10 FPS Games That Had Near Perfect Scores

They say nothing in life is perfect, and I believe it.

Having said that, there are video games over the years that flirted with perfection, including several first-person shooters. These were the trailblazers and innovators in the genre, helping to establish new norms and revolutionize how we play FPS games.

While some of these games may not have aged well today, there's no doubting that they were in a league of their own when they were released. Today, we look at some of the very best FPS games that received near-perfect scores, according to their Metascore.

10 Unreal Tournament 2004

The King of Arena Shooters

You just had to be there.

Heavily inspired by the Quake franchise, Unreal Tournament sought to be a better version of the iconic arena shooter. It undoubtedly accomplished that with Unreal Tournament 2004, providing non-stop, fast-paced, excellent FPS gameplay that has no rival.

One thing that's most remarkable about Unreal Tournament 2004's reception was that by the time of its release, the genre was starting to change and evolve, especially thanks to Halo and Halo 2. That didn't stop Epic Games from delivering one of the best arena shooters of all time.

9 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare

The One That Changed the Game

The Call of Duty franchise wouldn't be what it is today without the breakout success of Modern Warfare.

That's not to say that Call of Duty 4 came out of nowhere; Call of Duty 2 made a spectacular showing on the new Xbox 360 hardware. It was Modern Warfare, though, that helped the franchise become a breakout mainstream success.

The multiplayer introduced so many genre staples that are still around today: the prestige system, which lets players start their rank grind from scratch, perks, killstreaks, and more. This is where it all began.

8 Quake

Better Than Doom

Doom traditionally gets all the praise as being a major innovator in the FPS genre, and I get it. It wasn't the first first-person shooter ever made, but it was the first to make a splash.

Having said that, we need to talk about Quake's legacy. It's the first true 3D FPS, allowed for horizontal and vertical aiming, and helped usher in a world of multiplayer gameplay.

Tom Willits, former studio director for id Software, has even said that Quake is the more influential game, helping to pave the way for the modern FPS.

7 Portal 2

SPAAAAAACE

After the breakout success of Portal in The Orange Box, a sequel was all but certain.

Portal 2 is not just "more Portal," but a fully fleshed-out Portal experience. There's a full-on expanded narrative, aided by the fantastic voice work of J.K. Simmons and Stephen Merchant.

For many, though, Portal 2's greatest triumph is bringing back the classic puzzle-solving of the original in a co-operative setting. It turns out that more portals are indeed more fun.

6 GoldenEye 007

Shaken, Not Stirred

GoldenEye 007 is an all-time classic that helped pave the way for the console FPS. There were so many late nights as a kid, thanks to marathon multiplayer sessions where everyone wanted to play Oddjob.

What helps make GoldenEye such an iconic game today, though, is the strength of its single-player campaign. Say what you want about the original Nintendo 64 controls (yes, they're rough and haven't aged well, even on the Switch), but playing this game with a modern control setup is a dream come true.

5 BioShock

A Man Chooses, A Slave Obeys

One of the things BioShock does best is showcase how far the FPS genre can go.

Sure, it doesn't necessarily come close to all the promise and expectations we may have had for it, but it's a testament to BioShock's quality that it's still so well received critically.

On the surface, it's an extremely well-made FPS that combines elements of action games, RPGs, and survival horror. Beyond that, though, it's a deep, engrossing, narrative experience that reinforces the fact that video games can, indeed, be art.

4 Half-Life 2

Still Waiting For Half-Life 3

For all the amazing things BioShock did, it's not the first FPS to push boundaries, particularly when it comes to storytelling.

Half-Life 2 takes a different approach, trading in cutscenes and other traditional narrative devices for a "show, don't tell" approach to things. It's one thing that's helped it remain a timeless classic, even as the gameplay becomes more and more dated. It's not only helped Half-Life 2 remain relevant all these years later, but it was ahead of its time when it was released.

Maybe one day we'll get Half-Life 3. Until then, there will always be Half-Life 2.

3 Perfect Dark

Going Dark

Perfect Dark is the perfect (pun not intended) example of a video game franchise starting at its peak and only getting worse with subsequent releases.

Rare takes everything that makes GoldenEye 007 good and expands upon it, squeezing every ounce of juice it can from the Nintendo 64 console and its expansion pack.

There's more detail, improved gameplay, and an original story that helps prove that sometimes bigger is better. I'll never understand how Xbox has done nothing but fumble the IP over the past two decades.

2 Metroid Prime

Welcome Back, Samus

Remember when people were freaking out over the idea of a first-person Metroid game? Good times.

Retro Studios did the impossible: capture the pure essence of what makes a Metroidvania great and seamlessly throw it in an FPS environment. Samus is perfectly equipped both in combat and exploration, backed by one of the best scores in gaming history.

My biggest takeaway from Metroid Prime will always be that its 2023 Remaster proves how timeless the game truly is. It's done nothing but age like fine wine.

1 Halo: Combat Evolved

Nothing Beats Combat Evolved on Legendary

Without Halo: Combat Evolved, there would be no Xbox. In a way, it's ironic that the console has been losing its luster alongside Halo, which is still chasing the heights from the Bungie days.

Halo exploded onto the FPS scene, launching alongside the Xbox console, unafraid of any limitations of a home console compared to the PC platform. Not only does it handle like a dream on controller, but its level design and gunplay are all perfectly on point.

The biggest compliment I can give Halo is that even after all these years, playing through its campaign is just as much fun today as it was the first time nearly 25 years ago.