Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

• Type: Single-play/Co-op/Multiplayer military shooter
• Publisher: Activision
• Developer: Infinity Ward
• Platform: Battlenet
• See the official site
• See it on Battlenet

Call of Duty Modern Warfare is getting a fresh new outing and is going back to its roots. This time around there’s a gripping single-player campaign, co-op gameplay and, of course, multiplayer mode.

Infinity Ward has really pulled out all the stops with this one in our mind. It feels very much like the original Modern Warfare did back in 2007. Less jetpacks, much more serious stealth action. Fans of the older Call of Duty games will enjoy this one for sure. Once you’ve finished the campaign, there’s multiple co-op levels to play and a rejuvenated multiplayer experience that includes a 64-player mode called Ground War.

Metro Exodus

• Type: Apocalpytic FPS
• What makes it interesting? Brilliantly story-led post-apocalyptic adventure with stunning graphics and Mad Max feel
• Publisher: Deep Silver/Koch Games
• Developer: 4A Games
• Platform: Epic
• See offers at CD Keys
• See official site/Epic Store

Metro Exodus is the third outing in the series and another return to brilliance from 4A Games. You take on the role of Artyom who is desperately in search of signs of life beyond the irradiated and desolate ruins of Moscow. Battling for survival against the harsh climate and a wealth of baddies that include everything from bandits, to winged beasts, belligerent mutants and venom spitting spiders.

• Metro Exodus review: All aboard the superb single-player shooter

There’s a real sense of misery and hard times here as you’re constantly forced to forage for ammo, gear and supplies to keep your guns firing or stalk through the shadows carefully avoiding death. Later on, a serious Mad Max vibe eeks into the game too and we can’t say much without spoiling it, but we loved it. If you enjoyed the previous games, this one is bound to be a hit as well. And on PC it looks absolutely stunning.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

• Type: Team-based tactical shooter
• What makes it interesting? Class-based co-op action with intense close-quarters battles
• Publisher: Ubisoft
• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Platform: Uplay
• See offers at Fanatical

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege originally appeared on the scene in 2014. But it’s by no means an old game as it’s constantly being updated, reworked and refreshed with new content, characters and maps.

This game is, in essence, an online tactical shooter which pits one small team of players against another. These teams are split into attackers and defenders who have different objectives – defend/defuse the bomb, hold onto or rescue the hostage or simply eliminate the other team. Each “operator” in the game has a different play style with weapons and gadgets to help them complete their mission. What happens in the game will depend heavily on which characters are being played, so there’s plenty of variety and a lot of fun too.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege can also be purchased as a base game for a very reasonable sum – allowing you to work your way through the main operators or you can pay for the complete editions and get access to even more.

Hell Let Loose

• Type: WW2 team-based shooter
• Publisher: Team 17
• Developer: Black Matter Pty Ltd
• Platform: Steam
• See the official site
• See it on Steam

Developed by a small independent team, crafted in Unreal Engine 4 and built with a focus on realistic gameplay, Hell Let Loose is another WW2 game full of promise. This game reminds us of Post Scriptum and certainly seems like a full-on tactical military simulator.

Although currently in early access, Hell Let Loose is certainly well worth looking at. If you’re a fan of more serious military sim style shooters (like ARMA or Squad) then this will certainly tick your boxes. There’s a lot of humping around the map, accidental team kills and frustrating moments where you’ve no idea who killed you, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had, especially when playing with friends.

Teamwork is key not only to your team winning but also to your enjoyment of this one. Get three gamers together and hop in a tank – with one carefully driving, one manning the main gun and one commanding and you’ll soon smash your way through enemy lines. You’ll also find how tough the WW2 battles were though, when it takes an age to turn your turret or you can barely see a thing through the tiny vision slits in the front.

Overwatch

• Type: Team-based multiplayer FPS
• What makes it interesting? Online-only gameplay with a class-based system and brilliantly colourful visuals
• Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Platform: Battlenet
• See it on Battlenet

Overwatch is essentially an online-only first-person shooter-slash-brawler with colourful, cartoon graphics and enormously enjoyable gameplay.

• Overwatch review: Accessible, addictive and awfully good fun

It’s a popular eSports game but great for casual gamers too. We thought it was utterly brilliant when we reviewed it in 2016 and it still keeps bringing joy to the masses even now. Overwatch is almost certainly another game design triumph from Blizzard and well worth playing.

Valorant

• Type: Team-based multiplayer FPS
• What makes it interesting? Hero classes, slow gameplay but fast TTK and plenty of fun.
• Publisher: Riot Games
• Developer: Riot Games
• See the official site

Valorant feels like an interesting cross between CS:Go and Overwatch. A competitive shooter that pitches two small teams against one another.

• What is Valorant? A guide to the free-to-play shooter with tips on how to win

Hero classes have their own special abilities and can make or break the game depending on how they’re used. Valorant isn’t exactly fast-paced but it is tricky to master, just like the other competitive shooters out there. It’s also a lot of fun and it’s free too – which is the best price for anything.

Superhot

• Type: Bullet-time FPS
• What makes it interesting? Fantastic use of bullet-time and time-manipulation gaming mechanics
• Publisher: SUPERHOT Team
• Developer: SUPERHOT Team
• Platform: Steam
• See offers on Fanatical

Superhot is a brilliantly crafted first-person shooter where time moves only when you move. This makes for some really interesting game mechanics and thoroughly immersive gameplay.

This is certainly an FPS that requires some thought while you play. You’ll need to suss out the situation every time you spawn, but even turning to look around moves time forward and brings on the horde of enemies hell-bent on killing you. Superhot is fantastic and it’s even better in VR.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO)

• Type: Free-to-play team-based tactical shooter
• What makes it interesting? Twitch shooting with a lack of aim down the sight gun mechanic
• Publisher: Valve
• Developer: Valve/Hidden Path Entertainment
• Platform: Steam
• Download it on Steam

CS:GO is serious business. This is the most recent outing in the Counter-Strike series – a franchise which has always been synonymous with competitive FPS gameplay. It’s a popular eSports game and highly thought of too.

If you love team-based shooters, then this is the one for you. It’s also entirely free now, so what’s not to love?

Battlefield 5

• Type: WW2 based team-based shooter
• What makes it interesting? Destruction mechanics, masses of vehicles and weapons to play with and a multitude of gamemodes too
• Publisher: EA
• Developer: Dice
• Platform: Origin
• Buy it on Origin

After Call of Duty returned to its roots and revisited WWII, Battlefield followed suit.

• Battlefield V review: A state of the art WWII shooter

There were mixed feelings in the community, but there’s no denying that Battlefield 5 is stunning and features numerous improvements which make it an interesting option for fans of the series or online shooters in general. If you want to try before you buy, there’s always the option of a subscription to Origin Access which lets you play a wide collection of games for a small monthly fee.

Destiny 2

• Type: Online-only FPS
• What makes it interesting? Quest-based gameplay that can be enjoyed with friends across a variety of incredible locations
• Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
• Developer: Activision
• Platform: Battlenet
• See it on Battlenet

Destiny 2 is thought of by many as a very fine game indeed. An enthralling story certainly makes it a better game than the first. It’s also incredibly well designed as it’s just as easy for new players to get into as hardcore PC gamers.

• Destiny 2 review: The perfect blend of MMO and single-player
• Destiny 2 Forsaken initial review: Cayde’s dead baby, Cayde’s dead

It’s quite easy to get lost in all the quests and raids in Destiny 2 and once you start playing this game, you’ll wonder where all the hours went. Destiny 2 is almost certainly best enjoyed with friends, but you can play on your own too.

Insurgency: Sandstorm

• Type: Team-based tactical shooter
• What makes it interesting? Modern combat with an old-school FPS feel
• Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
• Developer: New World Interactive
• Platform: Steam
• See offers at Fanatical

Insurgency: Sandstorm is a team-based, tactical shooter with brutal and lethal close quarters combat. This is a modern combat FPS with an old-school feel. None of the nonsense of modern triple-A shooters, just good old fashioned gunplay and teamwork.

If you’re after a hardcore FPS then this one is for you. Deadly ballistics, light attack vehicles, destructive artillery and incredible audio too make Insurgency: Sandstorm a seriously fun shooter.

Best open-world/survival games

Valheim

• Type: Open-world survival
• What makes it interesting? A procedurally generated viking purgatory that can be played with up to 9 friends
• Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
• Developer: Iron Gate AB
• Platform: Steam
• See it on Steam

Valheim is an early access, indie survival game that’s inspired by Viking culture. Its launch was incredibly popular and with good reason. This is a brilliant open-world survival and crafting game with a wonderful vibe and brilliant Viking theme setting. It has both single-player and co-op PvE (player vs environment) mechanics, satisfying building physics and a punishing combat system. You battle bosses to progress through the game while also building all manner of things including imposing Viking warships.

Valheim is best played with friends and you can have a lot of fun doing so as well.

• What is Valheim? The Viking survival game explored (with tips and tricks)

Satisfactory

• Type: Open-world space exploration/building
• What makes it interesting? Super satisfying building mechanics and intrigue
• Publisher: Coffee Stain Publishing
• Developer: Coffee Stain Studios
• Platform: Steam/Epic
• See it on Steam

Satisfactory lives up to its name in so many different ways. This is a fantastic early access game that puts you on a distant planet gathering resources and building factories. Working your way through tech trees, from coal power to nuclear while avoiding being eaten by alien spiders and angry fire-spitting creatures.

Satisfactory can also be played with friends in co-op mode for upto four people, though we managed to get six people playing with a few game file tweaks. Just be warned though, once you get building and producing, it soon becomes incredibly addictive.

No Man’s Sky

• Type: Open-world space exploration/survival
• What makes it interesting? A procedurally generated universe where no two games are the same
• Publisher: Hello Games
• Developer: Hello Games
• Platform: Steam
• See it on Steam

No Man’s Sky first launched in the hazy days of 2016 and, despite the pre-release hype, left many feeling underwhelmed and upset at the lack of multiplayer options.

Several updates later and No Man’s Sky is a superb space adventure with improved space stations, enhanced freighter and frigate systems and a multiplayer mode to boot.

• No Man’s Sky tips for beginners: Essential things to know to get ahead in the space race
• Amazing photos of space as captured in No Man’s Sky

At its core, No Man’s Sky is fantastic anyway as it boasts 18 quintillion procedurally generated planets to explore, ensuring that no one journey of exploration is the same as another.

Best PC Games to Buy 2022: Fantastic Games to Add to Your Collection