The Best FPS Games From The 1990s

Summary

• FPS games in the 90s had simple, intuitive gameplay that defined the genre with classics like Quake 2 and Unreal.
• Unique titles like System Shock 2 and CyberMage: Darklight Awakening showcased immersive storytelling, diverse gameplay mechanics, and futuristic settings.
• GoldenEye 007 changed the game with its iconic multiplayer mode, while Half-Life set a new standard with a compelling storyline and sophisticated shooting mechanics.

With the introduction of 3D environments and more fast-paced gameplay, the end of the 20th century was dominated by first-person shooter (FPS) games. They were a change from the longer, more complex RPG games that dominated PCs and consoles in previous eras. Their storylines and gameplay were linear as opposed to complex, and they often included more than one player at a time when co-op and online play were just getting started.

The plot of the FPS game was simple if it existed at all, and the game mechanics were intuitive and consisted of only two or three buttons. This worked well with the graphic capabilities of earlier computers and gaming consoles since the monsters, explosions, and gore weren’t that sophisticated.

Updated December 18, 2024, by Gerardo Molina: While many games from the 1990s are seen as a nice way to glance into the past by younger players, others who were there to play them when they were first released see them as a welcome piece of nostalgia. Many of the games on this list were meant to be played by adults. However, since there wasn’t as much control regarding game ratings as there is today, many players who are now in their late 20s and early 30s likely played them as children.

The 1990s was a decade that saw the rise and fall of many franchises and incredible universes, paving the way for modern reboots like DOOM and DOOM Eternal, to name a few.

The following list is unranked, with entries being displayed in no particular order.

1 Marathon

A Space Adventure With Tons Of Action

Being the first installment of a trilogy that includes Marathon 2: Durandal, and Marathon Infinity, Marathon presents players with a real-time world rendered in 3D and based on a first-person point of view.

Assuming the role of an unnamed security officer aboard a massive ship on Mars’ moon Deimos, players will have to fire their weapons at the various enemies coming for them. Heavily inspired by DOOM, Marathon takes players on an outer space adventure that will require their shooting skills to be on point and their reflexes to be quick.

2 Outlaws

A Wild West Story About Revenge And Rescuing A Marshall’s Daughter

• Platform(s): Windows
• Released: April 7, 1997
• Developer(s): LucasArts
• Genre(s): FPS

The story of Outlaws focuses on James Anderson, a retired U.S. Marshall who comes home to a horrible tragedy after his wife is killed, and his daughter is kidnapped by none other than the infamous Dr. Death, and Sam Fulton.

With several Wild West elements and an overall aesthetic set in this period, Outlaws presented players with a very fun first-person shooter experience. Although not the first shooting game based on this famous period, this title is a fine addition to that collection and deserves to be played again by anyone who manages to get their hands on a copy.

3 System Shock 2

One Of The Greatest Immersive Sims Ever Made

Players who loved the first System Shock game were amazed to see how much of a major improvement the second game was in every way. Featuring modern controls, unnerving claustrophobia, and engaging gameplay, it’s easy to see why so many people hail System Shock 2 as one of the greatest video games ever made.

The fact that a player’s build can completely change based on the training they take before the start of the game is pretty impressive and goes a long way in adding a ton of replay value to the game. With a few mods, System Shock 2 can be modernized for modern gamers to enjoy this title’s brilliance without any caveats.

4 CyberMage: Darklight Awakening

A Groundbreaking Engine And Future Inspiration

• Platform: PC
• Released: April 30, 1995
• Developer: Origin Systems

The cyberpunk genre is full of dystopian themes, with humans being treated like fodder at times. Such is the case in CyberMage: Darklight Awakening, where the main character is a hybrid human who was experimented upon by the SARCorp corporation. This leads to a magical gem called Darklight being embedded in his forehead. Suffice it to say, the protagonist is less than enthused that his body was used for such inhumane experiments and went on a warpath to get his revenge at all costs.

This unique setting serves as a fresh change of pace from most boomer shooters, letting players experiment with unique weaponry and abilities in a run-and-gun shooter that is a blast to play through. The mix of familiar tropes and fresh ideas in CyberMage: Darklight Awakening elevates the title’s quality to new heights and makes it one of the most underrated video games of the 90s.

5 Quake 2

A Beloved Sequel To A Genre-Defining FPS

The first Quake title was a huge step in the right direction for arena shooters, and it’s easy to see why players were hyped to the moon and back for the second title. Suffice it to say, Quake 2 didn’t disappoint and is hailed by many as one of the greatest FPS titles of all time.

Featuring quick movement, frenetic gameplay, and a wealth of weapons to mess around with, it’s clear to see why Quake 2 has attained such a legendary reputation. Players who want to check out a classic arena shooter that harkens back to the glory days of FPS gaming will find this title to be right up their alley.

6 Unreal Tournament

A Groundbreaking Engine With Great FPS Gameplay

There’s some debate among series fans as to which of the Unreal Tournament games is better, but there’s a strong argument to be made for the original. More than 20 years on from its original release the game remains incredibly fun to play. It lacks the polish of a modern title, but compared to games like Doom and Wolfenstein, it’s aged gracefully.

With Epic Games currently focusing most of its attention on Fortnite, it seems unlikely that the developer will be returning to the Unreal franchise anytime soon. The game’s legacy continues to live on though, both through its groundbreaking engine and the inspiration it provided to the developers of countless other first-person shooter titles.

7 Star Trek: The Next Generation: Klingon Honor Guard

Play As One Of The Iconic Warrior Race

• Platform: PC
• Released: October 14, 1998
• Developer: MicroProse

Using the classic lore of Star Trek with the relatively new medium of video games turned out to be a winning combination. As the name implies, the setting and time are related to the events of the movie Star Trek: The Next Generation and involves the Klingon plot to assassinate a prominent Klingon leader, Chancellor Gowron.

To reach the target, players have to progress through a variety of levels that include natural environments like caves, deserts, and other different planet surfaces. Gamers can fight using ranged weapons or go old-school Klingon warrior with a Bat’leth blade. They also have to fight their way through fellow Klingons along with other alien races from the Star Trek IP.

8 Rebel Moon Rising

An FPS With A Science Fiction Twist

• Platform: PC
• Released: 1997
• Developer: Fenris Wolf

It’s the independent Moon Colony versus the tyranny of the Earth United Nations world government, which continues the story that began in the previous game in this series, Rebel Moon. The stakes are higher this time, with the government of Earth now aligned with a race of malicious aliens.

Rebel Moon Rising combines real-time strategy elements with the first-person shooter aesthetic. Teams have to find, gather, and defend strategic locations and resources, which also means that some of the weapons used double as high-tech space tools.

9 Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2

An FPS That Also Has Lightsaber Fights

• Platform: PC
• Released: September 30, 1997
• Developer: LucasArts

An obscure title that fell under the radar as the field got more and more cluttered, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Dark Forces 2 is set a year after Return of The Jedi ended. It features the same protagonist as the first game, mercenary Kyle Katarn, as he discovers his own Jedi powers and seeks revenge for his father’s death. It was launched on Steam in 2009 and again in 2015, so more than 20 years later, it still has a decent fanbase.

Not only does the game incorporate some interesting details of the Star Wars expanded universe, but it also integrates ranged battles with melee fighting. In a game with Star Wars lore, that means lightsabers, which is one of the unique details that makes this first-person shooter stand out from the crowd.

10 Medal Of Honor

A Realistic Portrayal Of WW2

The first installment of what would become a successful franchise and inspire many other FPS games, Medal of Honor got a lot of attention before it was even launched. Stephen Spielberg was the main creator and producer of the game, and he was inspired by his interest in WW2 history along with a notable game his son was playing called GoldenEye.

Medal of Honor was initially controversial because of the Columbine High School shooting, which also took place in 1999. It was also criticized by the Medal of Honor Society for making a serious, even sacred subject into something as common as a video game. However, it received critical acclaim and eventually turned a handsome profit, the legacy of which continues to the present day.

11 Shadow Warrior

Features Unique Environments And Challenging Combat

Unlike Unreal Tournament, the original Shadow Warrior hasn’t aged well, nor has the game’s main protagonist Lo Wang. The game was already a little dated at the time of its release, but it still proved to be an enjoyable experience despite its often offensive dialogue and last-gen visuals.

Had the game arrived just a few years earlier, it would have likely been considered groundbreaking. However, the settings and gameplay helped to set it apart from much of the competition and provided hours of first-person shooter fun for those willing to give it a shot.

12 Xenomorph

An Obscure Title From The Alien Franchise

There were all kinds of video games based on the Alien movies, and several were FPS shooters. Xenomorph mixed some of that with elements of other popular genres of the time from both arcades and consoles. It was popular enough for the producers at Pandora to plan a sequel, but unfortunately, that ended up in development hell and faded into obscurity. The game was only available on home computers of the era, like the Commodore 64 and the Amiga, making it one of the oldest FPS games for PC. Those looking for original floppy disk copies might have to save their money and do some searching, but it is available on modern computers if a simple download will suffice.

Xenomorph was one of the first games to define the FPS titles of the future. Mixing strategy and survival aspects in a first-person viewpoint, it paved the way for games like those in the Resident Evil franchise. It also relied on a sci-fi aesthetic instead of a medieval one like other games in the same style, which made it stand out from other first-person shooter games.

13 Team Fortress Classic

Features A Wide Variety Of Weapons And Classes

Team Fortress started life in 1996 as a Half-Life mod before eventually being given a full release in the late nineties. With nine unique classes and a wide array of weapons, it was one of the biggest titles of the decade and laid the groundwork for many of Valve’s future games. The most notable of these was Team Fortress 2, a game that remains popular to this day.

Any fans of the sequel looking to see where it all began should consider checking out the original. The gameplay of Team Fortress Classic is simple, fast, and satisfying, which is something a lot of boomer shooter fans will resonate with. The “classic” portion of the title is certainly justified in this game.

14 Space Hulk

An Excellent Board Game Adaptation

• Platform: PC
• Released: June, 1993
• Developer: Electronic Arts

Combining elements of real-time strategy and first-person shooters with a science fiction setting, Space Hulk was the product of a few different influences. It was a PC version of a board game from 1989 that was based on the lore of Warhammer 40,000, produced by Electronic Arts and Games Workshop.

There’s a lot of variety here for such an early first-person shooter, with plenty to do other than simply shoot things. It’s one of the first examples of a tactical first-person shooter that lets players control Marines via both strategic commands and direct inputs to take out the alien Genestealers, horrifying entities that can quickly cause players to panic.

15 System Shock

Built On A Cutting Edge 3D Engine

System Shock shares a lot of similarities with Looking Glass Studios’ Ultima Underworld games, particularly when it comes to the general look and feel of the title. The fantastic 3D engine was miles ahead of anything else being used at the time. Its gameplay was also ahead of the pack, going beyond the typical point-and-shoot mechanics that were prevalent at the time.

The game’s sequel and an enhanced edition launched in 2015 undoubtedly provide a far superior experience to the original, but neither was anywhere near as innovative nor influential. Games like Half-Life and Doom rightfully receive a lot of plaudits for their impact on first-person shooter gaming, but System Shock was every bit as important in shaping and kickstarting the evolution of the genre.

16 Turok 2: Seeds Of Evil (1998)

A Modern FPS With Equally Stellar Visuals

While Goldeneye 007 and Perfect Dark are seen by many as the best FPS titles on the N64, neither could match the high-quality visuals on display in Turok 2: Seeds of Evil. It looked more like a PS2 title than a cartridge-based game and features one of the best multiplayer experiences of the nineties.

It did suffer from some occasional frame-rate issues due to how hard it pushed the system, but that was a small price to pay for what was on offer. Although there were multiple sequels launched over the following years, Turok 2 is easily the best of the series. It still holds up fairly well today, and thanks to the 2019 Switch remaster, it’s easily accessible to modern gamers.

17 Unreal

Features A Compelling Story And A Unique Engine

• Platform: PC
• Released: May 22, 1998
• Developer: Epic MegaGames, Digital Extremes

Unlike many of the other games on this list, Unreal was built using its own unique engine instead of using one from an existing game. It was the technology from this game, not really the game itself, that made a huge impact on the FPS shooter genre.

That’s unfortunate because this is a unique and creative game with a lot to offer players, starting with a compelling storyline. It begins with a spaceship crash on a hostile planet and a lone survivor, so it’s nice to see it get some attention in recent years.

18 Doom

The Unexpected Hit That Changed Gaming Forever

The phrase “Doom helped me get through high school” could be a meme. The original Doom took the gaming world by storm, and it could be argued that it blew the whole genre wide open. The story was rather simple. Players had to explore a desolated outpost on the Martian moons of Phobos and Deimos after a portal to hell was accidentally opened, letting all sorts of demonic forces through.

This hellish theme quickly spawned a variety of Doom WADs (the default format package files for the game, containing sprites, levels, and other game data) that players could use to turn the aesthetic into something else. Everything from anime to Disney was available. Virtually everything in first-person shooter games of the present day, including the satirical levels of violence, elaborate weapons, and multiplayer options all started with this game. Every FPS has a BFG these days, but it was Doom that invented the joke.

Modern releases of the franchise no longer have the 16-bit graphics that made the original famous. However, recent installments, like DOOM: Eternal and the upcoming DOOM: The Dark Ages, proudly carry the torch of their ancestor.

19 Witchaven 2: Blood Vengeance

One Of The First Games To Feature Cutscenes

• Platform: PC
• Released: May 6, 1996
• Developer: Capstone Software

Witchaven 2: Blood Vengeance continued the story of the brave knight Grondoval’s quest to rid the land of evil witches. He succeeds in his quest, kills the Witch Queen Illwhyrin, and parties until he passes out. The sequel starts the morning after the previous game.

The story includes many cutscenes, which were ambitious for the time, the last of which got critical recognition from Computer Gaming World for being one of the most unsatisfying ending sequences in video game history. It’s a surprisingly detailed story for a game with a simple premise, but that’s one of the reasons it has such a dedicated cult following. In addition to the mix of RPG and FPS elements, the sequel added a few extra features like dual-wielding and using a shield.

20 Hexen: Beyond Heretic (1995)

Impressive Visuals And Settings For The Time

Hexen: Beyond Heretic is designed and intended as an indirect sequel to another popular first-person shooter from the same era, Heretic. This game also had the same RPG elements that players liked from the first game, such as the complicated storyline and choice of playable characters.

This time, the setting is the world of Cronos. The heroes must seek out and defeat Korax, one of the three serpent-riders in the previous game. Cronos is a world with some impressive visuals and settings, especially considering the time when it was made. Players can travel through dungeons, forests, castles, and a necropolis before they face the final boss, all while enjoying some great FPS gameplay.