OCUK Staff Top Fives: Simon’s Top Five FPSs

It’s no secret that we here at Overclockers UK are big into our gaming. We live for new game hype and love to replay our old favourites. Over 2024, we’ll be sharing our own top fives across a spicy selection of genres. This month we’re looking at Simon’s Top First Person Shooters. 

I’m back again, to wax on about possibly the most popular genre of gaming, FPS. This action-packed style of game is perfect for venting your frustrations, whether it’s offline against AI-controlled enemies or online death matches. Complete with all the trash-talking you could ever want. Join me, as I take a journey through my favourite FPS titles. 

Ghostwire: Tokyo

Ghostwire: Tokyo was a revelation to me when I first played it, a new twist on an old concept. Instead of a traditional shooter where you go in guns blazing, Ghostwire: Tokyo’s protagonist Akito Izugi can wield magical powers. Somewhat reminiscent of old school shooters, such as Heretic. 

Akito gains these powers after being possessed by a spirit, KK, who thought Akito had passed away after a motorcycle accident. Using these powers, the pair try to save Akito’s sister Mari, who has been captured by a group with a mysterious leader sporting a Hannya mask.

They are also responsible for shrouding Tokyo in a thick mist and breaching the barrier between this life and the next, allowing for spirits to walk the streets. In addition to fighting all manner of apparitions, you’ll encounter a mixed bag of Yokai, supernatural beings inspired by Japanese mythology. 

It’ll be up to you to control the duo, using powers inspired by Japanese traditions. Expect lots of hand movements to channel your magical powers and slapping paper seals into the faces of all manner of ghosts! This is where Ghostwire: Tokyo really hooked me. Its combat feels amazing, fast paced, and beautifully choreographed – an absolute stunner to behold and even better to play.  

Left For Dead 2 

Left 4 Dead 2 is a game that has never been beaten, no matter how many times they try. Looking at you, Back 4 Blood and Evolve. It’s a near perfect shooter and, thanks to the Steam Workshop, it has almost an unlimited amount of content. An amazing achievement for a game that came out in 2009!  

The reason this game keeps me coming back is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome. You and up to three friends choose the map you want to play, pick a character from, and dive right in. Each game is made up of 3-5 levels that can be smashed out in under an hour. In that short period of time, you won’t stop. You don’t have time to think, it’s all instinct. Which gun do you take at the start, Uzi or Shotgun? Which route will you take through the cornfield to reach the house? Do you exit the saferoom to rescue your friends, or let the zombies have them to end the round? (That last one is a trick question, you always leave them!) 

The game features two groups of four amazing characters that you can choose to play as. My faves are Zoey from the original crew, and Ellis from the second. During each scenario, these guys will banter back and forth, showing that the group has been through a lot and are determined to get through more. They’re all so relatable, which makes you care about them surviving.  

If that wasn’t enough, the real stars of the show are the special infected. A range of more powerful zombies that each have abilities that are sure to ruin a survivor’s run. The obvious best special being my beloved Spitter. This classy gal can quickly take down all the survivors with a well-timed acid spit. Seeing those damage numbers tick with the accompanying pings is oh so satisfying. Oh, did I forget to mention? You can play as these guys as well! L4D2 features a 4v4 versus mode where teams take turns to play as both sides and try to cover the longest distance without dying. This is where I spent most of my many hours, perfecting my sprinting abilities as a survivor and hunting skills as an infected. 

Alien Versus Predator 2: Primal Hunt 

Now before the god-awful films came out, the concept of pitting the Alien Xenomorphs against the Predator, aka Yautja, the coolest idea ever. There were dozens of awesome comics, novels, and games, which all culminated in the phenomenal AVP2 in 2001, with its excellent expansion pack dropping in 2002. 

Instead of having humans solely at the story’s center, AVP2: Primal Hunt has a compelling and intertwining story for each race. For example, in the Marine campaign, you’ll explore a lab that has been overrun by Xenomorphs. How those Aliens got in there, is revealed in their own campaign.  

The designers of AVP2: PH ensured that each race plays differently. Aliens are fast paced pack hunters, the Predator is slower but has access to phenomenally powerful weapons and their cloaking tech, and the Marines play out in between, generally needing to utilise both numbers and technology to stay one step ahead. Each feels fantastic to play, but I’m always going to prefer playing the Marines. You just have so many chances for using a quote from Aliens. That’s it man, game over man, game over!

In addition to its superb story, AVP2: Primal Hunt boasts a fantastic multiplayer mode. Back in my early twenties, this is how me and my friends spent many a LAN party into the early hours. There were two main modes we played, a typical death match where you can switch races between spawns, and the much more interesting Survivor mode, where a squad of Humans is pitted against a single Xenomorph. The catch? If that Xenomorph kills one of you, that player then switches sides. I may have infuriated my friends by finding the best shadowy corners to hide in and take the win! 

Doom (2016) 

Let’s face it, the FPS genre grew very generic over the early 2010s. It was all military shooters mainly set in the modern day or World War 2. If you were a hardcore Call of Duty or Battlefield fan, you loved it. Those of us who didn’t like those games… Well, we didn’t have a lot. Then along comes id Software to save us, with the first mainline Doom in twelve years. And it was glorious! 

Doom brought back a lot of features that had fallen out of favour, like an actual story campaign, even if the Doom Slayer didn’t want to acknowledge it. True, the only reason the story was there is to get you from A to B, so you can blast the bejesus outta the hordes of Hell. For those who wanted multiplayer, it was there as well. Not great, but there. So basically, the opposite of the standard FPS at the time, which were multiplayer focused, with a hint of a campaign if they could be bothered. 

Alongside this, the game was just so much fun. You had so many guns that could be upgraded to suit your preferred playstyle. Love the shotgun? Well, how about you make it an explosive shotgun or a burst fire shotgun. They’re both awesome!

You don’t have to worry about running out of ammo, either. Every enemy you see is a walking ammo crate with the game’s best feature: The GLORY KILL! Get an enemy to low health, they’ll become stunned and start flashing, sprint up to them, devastate them with a unique attack, and they’ll burst forth with tons of ammo. From smashing a Possessed Scientist’s head into its chest cavity to ripping a Cacodemons eye out, each Glory Kill is just so satisfying to pull off. 

Oh, and did I say that this is all done at a breakneck pace? The Doom Slayer tears up the surface of Mars at what feels like Mach 3. None of this cautious movement seen in tactical shooters. You either move fast, or you’re dead – the legions of hell won’t wait. All of which plays out whilst Mick Gordon’s phenomenal soundtrack blasts your ears with aural bliss! 

This combines into a game that is utterly ridiculous, and I love it! Some people may prefer the sequel Doom: Eternal. But for the breath of fresh air in the FPS genre, which Doom 2016 was, I’ve got to give it to the OG. And remember guys: Rip and tear until it is done. 

Honorable Mentions

For my honorable mentions, I’m going to shout out some First-Person games that aren’t Shooters, or at least that’s not their focus. First up is a hilarious send-up of the genre, with The Stanley Parable. A game with so many layers, just like an onion. I’m sure that joke probably made its way in, and if not, it should have. You play as Stanley, an office drone who needs to find out what happened to his colleagues, all with hilarious narration by Kevan Brighting. 

There are plenty of First Person Shooters, but not so many adventure games. Even amongst the rarity of this genre, Return of the Obra Dinn really stands out. Which isn’t surprising considering it was designed by Lucas Pope, the guy who brought us Papers Please. The game boasts a fascinating story surrounding the titular merchant ship and is presented through a gorgeous monochrome aesthetic. It’s like you’re playing a comic book. 

Now if you want some more action, but no shooting, then consider giving Mirror’s Edge a try. This is a First-Person Parkour simulator. You play as Faith, an illegal courier called a Runner, who transports packages between locations without any government involvement. You’ll be constantly on the move, leaping from building to building, wall running, climbing fences, sliding under gaps, and so much more. Guards may try and stop you, but the emphasis is getting through the level quick and smooth so dealing with them will see you penalised. So, just juke around those guards and get to the end of the level fast!

Star Wars: Dark Forces

This is where it started for me, the first FPS I ever played Star Wars: Dark Forces.

My Dad bought our first PC back in 1995, a Packard Bell Legend 22CD, and a bunch of awesome video games. Dark Forces wasn’t the first game I played, no that was Command & Conquer, because I saw a demo of it before we got the PC. But after I had my time with the forces of NOD and GDI, I then moved on to this Star Wars game gem. 

Now, sorry to those of you who love Rogue One, but it is not how the Death Star plans were captured for me. I prefer the scenario, where one man, one legend, broke into an Imperial stronghold and single-handedly blasted every Imp on his way to grab those plans for the Rebel Alliance. That man was future Jedi Master, Kyle Katarn! Oh, and that was all in just the first level!

After this big win for the Rebels, Kyle sets out on a mission to thwart a new Imperial super weapon project, the Dark Troopers. You know those droids at the end of Mandalorian Season 2 on Moff Gideons ship? Yeah those, but even more powerful! You’ll travel around famous locations from the Star Wars universe like Nar Shadda, Coruscant, and The Executor.  

Along the way, you’ll pick up an arsenal of weapons including blasters, fusion cutters, concussion rifles, and even thermal detonators. But Kyle doesn’t need them, as he punches a Kell Dragon to death. Did I mention yet that Kyle is the GOAT? Plus, the enemies you faced were amazing, from your basic Stormtrooper to grenade throwing Gran, and even Boba Fett! 

All this was a Star Wars nerds dream back in the 90s. And I loved every minute of it. The Star Wars extended universe was a real bonding experience, as many of my friends were also fans, so we’d always want to share stories of what we’d played, read, or watched. Good times. 

What’s more, you can play this game today, as recently an updated version has been released. You can enjoy the same great storyline with little tweaks for today’s audience, such as updated controls, enhanced graphics, remastered score, and lots of options to adjust the game to how you like. 

Best Gaming PCs for FPS Games 

A good FPS game needs to feel silky smooth when you play it, so you’re going to want a gaming PC that delivers blazing-fast frame rates. Luckily for you, we have a wide selection of amazing gaming PCs and laptops, ready for you to browse right now. 

OcUK Gaming Mach 1 

If you want a gaming PC that facilitates phenomenal gaming performance while not breaking the bank, then the OcUK Gaming Mach 1 is for you. This computer features cherry-picked components designed to deliver outstanding gaming across a wide range of titles at 1080p. Featuring an AMD Ryzen 5 5600 CPU and an NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, you can enjoy beautiful graphics with silky smooth frame rates. What’s more, this PC is pre-built, fully tested, and ready to ship, meaning you’ll be diving into the action sooner! 

ASUS ROG Strix G16 

Gaming laptops are the ideal solution for the gamer who has limited space or needs to travel a lot. The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is a spectacular choice, delivering outstanding gaming performance, in a small easily transported package. This laptop boasts an Intel i7-13650H CPU coupled with an NVIDIA RTX 4060 GPU, perfect for playing any of the games in this list and much more. Plus, the sleek lightweight design and long-life battery is perfect for gaming on the go. 

Refract Gaming Celeste 

If you want a powerful gaming PC, and you want it as soon as possible, you can’t go wrong with a Refract Gaming Celeste. This pre-built computer boasts fantastic gaming specs, including an AMD Ryzen 7 7700 CPU, 32GB 5600MHz DDR5 RAM, and a NVIDIA RTX 4070 GPU. The Refract Celeste is ideal for playing the latest AAA titles at 1440p, boasting consistently high frame rates with settings set to max. What’s more, all our pre-built gaming PCs are covered by our fantastic 3-year parts and labour warranty. Should something go wrong, we’ve got your back. 

So Anyway, I Started Blasting

So that’s it for my personal top five FPS games, I’m sure you’ll have others you’d have chosen. Let us know what they are in the comment section below. 

PC specs are subject to change.