There are few genres that defined an age quite the way that first-person shooters did in the 2000s, thanks in large part to Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, and Halo. While FPSes might not be the undisputable kings of the gaming culture landscape nowadays, they are always a consistent part of that landscape, and as such, continue to evolve in some interesting ways. Here, we’re going to look at some of the trends that have been shaping the genre, using five examples, in particular.
Still the competitive king
Although there are certainly games that are just as, if not more popular, it seems that the king of competitive games, that relies most on player skill more than anything, is Counter-Strike 2. It seems to have avoided a lot of the pay-to-win and gated progression mechanics in other shooters, even if the skin economy is wilder than ever, and as such, is the game perhaps taken most seriously by the competitive and pro community.
Modern Warfare is back
Although always a series in motion, Call of Duty seems to very much be back in form, with MW 3 speaking not just to the nostalgia of players in terms of aesthetics and levels, but retaining that classic CoD multiplayer experience with a modern polish. Alas, the modern formula means including that slow leveling and progression gating for weapons and abilities, so a lot of new players are turning to COD MW3 accounts for sale. This way, they can unlock everything immediately and skip the grind.
The battle royale goes competitive
With both Call of Duty and Battlefield throwing their lots in the battle royale sub-genre of shooters, and Fortnite has always had a serious competitive edge amongst its sandbox of play, Apex Legends seems to be the space in which battle royale shooters are truly growing up, with its fast-paced momentum-based gameplay and ever-evolving roster of heroes keeping its player base health for much longer than most of its competitors.
The current king of the hero shooter
Defined by its focus on characters bringing specific abilities, as well as team-focused gameplay, the hero shooter might have been defined by Team Fortress 2 and lifted to never-before-seen popularity by Overwatch, but it is Valorant that very much carries the flag into the next year. Adding a level of twitch shooting and competitive edge, it might not ever have won the popularity of its Blizzard-built competitor but seems to be retaining a much happier player base for it.
A destructive addition to the genre
The Finals represents a very interesting new evolution to the genre. An arena team-based shooter with customizable but locked load-outs, it already stands apart from many online shooters. Add to that the amazing destructibility and money-based scoring, and you have one of the most exciting PvP FPSes in recent times. The only problem right now that players seem to be having is with the AI-generated content, such as voice acting.
FPS gaming seems to have changed just as much as it has stayed the same over the past few years, and we look forward to seeing where it’s aiming our scopes next.
