5 Criminally Underrated FPS Games That Deserve Your Attention
Look, we get it. When someone mentions “underrated FPS,” your brain probably jumps to that one game your buddy won’t stop talking about from 2003. But here’s the thing – there are some genuinely brilliant shooters out there that got buried under the hype of bigger franchises, and frankly, that’s a tragedy we need to address.
September’s PS Plus lineup has us thinking about hidden gems, so we’ve compiled a countdown of five FPS titles that should be on every shooter fan’s radar. These aren’t your typical “cult classic” picks – these are games that got unfairly overlooked despite bringing something special to the table.
5. The Darkness 2 – When Comic Book Violence Actually Works
Most comic book games are hot garbage – let’s not sugarcoat it. But The Darkness 2 somehow managed to capture the brutal essence of its source material while delivering genuinely satisfying gunplay. The cel-shaded graphics aren’t just pretty; they’re functional, making the gore feel appropriately comic book-y rather than gratuitously realistic.
What sets this apart from other shooters is the tentacle mechanics. Yeah, you read that right – tentacles. Jackie Estacado can summon darkness-powered appendages that grab enemies, throw objects, and generally make combat feel like a power fantasy. It’s arcade-style shooting with a mature story that doesn’t insult your intelligence.
4. Singularity – Time Travel Done Right
Raven Software really struck gold with this one, and it’s baffling how few people experienced it. Singularity takes the played-out time travel concept and actually does something interesting with it. You’re not just shooting dudes – you’re literally watching your actions reshape the world around you.
The Time Manipulation Device (TMD) isn’t just a gimmick; it’s integral to both combat and puzzle-solving. Aging enemies to dust or reverting broken bridges to their functional state never gets old. The gunplay is solid enough to carry the game even without the time mechanics, but those mechanics elevate it into something truly special.
3. Call of Juarez: Gunslinger – The Western That Doesn’t Take Itself Too Seriously
Before Red Dead Redemption became the western game, Call of Juarez: Gunslinger was quietly perfecting the formula. This isn’t your typical gritty frontier tale – it’s a tall tale being told by an unreliable narrator, and the game world changes as he corrects himself or embellishes details.
The bullet-time mechanics feel satisfying rather than overpowered, and the weapon variety actually matters. Each gun has distinct characteristics that affect your play style. Plus, the visual style ages beautifully, proving that art direction trumps raw polygon count every single time.
2. Prey (2006) – The Original Was Actually Amazing
No disrespect to Arkane’s 2017 reboot, but the original Prey was doing innovative things that most modern shooters still haven’t caught up to. The Native American protagonist, Tommy, navigates an alien ship filled with mind-bending architecture that would make M.C. Escher jealous.
Gravity-shifting corridors, portals that spit you out in unexpected locations, and weapons that feel genuinely alien – this game was ahead of its time. The spirit-walking mechanics and death system were controversial but added genuine stakes to exploration. It’s stuck on old consoles, which is criminal considering how fresh it still feels.
1. Black – Pure, Unfiltered Shooting Perfection
Sometimes the best games are the ones that know exactly what they are. Black isn’t trying to revolutionize storytelling or redefine genres – it just wants you to shoot stuff, and it’s absolutely brilliant at facilitating that desire.
Every weapon feels like it could punch through a concrete wall (and many can). The destruction system was revolutionary for PS2/Xbox hardware, making every firefight feel like a Michael Bay fever dream. The graphics still hold up remarkably well, looking more like an early 360 game than something from the previous generation.
What makes Black special isn’t innovation – it’s execution. In an era where every shooter needs crafting systems, skill trees, and moral choices, Black’s purity feels almost rebellious.
These Underrated FPS Games Deserve Better
The tragedy of these titles isn’t just that they were overlooked – it’s that their innovations were often absorbed by bigger franchises without credit. Prey’s portal mechanics influenced countless games, Singularity’s time manipulation appeared in dozens of titles, and Black’s destruction system became an industry standard.
Gaming history is littered with brilliant ideas that never got their due simply because they were attached to smaller studios or released during crowded periods. These five games represent the best of what happens when developers are allowed to take risks without the pressure of sustaining massive franchises.
So next time you’re browsing for something to play, skip the latest AAA disappointment and give one of these forgotten gems a shot. Your trigger finger will thank you.
