Five FPS from the early 2000s that helped shape the genre we see today

First-person shooters (FPS) have been, and still are, one of the most popular videogame genres. The 2000s have seen a plethora of these titles rolled out to both PCs and consoles. It has grown to become one of the foundations of the gaming industry, not to mention that it has been tuned to a near-perfect state.

Games like this can go beyond genres and create brand-new experiences for players. During this time, most FPS titles could only be played on PCs. However, as time passed and technology advanced, developers began releasing their games to consoles as well.

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FPS titles that left their mark in the gaming scene

Dozens of FPS games are released annually. With that in mind, one might think that such a genre has already exhausted every idea available on the table. Despite this, there have been numerous FPS games that have helped shape such classifications in gaming.

Every few years, some titles have upped the ante, though it’s also worth mentioning that some have failed to meet the playerbase’s expectations, hence becoming just a footnote in gaming history. Here are five of the notable FPS games that we believe have shaped the genre.

1) Crysis

Crysis' graphics was ahead of its time (Image via alphacoders)

Developed by Crytek, the FPS title's story is about a group of nanosuit-donning army men whose hi-tech body armor allows them to achieve superhuman strength, speed, and even enhanced defense. The suits have cloaking abilities as well that make them a formidable force.

Crysis looks amazing and is still holding up well among recent titles. This is despite the fact that it is over a decade old. Both its visuals and gameplay are so well blended that players end up so engaged with it.

The only factor considered back then before purchasing this futuristic FPS game was the power of their PCs. In high settings, Crysis took a huge chomp at players' GPUs. Medium settings are the sweet spot, while it remains decent even on low.

To sum it up, Crysis is just amazing. The game has, without a doubt, pushed the envelope in both gameplay and technology and did so with confidence.

It has raised the bar for every first-person shooter to look up to in terms of gaming environments, graphics, and gameplay.

Back in January of this year, Crytek revealed that a fourth Crysis game was in the works after the game-maker remastered all of its first three titles. No release date has been disclosed yet. However, it is believed that Crysis 4 will be released sometime in late 2023 or early 2024.

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2) Left 4 Dead 2

Watch out for tanks (Image via alphacoders)

There’s a lot to say about this Valve masterpiece as the developer/publisher managed to create an awesome zombie survival FPS.

As players continue every mission, the gameplay increasingly becomes more intense as the zombie horde grows more aggressive than ever.

Jumpscare is pretty much a staple in this game as monsters keep coming out of nowhere. Another thing worth noting is that the zombies are known as the Special Infected. The feeling of anxiety will surely set in since this type of enemy is more aggressive and way smarter than the others.

Left 4 Dead 2’s macabre atmosphere also did a great job of blending the situation at hand while keeping players grounded most of the time. Chainsaws sure did make one want to tear those brain-eating baddies apart. Nonetheless, a sense of dread sets in at the sound of a tank nearby.

Had your fill of playing as a human? Try playing it as one of the Special Infected. Yes, Left 4 Dead 2 lets players take on the role of one of the seven intelligent monsters. However, these are only playable within the title’s specific game modes.

Left 4 Dead 2 has been an awesome follow-up to its predecessor. Despite being over a decade old, the game remains one of the most distinctive first-person shooters.

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3) Counter-Strike: Condition Zero

Two words: smart bots (Image via alphacoders)

A follow-up to 2000’s Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike: Condition Zero is still regarded as one of the best first-person shooters of its time despite not having a campaign and consisting only of an unsophisticated multiplayer system. That said, its simple principle of "search and destroy" has allowed the title to remain relevant for years.

The game has offline modes with the intention of alleviating players’ frustration from dealing with other folks from online play. It’s a requisite for players to accomplish each level in these modes before moving up to the next objective. The level of difficulty increases with each new level, as the final mission puts the skills of even the most tenured players to the test.

One of Counter-Strike: Condition Zero’s highlights is its AI-powered bots. The way they behave in the game may not be perfect, but it has been described by critics as lifelike.

These bots are smart enough to accomplish objectives within the game. In line with this, it gives players a certain degree of challenge provided that their difficulty settings are set to high.

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4) Halo 3

The Forge lets players bring out their creative side (Image via Xbox)

The third installment of the Halo franchise is considered one of the series’ highlights. Packed with a highly engaging campaign and a great multiplayer mode at the time, it became an instant favorite among fans of Master Chief.

Many would argue that Halo 2 was the better game of the two. However, the addition of a feature, dubbed the Forge, is what made Halo 3 edge out its predecessor.

For the uninitiated, the Forge is a feature within the game that allows players to tweak and create maps as they utilize pre-existing templates handed down by its developer, Bungie. However, keep in mind that using it might be difficult for first-time users. Thus, it is best to start with the basics.

With games like Halo 3 adding user-generated content like the Forge, it’s becoming more evident that more titles will be generous enough to give back to their players as much as they want to put into these games.

Halo 3 is truly the sequel every fan of the franchise is expecting to be. Significant buffs get carried out in both its story mode and its competitive parts. Nonetheless, the above-mentioned level-editor feature made the game a cut above the rest during that time.

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5) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

Infinity Ward struck gold on this one (Image via alphacoders)

The Call of Duty franchise has been dominating the first-person shooter scene for over a decade now. Prior to this, the game started as the Medal of Honor’s closest rival since both were similarly themed during that time. However, this changed when game developer Infinity Ward officially released Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in 2007.

Both Modern Warfare’s single-player and multiplayer modes led to numerous alterations within the FPS genre. Meanwhile, its campaign was commended by game critics as it utilized set pieces that made the game action-packed throughout.

Combat on this FPS title is on a whole new level. Unlike its predecessors, the gameplay is intense since there are a lot of enemies, not to mention that they are smarter thanks to the game's AI.

What was deemed by many as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s game-changing attribute was its multiplayer mode. It infused both perks and RPG elements, which allowed players to utilize them in custom loadouts. This resulted in numerous FPS games completely ditching competitive ranks and replacing them with Modern Warfare’s progression method.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s single-player mode was also done masterfully. The story may be akin to the ones seen in action flicks, though the connection established over those several hours of playing is very compelling.

As of late, a reboot of 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is scheduled for an October 28, 2022 release, as this will be the 19th installment of the franchise.