Best FPS Games Forgotten by Time

During these past few days, I've been thinking about video games that have been left behind, and I think few genres have as many forgotten titles as first-person shooters.

Given its immense popularity two decades ago, countless franchises were created that never received a sequel, even despite being excellent or loved by the community.

Whether due to a lack of profitability, prioritizing other approaches, or simply not knowing how to continue, I myself was surprised by the sheer number of shooters that had the potential to offer so much more but didn't.

As a result, we're taking another trip down memory lane to honor those experiences that definitely deserved more attention than they received, summarizing it all in this list of the ten best FPS games forgotten by time.

10 Homefront

A New Military Turn

Speaking of shooters at the century's beginning, they experienced a boom thanks to the concept of modern warfare, which allowed developers to explore fictional but intriguing scenarios like that of Homefront.

It is tedious that it's yet another generic plot where the entire universe is evil except for the United States, though the idea of ​​reversing the power dynamic and turning the American superpower into the occupied territory felt interesting in a context saturated with many cloned games.

In terms of gameplay, it was always standard but adequate, with the truly fascinating aspect being its spectacular real-time sequences, constantly making you feel like you were resisting the inevitable onslaught of a vastly superior force.

It might have been because I was more impressionable at the time, so perhaps I should replay it to see how well it has aged, but I will never forget how impactful my first experience with Homefront was.

9 Darkwatch

A Vampire Between Borders

I think I'm not exaggerating when I say I watched the Van Helsing movie at least five times when I was younger, which explains why I have such incredible memories of the underrated Darkwatch.

With its combination of vampire themes, dark fantasy, and the Wild West, it stood out as a completely different title from the genre's typical war games, replacing your everyday soldier with ghouls, skeletons, and vampires.

When the game transitioned from first-person shooting to third-person horseback riding sequences, reveling in its wonderful atmosphere in the process, it was easy to feel like you were playing something special, even though it so heavily imitated Halo and the hit detection was so questionable.

It wasn't a perfect experience, but its unique offering was enough to make me want to talk about it many years later. I don't know if it would be easy to adapt Darkwatch to modern standards, yet I feel it will never cease to be talked about, even if only in niche spaces.

8 Ricochet

One of Valve's Hidden Gems

Since I spent a large part of my life in internet cafes, Valve games were a constant companion throughout my childhood, and the relevance of all of them has endured over time, except for the oddest one: Ricochet.

I think only the American developer could have released a game where bullets were discs and the levels were antigravity platforms crammed together with bars to ricochet ammunition, especially in an era when no one dared to stray so far from the traditional FPS formula.

Pushing your enemies into the void with coldly calculated discs and mutilating or freezing them depending on the power-ups you collected truly generated an indescribable thrill, with the matches being incredibly fast-paced and always leaving you wanting more.

It wasn't Half-Life or Team Fortress, and I completely understand why those games were the ones to stand the test of time, but I don't know anyone who played Ricochet and doesn't remember it as an incredibly entertaining marvel.

7 The Darkness 2

Stealing Hearts, Literally

Once it became more common for FPS games to be more than just pseudo-realistic depictions of humanity's historical wars, we increasingly began to see curious yet charismatic projects like The Darkness 2.

I can't even begin to describe how addictive it was to go from shooting a regular pistol to throwing a box with a demonic tentacle to stun an enemy, then lifting them into the air and decapitating them with your other demonic appendage.

Then you could combine an Uzi with a sword or use a cudgel that opened black holes, consuming the hearts of your victims as you defeated them, thus creating a truly phenomenal atmosphere I've rarely seen replicated today.

The Darkness 2 was overflowing with creativity despite lacking depth, as its campaign was quite intense and short. The absence of content was, I think, a fatal flaw, and it never recovered from that, but as the youngsters say, knowing this gem is "elite ball knowledge".

6 Bulletstorm

Creative Visceralities

With all the aforementioned entries, I understand why they were forgotten despite my disagreement, but I can't say the same about the magnificent Bulletstorm.

It received excellent reviews from critics, was versatile and imaginative, had a novel and engaging campaign, and was full of impressive sections, which apparently wasn't enough for it to transcend beyond those of us who played it.

Its skillshot system alone, which I consider one of the most creative ways I've seen in an FPS to encourage the use of all available weapons and mechanics, is the kind of element that would delight any fan of the genre, instantly making its title a modern classic.

Ample content, a compelling story, remarkable graphics, great level design… Bulletstorm had everything to at least receive a sequel, but the realities of the video game market pushed People Can Fly far away from this great IP.

5 Syndicate

An Underrated Resurrection

After the series stagnated in the declining real-time isometric strategy genre, Syndicate found new life with its 2012 FPS, which remains among my best experiences within the ecosystem over the past decade.

The futuristic setting with weapons appropriately adapted to the environment, special powers justified within the game's universe that energized the gunplay, and the story with betrayals and corporate infighting made this game a truly outstanding adventure.

Many believe it has a generic proposal and a predictable plot, criticisms I personally understand but don't agree with, so I believe the only reason for its inability to stand out was the oversaturation the genre experienced upon its release.

That same year saw the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Borderlands 2, Halo 4, and Far Cry 3, to name a few similar titles, so Syndicate was always at a disadvantage. Nevertheless, that didn't stop it from becoming one of my favorite shooters of the generation, and a hypothetical sequel would make me happier than anything in the world.

4 Singularity

Raven Software At Its Best

Before Raven Software was forced to work on Call of Duty until the end of time, the developer was capable of creating truly great titles (not just FPS games), although the best of them all was always Singularity.

The first time you equip the Time Manipulation Device and change the year in real time, thus altering the environment and the enemies you face, I swear I was completely blown away until my jaw started to ache.

When I manipulated the physics of the environment as if it were Half-Life, or used powers as if it were BioShock, I felt, even though it wasn't the case, that I was enjoying a title of that same caliber, which are extremely powerful sensations that shouldn't be underestimated.

Furthermore, the story is extremely captivating and full of plot twists that encourage you to replay the campaign because of its multiple endings, which gives Singularity yet another reason to be among the genre's greats.

3 Crysis

A Missed Icon

Yes, I know practically everyone knows what Crysis is and what it represents for the video game industry in general and for FPS games in particular, but… how long has it been since you last heard about it?

Thinking about it carefully, I realized many years have passed since people stopped talking about the series, with a fourth numbered installment on hold indefinitely by a Crytek that doesn't seem very focused on it.

Those of us who were around in the 2000s are familiar with the graphical and gameplay design titan that was Nomad's adventure, though when it comes to being forgotten over time, few relevant franchises have fallen so far behind their former selves as this one.

And it hurts, because the first game was revolutionary, and both the second and third were extremely worthy sequels, despite being rather restrained, which leads me to believe that eventually Crysis 4 will make this part of the article obsolete.

2 Black

The Power of Destruction

I won't lie and say I have known about Black since its release because, honestly, I only learned of its existence a few years ago, when I discovered it's an FPS with a small but devoted fanbase.

Seeing the passion surrounding it, I took advantage of its availability on Game Pass to try it out, discovering in the process that it makes perfect sense that it was so largely forgotten yet has such a fervently devoted sector of the industry.

For a game released alongside shooters like Battlefield 2142 and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas, its gunplay was excessively archaic and clunky, though its destructible environments and variety of missions were undeniably fantastic.

It's much less flashy than your average shooter because the spectacle isn't in the bullets themselves, but in what surrounds them, and in this case, that's a vertical and labyrinthine level design that gave you a headache but also impressed you with its novelty.

Being able to destroy so much in your path in a game with an unusually high difficulty created sections of tension and adrenaline that, regardless, weren't accessible at all. I wish Black hadn't been forgotten, but it was destined to be.

1 Unreal Tournament

A Timeless Classic

In an era when online gaming for consoles was uncommon, dedicating many hours to a single game was unusual for me, unless we were talking about Unreal Tournament.

The number of days of my life I dedicated to this wonder of first-person shooters is immeasurable, because we're talking about one of the genre's cornerstones and one of the best sequels ever conceived.

Its unique weapons generated a powerful sense of dominance with their audiovisual prowess, its levels boasted an art design as outstanding as it was imposing, the AI ​​of its enemies was demanding and unpredictable, all the maps were aesthetically varied and mechanically deep with their multiple game modes,

Overall, Unreal Tournament is the kind of game that defines an era, and I feel few titles within its genre have achieved what this one has. It sounds incredible to say all this and still know even its creators don't remember it now, but I'll be here until I die to vindicate it as part of the finest and most underrated FPS games in history.