First-person shooters might be getting long in the tooth for some naysayers, but the genre is still steamrolling everything else when it comes to sales, suggesting its popularity is unwavering among the majority of gamers. In fact, according to Statista.com, the FPS genre emerged by far and away the most popular last year, recording 24.5% of all video game sales in the US during 2015. By comparison, the sports game genre, comprised of immensely popular titles such as Madden and FIFA (though, less popular in the US), accounted for just 13.2%.
Clearly, then, gamers aren’t tired of blasting their way through levels, enjoying a gameplay design that was forged two decades ago, innovated by classics such as Wolfenstein and DOOM. Speaking of which, among 2016’s highlights, was the triumphant return DOOM, ID’s latest iteration of what is arguably the forefather of the genre. There were treats for multiplayer gamers in 2016, too, with some notable titles hybridizing both the FPS and MOBA genre. And then, of course, this year’s Call of Duty was locked in a face-to-face showdown with two other hugely anticipated titles published by EA.
It’s certainly been a top-notch year for FPS gaming, but the big question is, of all the heavy hitting shooter titles that arrived in 2016, who came out on top? Read on for our picks of the 5 best FPS games of the year. And, as always, if you’ve got your own opinion, be sure to share it down below.