The Best Shooting Game

• It can’t get mentioned enough when buying a shooting game: You’re going to need online access through whatever system you use to play. Increasingly, the bulk of the action in these type of games consists of online multiplayer, which means you’ll be facing off against avatars played by gamers around the world. On current versions of the major consoles — Xbox One, Playstation 4 and Nintendo Switch — you’ll not only need internet access but a membership in their online service (Xbox Live, Playstation Plus or Nintendo Switch Online). Those cost extra if you don’t already have an account, and there are monthly or yearly membership options. They also may come with discounts or free access to other games plus additional media, so it can be worth it for hardcore gamers.
• Are you buying this game for a child? It may seem redundant to say, but any shooter is going to involve a fair amount of violence. How much of it you care to expose your child to is up to you, but a quick look at the ESRB rating for the game can be helpful. Those ratings are set by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, and they’re generally pretty straightforward. Just like movie ratings, they not only give a recommended minimum age (Teen, 17+, etc.) but supply some brief reasons for their ratings. If you see descriptors like “blood and gore” or “intense violence,” the game might not be the best fit for impressionable tweens. Not every shooting game is a gorefest, however. “Overwatch” might feature intense gunfights, but its action is relatively cartoonish in comparison to the gritty realism of a “Call of Duty” match. And games like “Splatoon” are particularly kid-friendly, with bullets replaced by messy paint pellets. When in doubt, it’s best to search for gameplay videos online and get a look at the action firsthand.
• The maxim of “buyer beware” doesn’t always stop after you bought the game. Video games these days may contain in-game purchases for content like extra outfits, maps or characters. Look for an “In-Game Purchases” warning on the box just below the ESRB rating, and supervise young players, accordingly.
• Do you have a gaming headphone/microphone set? If not, it might be a good buy. Shooting games require a lot of cooperation online, and that’s best done in real time by talking to other players. Once again, if buying for young players, consider whether they’re ready to interact with the diverse age groups and personalities they may meet.

If you picture someone playing a modern video game, chances are you see a shooting game: a grizzled war hero or heavily armored space mercenary with guns blazing, mowing his or her way through hordes of enemies. It may be a cliché, but sometimes it’s a cliché because it’s true. Since the release of “Doom” in 1993, shooters have steadily grown in popularity in the gaming world. That popularity got a big boost with the advent of online multiplayer capability in the 2000s that allowed players to team up against their virtual foes — or more often, against each other — in games like those of the
“Halo series” and the recent smash hit, “Fortnite.”

As far as the storyline goes, shooting games can exist in any number of genres. Military settings, like that of the “Call of Duty” games, might be popular, but shooters can incorporate sci-fi elements or superheroic characters (or both, a la “Overwatch”). The avatar you control in a shooting game might fire bullets, laser beams or magical lightning bolts, but if he/she/it spends a majority of the game firing them, you’re probably playing a shooter.

You might also hear the term “first-person shooter” or FPS applied to a game. That’s in reference to the viewing mode of the in-game camera, where you appear to be looking directly through the eyes of your avatar — in other words, playing in first person perspective. It’s the most common setup for shooting games by far, although there are games where the default is a view from slightly behind the character or third person perspective. Occasionally, you can switch your view mode in the settings of the game. Some first-time players might find the FPS perspective jarring or tough to get used to, but there’s no denying that it’s immersive.

The current online multiplayer craze is the first thing you’ll want to consider when buying a shooting game for yourself or for your kids. Even though they might simulate the most antisocial behavior you can think of, modern shooters are by their very nature a social game. Players will mostly be facing off against and cooperating with other gamers in their personal network or around the world. If you’re looking for a game you can play solo — meaning without real competitors or partners, in the room or online — your options are going to be limited. Most console games these days require some sort of internet connection and possibly a subscription to a gaming network to unlock their full features. With shooting games, that connection is nearly essential.

That said, some shooting games do feature a solo mode that lets you go it alone. Most games in the “Call of Duty” series can be played in a campaign mode that lets you guide a character through a story that progresses in between shoot-em-ups. “Call of Duty: Black Ops 4,” the most recent iteration of its popular spin-off series, makes do with solo missions that don’t present a longer narrative. They’re largely a side attraction to the main event of its multiplayer battles, though. Other games like “Overwatch” do away with solo playability altogether and are built solely around their online multiplayer battles.

There’s a reason games like” Overwatch” and the “Call of Duty” series are so popular, of course. It can be great fun teaming up with other players online and testing your strategies against a new foe every game. It’s also the reason why people tend to gravitate towards games like these that are already popular. Once games like “Overwatch” or “Fortnite” get a big following, the pool of online players increases and support for the game ramps up from developers. Less successful games that are reliant on online multiplayer might be fun at first, but if they don’t make a big enough splash, you might find yourself waiting for players to join your match.

Choose wisely! The most popular shooting games may be pricey, but pick the right one and you’re unlocking the door to a world of unlimited opponents — and unlimited fun.