Shooter video games have remained relevant since the very beginning of the industry and to this day – thanks to the simple and dynamic gameplay, “shooters” appeal to many fans of virtual entertainment.
A few days before the end of the year, we decided to recall the brightest and most successful shooters released in 2024. Our top ten included both recognized leaders of the genre and unexpected indie novelties.
10 Best Shooter Games of 2025.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
- Developer/Publisher: Treyarch / Activision
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series
- Player ratings: 6.7 out of 10
The new part of the most famous series of “shooters” turned out to be worthy. The story mode, however, has been fading into the background in recent years, but the variety of online formats fills this gap, captivating gamers for hundreds of hours.
Not much has changed compared to Call of Duty 2023, but it doesn’t seem necessary. Pleasant shooting, dynamic modes and high-quality graphics – Activision’s tried-and-true scheme works great in a new wrapper.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
- Developer: GSC Game World
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series
- Players ratings: 7.8 out of 10
The long-term project from GSC Game World has finally been released — and despite the fears of fans, the game turned out to be interesting and exciting. Despite technical problems and a number of minor flaws, STALKER has retained its atmosphere and originality.
“Heart of Chernobyl” received good reviews from critics. They mainly praise the game world and dynamic shootouts. The game looks quite modern due to the quest system and the variety of activities in the exclusion zone.
Helldivers 2
- Developer/Publisher: Arrowhead / Sony Interactive
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
- Players ratings: 7.4 out of 10
Perhaps the main discovery of the year in the world of co-op shooters. Fighting for democracy with friends turned out to be a lot of fun: although at first glance Helldivers 2 did not offer anything new, the combat gameplay turned out to be exciting and addictive.
The game’s development was significantly slowed down by sanctions from Sony, which banned the game’s sale in almost 180 countries. But this is not the fault of the developers, who regularly improve and expand the game – the shooter has not yet become boring due to large updates.
Bodycam
Developer: Reissad Studio
Platforms: PC
It seemed that players were used to high-quality graphics in modern games, but the project from the modest Reissad was able to surprise with a high level of realism. For the most part, this affected the picture “as in life”, but the authors also hold their line in the gameplay.
The gameplay is also close to real shootouts. Combined with the graphics, this gives a unique experience that shooter fans have never experienced before.
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2
- Developer/Publisher: Saber Interactive/Focus Entertainment
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series
- Player ratings: 8.1 out of 10
Despite the concerns, the new “Whaha” turned out great – and, what’s important, this concerns the gameplay. Fighting opponents is fun, and you can do it both without friends and in co-op. The game perfectly combines shooter elements with hack and slash.
The authors took into account and corrected many of the first part’s shortcomings, and the emphasis on gameplay clearly turned out to be a successful decision. And if at some point one gets bored, it is enough to call a friend – and Space Marine 2 reveals itself from a new side.
The First Descendant
- Developer: Nexon
- Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series
- Player ratings: 6.2 out of 10
The Korean looter shooter turned out to be exciting and bright, although the impression was slightly spoiled by bugs at release. Good graphics, a decent plot for a shooter, interesting mechanics and a variety of weapons are the absolute advantages of the game.
The project will appeal most to fans of Destiny or Warframe, but The First Descendant can captivate both as a story-driven action game and as a dynamic shooter. Plus, the game is diverse in terms of gameplay: weapons and monsters do not have time to get boring.
VLADIK BRUTAL
- Developer: Narko Games
- Platforms: PC
- Player ratings: 7.4 out of 10
A dark indie project from just one developer – Vladislav Meshcheryakov from a small village in the Kemerovo region. Despite this, the game turned out to be very bright and managed to climb into the top sales on Steam.
Vladik” became a breath of fresh air for those who missed classic shooters. Slightly trashy, a little raw, but with interesting shooting and an inviting atmosphere. The game became one of the main indie discoveries of 2024.
Gray Zone Warfare
Developer: MADFINGER Games
Platforms: PC
“New Tarkov”, like the progenitor of the subgenre, turned out to be controversial. The authors tried to make the gameplay more accessible, but the emphasis on realism still turned out to be more important – the result was a decent, but slightly niche project that not everyone liked.
However, Escape from Tarkov is a good open-world shooter with great potential. While Gray Zone Warfare is in early access, its creators are actively working on bugs, so the shooter is starting to reveal itself better and better.
Mullet Madjack
- Developer/Publisher: Hammer95 / Epopeia Games
- Platforms: PC
- Players’ ratings: 8.2 out of 10
A bright indie project in retro style. 2D graphics, acid tones and first-person view will not appeal to everyone, but for connoisseurs Mullet Madjack can become a real discovery.
The crazy dynamics of the levels are breathtaking – the game is not very long and can be completed in one evening in one breath. However, if even hardcore turned out to be an easy walk for you, you can start a new run on the highest difficulty.
Phantom Fury
- Developer/Publisher: Slipgate Ironworks/3D Realms
- Platforms: PC
- Players ratings: 6.7 out of 10
Another classic shooter – this time aimed at the audience of the early 2000s. After the April release, the game received a lot of hate, but it turned out that if you fix all the bugs, Phantom Fury looks very good!
Most of all, it is praised for the variety of weapons and enemies. It is easy to immerse yourself in the shooter, the environment contributes to this. Although … some are happy with the development of the levels, others scold them for excessive complexity. As they say, to each his own…