First-person shooters are one of the most popular genres in all of video games. Players have to master movement and aiming all while under intense situations. Even with a focus on shooting bad guys, this genre finds a way to differentiate itself with unique mechanics and general variety.
Unfortunately, the popularity of this genre also means many great FPS franchises get left in the dirt. Whether they had unique settings or offered a different experience, some abandoned franchises are more than deserving of another chance. Here are 10 FPS franchises that should come back sometime in the future. This list is in no particular order.
10 TimeSplitters
The release of Halo and Call of Duty marked the end of classic shooters such as GoldenEye 007 and Perfect Dark. There was one franchise that stuck around with its endless charm and slick gunplay, however.
That franchise was TimeSplitters. Ex-Rare employees founded Free Radical and helped develop this franchise. In a sense, TimeSplitters is a spiritual successor to Perfect Dark, with its retro gameplay and level design. Its great mix of humor and absurd missions made for a memorable franchise that is sorely missed in the hearts of many. With how serious and formulaic shooters are becoming, bringing TimeSplitters back is exactly the kind of shakeup the genre needs.
9 Medal Of Honor
Medal of Honor was the de facto World War II FPS franchise before Call of Duty became the new FPS champion. Realistic yet adrenaline-fueled missions and cinematic sequences helped create an experience unlike anything else at the time.
The franchise's downfall was chasing trends by becoming a boring modern military shooter. Ironically, Call of Duty's focus towards realism that originally set it apart from Medal of Honor has been abandoned. Respawn Entertainment's Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond might convince EA that there is a demand for realistic FPS titles.
8 Perfect Dark
Most know Perfect Dark as a GoldenEye 007 contender, but it was much more than that. The game's brilliant selection of weapons and gadgets allowed for a degree of freedom that few shooters have seen. Dedicated fans and speedrunners still stick with Perfect Dark for its unique atmosphere and gameplay sandbox.
All it took was a terrible launch title to kill off this franchise. Microsoft killed off future Perfect Dark projects after Perfect Dark Zero's lackluster reception. Considering the potential this series had for more open-ended mission design, it's a shame it was put on ice when it did. A Perfect Dark title developed by Rare as an Xbox Series X title would be a great opportunity to expand on the franchise while developing an Xbox exclusive.
7 Left 4 Dead
Dedicated cooperative shooters are hard to come by as most focus on competitive multiplayer elements. Some games such as Call of Duty's Zombies mode make for a fun co-op experience, but few games can match the adrenaline that Left 4 Dead brought.
Simple shooting mechanics and hundreds of zombies is all it took to make this a smash hit. That isn't to undermine the franchises' sophisticated AI, however. Players being swarmed by dozens of zombies or pounced on by a Hunter is a great catalyst for laughter and screaming amongst friends. It's a shame that Left 4 Dead 3 never saw the light of day. Since Valve did bring back the Half-Life IP with Half-Life: Alyx, nothing is off of the table.
6 Evolve
While many enjoyed the cooperative mayhem of Left 4 Dead, Turtle Rock Studios set their sights on an asymmetrical multiplayer shooter named Evolve for their next project. A team of four hunters would get to take on a player monster in intense 4v1 matches.
Evolve nailed its core gameplay rhythm with unique characters that mimic modern character designs in hero shooters. Unfortunately, Evolve was overpriced at $60 and employed some frustrating business practices. With the surge of ability-based shooters and unique multiplayer experiences as of late, Evolve could make a triumphant return if Turtle Rock gave it another try. They just need to make sure it has a campaign and a reasonable business model.
5 Call Of Juarez
Considering the massive success of the Red Dead franchise, it's shocking just how few shooters are set in the wild west. One franchise that tried to capture the feeling of gunslinging was Call of Juarez.
Many regard the first game as a bloated title, but its endearing spirit and great use of the setting helped garner enough attention for a few sequels. Bound in Blood might have been underwhelming, but the arcadey action of Gunslinger is fantastic and still holds up today. After the disastrous Call of Juarez: The Cartel was released, the franchise has been on ice. If the franchise went back to what the first game and Gunslinger accomplished, Call of Juarez would have a solid shot at maintaining relevancy in today's saturated market.
4 Turok
There aren't many games that let players take down dinosaurs by firing a head-seeking projectile that drills into their skull. Indeed, the Turok franchise is one of the most unique shooters that have ever graced the genre.
Turok is the best example of the "rule of cool." Dismembering enemies and using a wide arsenal of weapons is just the start of what makes this franchise so special. The unique setting and gameplay sandbox stood out as much back in the day as they do today. A modern reboot of the franchise could do well today considering the success id Software had with Doom 2016 and Machine Games' Wolfenstein: The New Order.
3 Deus Ex
Conspiracy theories and player choice are the backbones of the Deus Ex franchise. The first Deus Ex game is frequently regarded as one of the best PC games ever made, while many consider its sequel, Deus Ex: Invisible War, to be one of the worst sequels ever made.
Human Revolution and Mankind Divided would bring the franchise back to relevancy, if only for a time. It seems that Square Enix is more focused on other projects and has put Mankind Divided's sequel on ice for the foreseeable future. That's a shame considering how the soft-reboot of the franchise was leading to a satisfying climax that would tie the prequel and main titles together.
2 Red Faction
Considering a new generation of consoles is right around the corner, now would be a perfect time to bring back the Red Faction franchise. Red Faction blew players away with its destructible terrain and buildings.
Red Faction: Guerilla shifted the franchise towards a third-person open-world sandbox with great success as well, but nothing has been done with the IP since Red Faction: Armageddon's poor reception. If there was a time for this franchise to come back in full swing, it's now.
1 Unreal Tournament
Epic Games is known mainly for Fortnite and the Unreal Engine, but the company used to also be known for its Unreal Tournament franchise. Compared to Quake, UT was much more focused on team-based modes and community support.
That community support laid the backbone of Unreal Tournament for Unreal Engine 4. This game was mostly developed by the community with Epic supervising updates. The sudden success of Fortnite's Battle Royale mode resulted in the game being abandoned by Epic, however. Since then, the franchise has laid dormant. Team-based modes and frantic gunfights are sorely missing in today's Battle Royale-dominated market, something Epic has up its sleeve but refuses to update.