Best Retro-Inspired FPS Games Ranked, According To Metacritic
Old school FPS classics have always had us look back to for years of fun and nostalgia. FPS titans of DOOM, Quake, Duke Nukem, and many more are timeless masterpieces, and a recent resurgent of these style of games have started a wave of newly-inspired FPS games.
Let's take a look through Metacritic to look at some of the best new Retro FPS games. Firstly, there are many freshly inspired games, but not all have received ratings yet. Secondly, we will not be mentioning any rereleases of older titles on this list.
Updated January 18, 2021, by Zach Gass: Since the dawn of the Doom-clone, FPS games have been a popular genre amongst hardcore gamers. Nowadays, with titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield abounding, players have longed for the old days of blasting enemies down with arcadey action in mind. There had been a sort of renaissance for vintage-styled FPSs in recent years, proving that classics never go out of style. The sheer number of titles to choose from can be quite overwhelming. Fortunately, Metacritic is here to help bring out the best and brightest the genre has to offer.
15 Hellbound (62)
Hellbound is one of the most straightforward games on this list, which can be fun or off-putting for those who want something more. Firstly, Hellbound does not innovate much as a retro shooter. However, it does maintain a lot of the core arena-style elements that fans love.
The game is light on content; with only seven levels, six weapons, and one boss fight, it does not last long. However, there is a free to play survival mode that is fun to run and gun around maps mindlessly. For all this, it only clocks around a current rating of 62.
14 Heavy Bullets (72)
Heavy Bullets is a retro FPS dungeon crawler roguelike with randomly generated levels with an overall rating of 72. One of the main mechanics of the game is the ability to reuse bullets. You will most likely have to clear stages with just six shots, reloading them after picking them up after firing.
Mixing the difficult elements of randomness that roguelikes bring with a limit on your bullets creates an interesting new challenge. This game offers a fresh experience with eight stages to go through in this neon dungeon and tons of replay value.
13 Post Void (74)
If you are looking for a new experience similar to an arcade shooter that plays like Doom 2 on acid, then Post Void is for you. Sitting at a rating of 74 and with a price of under five dollars, there isn't much reason not to give it a try.
Gameplay boils down to killing for health, obtaining a high score, and repeating. It's a bit shallow, but it's undeniably entertaining. On top of a unique art style, this game is mesmerizing to look at and to play, and it's almost aking to a first-person Hotline Miami.
12 Immortal Redneck (74)
Absurdity is the name of the game in Immortal Redneck. This roguelike Doom-clone isn't exactly what one would call complex, but that's not essentially a bad thing. As the title would suggest, this game has the players take up arms as the titular redneck to combat an army of the undead as they try to reach the top of three pyramids.
The concept is simple and the gameplay is addicting, but there will definitely be some grinding throughout the experience. That being said, one can't fault the title for having an original premise. Certainly worth more than a 74.
11 Ziggurat (75)
Ziggurat is another roguelike title, but takes the Hexen approach to its design, style, and gameplay. Forgoing the standard shooter weapons in favor of a more dark-fantasy-inspired take on its combat. As a well-armed wizard, players move through rooms full of enemies to blast and spells to cast.
It's nice to see the FPS genre dip from hardcore guns to something a bit rarely used in the medium. After all, a well-aimed magic wand can be just as deadly as a BFG in a pinch. A passible game with a 75 rating, but one fans of the genre shouldn't miss.
10 Shadow Warrior 2 (78)
With the reboot of the popular 90s franchise, the second installment rates at a 78. Combining a bigger arsenal, upgrades, and enemies from the first entry, Shadow Warrior brings some new things to the table.
Enemies can now be infused with elemental powers, though this can be countered Pokémon-style with countering elemental weapons. It may seem a bit clunky, but it does quite a bit to liven up the gameplay.
9 Project Warlock (78)
If you are a Doom, Hexen, or Wolfenstein lover, this game has something for all fans. A unique blending of modern and classic styles, Project Warlock is full of bullets, magic, and monsters that will get your heart racing.
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In addition, you'll get lost fighting your way through 60 carnage-packed. This pixel gorefest sits at a rating of 78 and will keep you coming back for more and more. We didn't even mention the bosses you will face later on.
8 Void Bastards (78)
They don't all have to pull from the likes of Doom, Duke Nukem, or Quake to be considered throwbacks. In fact, Void Bastards feels like something out of the minds of Bioshock or System Shock with a sprinkling of Douglas Adams. Probably because it is.
Add a touch of dark humor and comic-book-styled visuals, and players have a retro-styled original on their hands. This game might be a roguelike, but it definitely has more character than some others of its breed. Exploring decrepit spaceships while taking out ranting and raving enemies definitely has its quirky charms.
7 Call of Juarez: Gunslinger (79)
While many will be quick to compare this game to the likes of Red Dead: Redemption, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger has more in common with the arcade shooters of old than with the popular Rockstar classic. Forget about emotional storytelling and morally grey protagonists, just lock and load and go after some desperados.
Gunslinger is exactly what the title implies. Players take the role of a bounty hunter straight out of a Clint Eastwood movie and explore this tall tale of the wild west. With tons of gunplay, dastardly villains, and a score of 79, what more does one need to give this game some attention?
6 Ion Fury (79)
A love letter to the new wave of retro FPS game developed by 3D Realms and made on the same engine that brought players Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, and Blood, Ion Fury plays similarly to the rest of the classic build engine games with a similar difficulty, but with immense detail.
Ion Fury its every mark on what a classic FPS stands for and brings more modern tricks to the table. Sitting at a rating of 79, this is a must-play game for old school fans and new ones alike.
5 Amid Evil (85)
Taking inspiration from Heretic and going above and beyond in a beautiful fashion, Amid Evil is brought to us from New Blood, a primary influence in igniting the wave of new retro games. With seven worlds to save, seven weapons to use, and seven evils to vanquish. Amid Evil marvelously brings unique blades and magic.
With a changing aesthetic and roster of enemies that changes every world, Amid Evil brings brutal gameplay through stunning non-linear levels. Master your magical weapons, Champion, for you must adapt to your enemies quickly to survive. Amid Evil stands at a high rating of 85.
4 Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (86)
Similar to Shadow Warrior, another reboot to a classic series, Wolfenstein II, lands at a cool 86 percent on Metacritic. With a compelling story that mixes comedy and tragedy, it's a far cry from the narrative void of Id's first outing with the genre.
With different gameplay styles to choose from, an arsenal of devastating guns to mix in, and different ways to approach fights in every level, Wolfenstein maintains its legacy well. In addition, it's well worth playing the first installment, Wolfenstein: The New Order, before diving into this one.
3 DOOM (87)
Bethesda's remake of the iconic shooter was like a breath of fresh air. In an industry immensely populated by repetitive, cookie-cutter, cover-and-shoot FPS games, it was a joy to see an old favorite come back to the forefront again. As the granddaddy of all FPS titles, it was only a matter of time before DOOM got remade.
Grisly and gory with familiar run-and-gun action, Doom feels like the original title, but with some much-needed upgrades on an old formula. 87 is the bare minimum many would give this fun and fearsome FPS, but that's why they got the sequel.
2 DOOM Eternal (88)
It comes as no surprise that the award-winning, trendsetting, demon-slaying DOOM Eternal climbs high on this list at an 88 percent. Brewing modern elements of speed and power and offering up an outrageous arsenal of weapons, DOOM Eternal brings it all and more to the table.
The Doom series has taken a back seat to story in past entries, but DOOM Eternal brings an epic story to the secondary focus. Of course, the primary focus is gunplay. It is up to you, the slayer, to master your guns and speed and remind them that the only thing they fear is you.
1 DUSK (88)
A fast-paced retro horror shooter in which bloodshed and gore must be embraced and mastered to survive, Dusk is a masterpiece of old school FPS given to us again by developers New Blood and inspired by Doom, Quake, Blood, and so much more.
Battling possessed militants, cultists, and darker foes, run and gun through this grimdark world with speed and style. Battle horrors with weaponry that stay true to the old school formula with a few new twists and a couple of backflips. Dusk is a necessity to play for anyone and sits at a rating of 88 percent.
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