Developer: GSC Game World
- Release: 2013
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Bundle includes all three games in the series, including Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat. The games take place in an alternate reality, near the site of Chernobyl in Northern Ukraine. The nuclear reactor has malfunctioned and the fallout is spreading across the region. But that’s not all. Strange beings have appeared, and they’re generating artifacts with magical properties– artifacts worth millions on the black market. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has players assume control of various factions in the region, resulting in exciting strategy-based gameplay.
5. Fallout 4
Our pick for one of the best single player shooting games
- Website: https://fallout.bethesda.net/
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
- Genre: Action, RPG, FPS
- Developer: Bethesda
- Release: 2015
Fallout 4 launches players back into post-nuclear America, but this time around it’s set in The Commonwealth in the year 2287. The adventure begins as players exit the safety of their Cryogenic Vault and begins to explore the whole new world around them. You’ll need to collect resources, build shelters, and protect yourself from enemies if there’s to be any chance for survival. Fallout 4 has received rave reviews across the industry and is available on PC and major consoles.
6. Doom
Our pick for one of the best single player PC shooters
- Website: https://bethesda.net/
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox, Switch
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: ID Software
- Release: 2016
The 2016 version of Doom is a complete reboot of the original series. However, most of the mechanics are left in-tact and gameplay remains strikingly similar to the original titles you know and love. The premise? You must annihilate the demon horde as you fight your way through the infested hallways of the UAC Mars Research Facility, collecting gear and upgrades along the way. Doom features a wide variety of powerful weapons and offers hours of immersive gameplay that’s sure to satisfy your solo shooter craving.
7. Rage 2
- Website: https://bethesda.net
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: ID Software
- Release: 2019
Do you enjoy open-world mayhem? If so, Rage 2 is an excellent single player shooter that’s arriving in mid-2019. The world has been hit by a giant asteroid that’s left most of the population extinct. Not only that, but the asteroid brought a new species along with it, dangerous mutants set on wiping out the rest of life. Players take control of Walker, whose only objective is survival. You’ll need to cobble together an arsenal of tools, weapons, and gear if you want to make it through in one piece.
8. Wolfenstein: Youngblood
- Website: https://bethesda.net/
- Platform: Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: MachineGames
- Release: 2019
Nazi Germany won WWII, and things will never be the same game. Wolfenstein: Youngblood is set in the 1980s, and it follows the story of two sisters, Jess and Soph Blazkowicz. The game is an FPS that has the two daughters travel to Paris in search of their missing father. Assume control of one of the sisters and fight your way through challenging obstacles to uncover the story and recover your father. Think you’ve got what it takes? The game is slated for a Summer 2019 release and will be available for PC and current-gen consoles.
9. Borderlands 3
- Website: www.borderlands.com
- Platform: Windows, Mac, Xbox One, PS4, Stadia
- Genre: RPG / FPS
- Developer: Gearbox Software
- Release: 2019
Known for its iconic cel-shaded graphics and immersive FPS mechanics, Borderlands is back again with its third and latest installment. Explore the mesmerizing world of Pandora once more, as you embark on a mission to stop the world’s latest alien threat. Choose from four distinct characters, each with their unique skill trees, and gain access to newfound abilities and elemental magics.
True to the franchise’s history, you’re bound to stumble across side-quests and mini-missions along your journey, and these act as the perfect opportunity to upgrade your gear and discover new loot. Not to mention a great way to sightsee the beautiful new environments. Borderlands 3 is a riveting jaunt through one of the most endearing FPS series ever made.
10. Battlefield V
- Website: www.ea.com
- Platform: Windows, Xbox One, PS4
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: DICE
- Release: 2018
Gear up and head back to the battlefield once more in DICE’s latest hit FPS. Battlefield V channels previous iterations of the game to take players through a series of War Stories. The theme this time around? It’s WWII, and the German’s are on the brink of winning the war. Cycle through a series of characters and wartime, and do your part to ensure the Allies’ victory. It’ll take mad FPS and tactical skills to bring the Axis down. Do you have what it takes?
11. Far Cry New Dawn
- Website: www.ubisoft.com
- Platform: Windows, Xbox One, PS4
- Genre: Action-Adventure / FPS
- Developer: Ubisoft
- Release: 2019
Though it doesn’t have a number in its name, make no mistake: Far Cry New Dawn is a major installment in the series. The premise? It’s 17 years after the end of Far Cry 5, and the community of New Hope, Montana, is still rebuilding after ‘the Collapse,’ AKA the nuclear holocaust, from mere decades prior.
Explore the open world as an entirely new character, and see what fresh mysteries await in 2035. But be wary! The world is just as deadly as before, and you’ll have to shoot, craft, and navigate your way through dangerous territory. Are you game?
12. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Website: www.halowaypoint.com
- Platform: Windows, Xbox One
- Genre: FPS
- Developer: 343 Industries
- Release: 2014
Every FPS fan knows about Halo. Following the Combat Evolved’s initial launch back in 2003, it changed the way we play shooters forever. Now, you can relive those formative years with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a 6-in-1 set of the franchise’s most popular hits, including Halo 1, 2, 3, 4, and Reach!
Explore the interstellar boundaries of the galaxy, playing as the Master Chief as he works to protect and defend humanity from the Covenant. Enjoy classic maps and storylines as you explore the wonderful world of Halo once more.
At the end of 2019, Microsoft released an updated version that’s now compatible with Windows. Enjoy!
Defining Single Player Shooters
A single player shooter is a shooter game that’s played offline and by oneself. It can take the form of a first or third person game, or even be a 2 or 2.5D title. The goal of single player shooters? They require players to defeat enemies, e.g. people or aliens, via in-game ammunition weaponry, with the goal of surviving or taking down a larger organization. Other common attributes of good single player shooters include immersive storylines, challenging puzzles or obstacles, and assorted tactical mechanics.
Shooter games are among the earliest and most popular types of video games thanks to hit titles like Space Invaders and Galaxian. The demand for new shooters remained insanely high through the end of the 20th century, and developers continued to pour money and energy into new titles like Doom and Half-Life. This trend continued into the 2000s, and FPS titles remain some of the top-selling video games on the market.
General Thoughts on Single Player Shooters
Let’s look at some general thoughts about the single player shooter genre.
1. Atari was the first console to feature shooter games.
The first mass-market single player shooter games were featured on Atari and include the likes of Star Ship, Star Raiders, and Battlezone.
2. They can be first-person, third-person, or even 2D.
While the majority of titles on our list are FPS, single player shooters can take the form of TPS, shoot ‘em ups, run ‘n gun games, and more.
3. Multiplayer shooter games often feature a solo campaign.
A number of primarily multiplayer shooters ship with their own single player campaigns. That said, the quality is definitely hit-or-miss and it varies by title.
4. Many gamers enjoy playing alone.
According to numerous polls, a huge percentage of gamers enjoy playing video games by themselves. This is great news for the overall outlook of the single player genre.
5. Shooters reign supreme.
When evaluated by market share and total active players, shooters make up over half of the world’s most popular games.
Further Reading
Enjoy our list? Be sure to check out our other hot game roundups below:
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