FPS games are some of the most action-packed titles in gaming. The first-person perspective immerses players into battle, and the gameplay mechanics make for fast-paced matches. Like fighting games, FPS games also have different characters to choose from, each having their own roles in the battlefield. Each of these characters also have their own unique personalities, culture, behavior, and demeanor to liven up the game experience.
It is no surprise that FPS games are subject to character archetypes. In Call Of Duty, for example, there are always going to be British allies in every game. There's also going to be that commander who constantly tells the player what to do, including that one guy who always wears armor. Archetypes like these, personality and role wise, are prevalent in FPS games, keeping things lively and varied. With that being said, here are 10 character archetypes in FPS games.
10 The American Patriot
Hailing from America, these guys bring versatility and firepower to the battlefield. Every shooter game needs a bold American. FPS games, whether multiplayer or singleplayer campaign, has no shortage of these guys. These are the guys who speak with an American accent and have a stern authoritative tone. They scream orders at the top of their lungs, making everything more action-packed. Their back story will always involve the United States as an origin or a training facility. As for their gameplay, it's funny how they're always the easiest characters to use.
9 The Healer from Europe
Very rarely would a healer be from the USA, if at all. Often, healers would originate from Europe. These healers would have some sort of European accent in their dialogue, although it's not always clear where exactly it is from. Oftentimes, they would even yell out in their own language. These guys provide support to their team on the battlefield, keeping them alive and sustaining the push against the opposing team. They are a team's supporting backline and hope of survival. If a healer would hail from somewhere outside of Europe, they would likely be a monk from Asia practicing a peaceful religion.
8 The Explosive Junkie
There will always be that guy whose gameplay relies on explosions and high mobility. More often than not, they're as likely to explode as the bombs they carry. These guys light the fuse on the battlefield, always engaging with a bang.
The rush that surges through their bloodstream gives them an excellent offense to decimate the opposition. Cortisol is always pumping in these guys' veins, fearing nothing and always jumping head-on into danger. Something's sure to go BOOM when these guys are on the team.
7 The Asian Tech Expert
These guys have been doing circuit boards and programming since they were kids. As excellent as they are with technology, they are also young with years ahead of them. They are often the youngest pick of the entire roster, full of youth and personality. They play various roles as well from surveillance experts, saboteurs, mech-building tanks, and any other role their tech can get them to be. Playing as these prodigies is a breath of fresh air from the more gritty characters, but it has to be said that there is something frustratingly stereotypical and problematic about the assumptions here around intelligence, technology, and race.
6 The Trickster
They're sneaky, they're tricky, and they play with their opponent's minds. These guys are masters of sabotage and deception, playing the enemy like they play the game. They deploy psychological tactics such as holographic decoys, invisibility, disguises, and other tricks. These guys can infiltrate a stronghold, and send the whole private army on a wild goose chase. As for gameplay, these guys are often the hardest to play. They require players to know the game and their enemy well before being used effectively. If played well, they can be the most frustrating people to fight against.
5 The Guy Who's Faster than the Others
These guys have abilities that make them much more agile than their teammates. They are excellent for harassing the enemy, flanking, and for scouting ahead. Their abilities would almost always include a burst of speed that propels them forward, like a dash or a split-second teleport.
In less tactical games, they would have the smallest hitbox out of the entire roster, making it much harder to hit them. The mobility these guys have is an excellent tool in the battlefield, singlehandedly flanking the opposition from two directions at once. Oftentimes, they would also have the lowest health and armor.
4 The Spirited Fighter
These guys are groovy, spirited, and the member of their team with the most personality. They're the kind of people who would listen to music in battle, and would skip the military tac vest so they could wear something more expressive and vibrant. They are the hopeful guerilla fighters of their team. These guys are artistic, creative, and are often the most loved characters of a game. They are cultural warriors whose turf isn't something people would want to wander into. It's characters like these who bring color to an otherwise gritty military shooter.
3 The Big Armored Tank
These guys are immovable objects whose steps cause tremors in the map. Every FPS game will have a big armored brute to play as. They are huge behemoths, and their armor is impenetrable, having the highest hitpoints in the game. They also pack quite a punch with their shots and blows. These guys are the meat of their team, drawing fire and protecting their comrades from incoming threats. Their clunky hardened armor, however, weighs them down making them the slowest of their team. But oftentimes, they are also the most hard-hitting.
2 The Guy Whose Face Never Shows
Their identity remains a mystery. Even alternate skins of these guys will keep their face concealed. They are shrouded in mystery, not talking much either apart from muffled sounds; but the destruction they leave speak louder than words ever can. These enigmas are an apocalyptic force of nature.
They show no emotion, like a brick wall, but get in their way, and they'll run the opposition over like a combine. They show no pain when shot, nor remorse when shooting. Are they happy, annoyed, angry, delighted? How do they eat? No one will ever know. Their personal lives are best-kept secret anyways. What's important is that they get the job done.
1 The Skull-Inspired Edgy Guy
They are the menacing ghouls who haunt the enemy in their sleep. Their cold presence stealthily prowls the shadows; waiting to lunge on their prey. They are stalkers of the night, siphoning the life out of their victims. Their bellows are the language of the underworld, wearing the mask of death as their embraced identity-- a skull. On weekends and holidays, they go to death metal concerts and wear punk boots and eyeliner. Every 13-year-old wants to play as these guys no matter how difficult they are to master. These souls of terrorizing agony bring the 'edge' to the battlefield. No FPS game is complete without them.