There are many games where weapons play an essential role in the core activities that players can engage with even outside combat, whereas there are other titles in which guns and weaponry, in general, are pretty much the focus. There is a huge spectrum on which video games can fall, with one end being more about exploration and relaxation and the other converging more towards action and combat. It's not as simple as that, but from one end to the other, weapons typically play some sort of role.

The latter category features plenty of great releases every year, where weapons are much more than just tools of destruction, and they can be seen as one of the most creative characteristics of any given game. Unconventional weapons that bring something new to the gameplay loop and the overall feel of the game are usually those that stand out the most, and those can, in turn, inspire other developers to create more diversity within their games' arsenals. Many great games with outstanding weapons have been released this year, but some took the cake.

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La Varita - Far Cry 6

far cry 6 la varita

La Varita is one of Far Cry 6's Resolver Weapons, and it is a powerful slug shotgun that players can acquire by completing the Triada Blessings Story across all three regions of Yara. La Varita fires a single slug that can one-shot pretty much anyone in Far Cry 6, even from afar, acting almost like a sniper rifle. What makes La Varita so interesting is that it disintegrates enemies when they are killed by it, leaving but smoke trails behind, and it can also shoot through solid objects, such as walls, as long as Dani is using the Triador Supremo backpack.

Far Cry 6's combat can also be quite hectic at times, and La Varita allows players to rapidly fire their shots thanks to a magazine that stores nine shells, after which the weapon's main downside kicks in - a slow reload time. Even then, however, La Varita can be upgraded in three different ways, each making the weapon a lot more powerful and unique. The Scorched Earth mod upgrade makes disintegrated enemies leave behind a pool of fire that interacts with the environment, including other enemies. Killer's Covenant works with Triador Supremo, and it refunds rounds whenever players hit headshots, which is incredibly powerful given La Varita's slow reloads. Lastly, Falcon's Eye improves La Varita's accuracy and zoom, which works very well with the other two perks.

Techno-Sword - Narita Boy

narita boy interview

Many video game fans as kids wanted to be the heroes of their favorite games and defeat the big baddies, and that fantasy is something Narita Boy toys with when the digital world and the real world collide. The retro Metroidvania adventure of Narita Boy begins when a kid is tasked with saving the Digital Kingdom from evil, a quest that requires the use of the legendary Techno-Sword. The weapon is not a common blade, but rather it allows the protagonist to channel magic through it and even use it as a shotgun.

The versatility of the Techno-Sword is one of its greatest perks, with abilities like Home Run making it act like a baseball bat of sorts. The Techno-Sword allows players to hack, slash, and shoot their way through enemies big and small, empowering the protagonist in several ways when fighting the corrupted Stallions. As such, it's no wonder that Narita Boy got so many glaring reviews, considering how well-delivered the game is.

Skewer - Halo Infinite

halo infinite skewer weapon

Despite the fact that Halo Infinite's campaign launched just a few days ago, Microsoft and 343 Industries surprised everyone with the unexpected launch of the game's multiplayer portion on the 20th anniversary of the franchise. Halo Infinite goes a long way from what Halo: Combat Evolved entailed, and while there have been a few controversies with the game's multiplayer ranking system and events, the reception has been good overall. One of Halo's principles, as a series, is that players were always meant to use what they find, often running out of ammunition for a specific weapon and grabbing another one on the way.

Halo Infinite adds several weapons into the mix, and one of them is the Skewer. This Power Weapon is very strong against tanks and vehicles in general, but it also packs a punch while fighting enemy players - who can be downed with a single hit, no matter where they are hit or whether or not they have shields up. The Skewer has gained a lot of traction within the online community for Halo Infinite, and, despite its rather slow reload time, it is one of the best and most engaging guns to use in the whole game. There is a certain allure to weapons that can one-shot anyone in a PvP environment, and the Skewer is no exception.

Strelak Verso - Deathloop

Deathloop Adjusting The Trinkets On The Strelak Verso

Arkane Studios' Deathloop introduces a few unique weapons that can drastically change their functionality on the fly. Strelak Verso is a Legendary weapon that comprises a pair of pistols that can dish out a respectable amount of damage akimbo style, but what makes this weapon truly compelling is the fact that it can be transformed into a sub-machine gun with a single button press. This makes it an incredibly powerful gun that can fire sustained shots against a target, quickly disposing of them.

The weapon can be obtained by solving puzzles as part of the quest associated with the weapon, called In This Together, which can be completed in The Complex. Within the bunker, players will have to find batteries to power up the door behind which Strelak Verso is found, while also recharging the batteries at a different location. There will be traps and enemy Eternalists patrolling the area, but these are something Deathloop players learn to deal with early on.

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Electropylon Driver - Returnal

returnal electropylon driver

Returnal has been quite a hit this year, and the game revolves around an astronaut called Selene who is stranded on the planet Atropos after she decides to investigate the "White Shadow" signal. She quickly discovers hostile alien creatures who will not hesitate to kill her. In her journey for knowledge, she can find several different weapons to use to help her defeat the creatures living on Atropos, and one of these guns is the Electropylon Driver.

The weapon shoots pylons that connect with one another, forming deadly beams. For players familiar with Destiny 2, this Returnal weapon is pretty much identical to Anarchy. The Electropylon Driver is especially powerful because it not only is strong against enemies who run into the beams, but players can also aim the weapon at flying enemies to make the pylons do their job anyway once they stick to the aliens' bodies.

Hunting Horn - Monster Hunter Rise

monster hunter rise hunting horn

Players familiar with the Monster Hunter series will know that one of the most fun aspects has always been choosing which weapons to use against the most potent of beasts. Despite not being the weapon that deals the most damage in the whole game, Monster Hunter Rise's Hunting Horn is one of its most peculiar and useful, especially when playing with other people. This massive horn is not too dissimilar from the Hammer, but it has a musical component to it that allows players to hit different notes with each move.

Hitting the correct notes results in a song being played, which buffs both the player using the Hunting Horn and their team. There are a variety of benefits one can provide with the Hunting Horn in Monster Hunter Rise, such as attack boons, defensive bonuses, elemental resistances, and much more. Furthermore, each Hunting Horn in the game can play different songs, which offers an incredible degree of customization for players.

Life Staff - New World

Life Staff Sword and Shield New World

At launch, New World was a smashing success that hit almost one million concurrent players on Steam, making it one of the most promising MMOs to date. New World is not in a great state at the moment despite this, but Amazon is pushing more and more patches that hopefully will get it to the place it was meant to be all along. Regardless, being a classless MMO, what defines a New World character is the weapons it uses, and one of the most interesting is the Life Staff.

New World is not the first game to feature a healing weapon that can also deal a small amount of damage compared to other options, and games like Elder Scrolls Online do the same. However, the Life Staff is particularly interesting because it's one of the only two weapons in the game to scale with Focus. Prior to the introduction of the Void Gauntlet in New World's November update, the Life Staff was largely used by solo players as a means to heal themselves on their adventures, but what makes it so special is the fact that players can entirely build their characters on Focus alone with it. In fact, New World has many Gems to socket into weapons, and one of them can go into any other weapon and scale their damage with Focus, effectively making the Life Staff great for healing, but also for damage.

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Element Guns - Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy

guardians of the galaxy element guns

Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy took the gaming world by surprise with its incredible gameplay and characters, to the point that it scooped up three nominees at The Game Awards 2021. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy won Best Narrative, which is well-deserved, considering how the characters are portrayed in a deep, compelling way, and that Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy did them justice. The protagonist is of course Star-Lord, and while characters like Drax and Gamora really shine in the title's gameplay and storyline, Star-Lord's weapons often steal the show.

The Element Guns are particularly great because they evolve throughout the game's arc, providing Star-Lord with new abilities and ways to defeat his enemies or save his companions. The Element Guns grant Star-Lord a new elemental power in situations of utmost distress, when everything seems to be lost or when someone he cares about is in danger, and then the new element is permanently unlocked for the rest of the game, becoming a great addition to his arsenal. There are four elements to the Element Guns, and they are Ice, Electric, Wind, and Fire. Unlocking all four makes for a great gameplay loop where players can freely switch between them to perform different actions.

Blackhole Vortex - Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

The Blackhole Vortex weapon from Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart

Ratchet and Clank as a series has always provided some of the most unique weapons in video games, and the latest chapter is no exception. Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart features plenty of guns, both old and new, and the best one in the game is the Blackhole Vortex, which, as its name suggests, can create black holes on kills. This becomes available when the weapon is maxed out, but in the meantime, the Blackhole Vortex is a great addition to the franchise because it's a mini-gun.

The weapon is originally called Blackhole Storm, and it only becomes the Blackhole Vortex at level 5, prior to which it may suffer from range limitations more. However, when Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart players get it to the point where it creates vortexes on kill, that's when the gun becomes truly fun to use. It is a great pick for mowing down enemies at medium range, and it's very rewarding when smaller enemies are packed together for extra explosions.

Railgun - Splitgate

splitgate railgun

Splitgate officially launched this year and feels like old Halo combat with a sprinkle of Portal in it. Its main kicker is the clever mechanic of transdimensional warp holes, meaning that players can shoot through portals and use them as doors to other parts of the map. For fans of the game, it doesn't come as a surprise that Splitgate's best weapon is the Railgun, which shoots a powerful laser that can also provide collateral kills if it over-penetrates enemies.

This gun is incredibly fun to shoot from long distances and especially through portals, with the beam hitting unassuming players on the other side. Splitgate also has different game modes that come with unique perks, and one of the most fun to date is one called Instagib, which is all about the Railgun. Here, the laser doesn't need a second to charge up and it's ready to be let loose, destroying anyone with a single shot.

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