10 Best Single Player FPS Campaigns Of All Time

When an FPS title knocks it out of the park, it can influence the entire industry for many years

afterwards. Many of the entries on this list have been imitated, but never beaten, and continue to

resonate with the community to this day. I'm Jess from WhatCulture and here are the 10 best

FPS campaigns of all time. 10. Titanfall 2 Of the many FPS franchises that rose and fell in the 7th and 8th generations, one of the most

underrated was Titanfall, which boasted two main releases to its name from 2014 to 2016

Many developers who started Respawn were former employees at Infinity Ward, so they clearly knew their way around crafting a compelling FPS experience

Their first project, 2014's Titanfall, was a moderate success. Touted as an Xbox One exclusive

at first, its blend of on-foot action and stomping titans created a unique multiplayer battleground

This did come at the expense of a campaign, however, which some found fault with at the time

After Titanfall was met with a moderately decent critical reception, Respawn Entertainment pushed ahead to craft a far superior follow-up

Regretfully, their best efforts were undone by publisher EA, as the release of Titanfall 2 was sandwiched in with DICE's Battlefield 1, which released to higher fanfare

The sequel offered a solid campaign mode that was sadly let down by weaker sales and marketing

It really stood out in an age of multiplayer shooters, though. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how it managed to create a strong bond between leading man Jack Cooper and his titan BT-7274, resulting in a much more engaging story

9. Wolfenstein The New Order Since its beginnings in 1992, the Wolfenstein franchise has been a regular fixture in the FPS scene

Its tongue-in-cheek action and steampunk tone managed to keep it relevant with 2001's Return to Castle Wolfenstein

which drew in a massive following from players. The series did have some growing pains going into the seventh generation

2009's Wolfenstein wasn't a bad game at all, but it did feel kind of generic when you compare it to its superior predecessors

Along came Machine Games, though, who sought to strike out in a different direction

In 2014, they'd completely forego a multiplayer component in favor of a dedicated campaign

This would turn out to be a great move, as Wolfenstein The New Order found high praise from fans and critics alike

The game places BJ Blazkowicz in a brutal world ruled by the Nazis

Somehow he's got to rip apart this dictatorship at its foundations, and forms a deep connection with a small band of resistance fighters

What Wolfenstein The New Order did was revive the series for a more serious campaign that felt distinctly human

Unlike previous entries, you really do care about the characters. The crunchy shooting in action was just the icing on the cake

It was easily one of 2014's most standout titles as a result

8. Metro Last Light Now we're entering into post-apocalyptic territory. While many would point to the likes of Fallout for this subgenre

other more recent franchises have resonated with the masses. The Metro franchise belongs in this camp having achieved high acclaim over the last decade In the tunnels beneath a ruined Moscow humanity clings to survival splintering off into different factions in a relentlessly bleak story

This style of apocalyptic horror made it a great fit for an immersive first-person shooter

The property was handled by 4A Games, who released their first title in 2010

Metro 2033 was a worthwhile outing, but its weaknesses in stealth gameplay and overly

railroaded tutorials did stick out as points of critique. Three years later, and it was time to

follow it up, luckily for fans, Metro Last Light made an even bigger impression. The 2013 title is

a substantial improvement on the original, delivering a tale of close bonds, claustrophobic

encounters, and the worst of humanity to boot. Every element of gameplay has seen improvement

alongside a staggering level of detail in its ruined world. It successfully put 4A games alongside

the most proficient developers in the genre. 7. Borderlands 2 After washing the hands of brothers in arms, Gearbox headed deeper into the seventh generation

with Borderlands. Nowadays, it feels like the only AAA franchise who's got its loot system right

where others rely on insulting monetization schemes. From the get-go, Borderlands built

its name on being a looter shooter, with a bazillion guns to find in crates and other

hidey holes. The original 2009 release was well received, but stopped somewhat short of critical

acclaim, but its 2012 sequel quickly rectified that. Borderlands 2 took everything people loved

about the first and drastically expanded on it. More varied character skill trees, creative weapons

and wacky humor were all crammed into a massive package. In addition to being an awesome campaign

for one player, it was greatly enhanced when you added three more. The enemies and level system all

scaled to match your party for a massively replayable experience. In their battle against

Handsome Jack, the four vault hunters of Borderlands 2 partake in a brilliant and well-written campaign

It fully embraces its silliness and cel-shaded art style to deliver the most vibrant campaign on

this list. And things got even better with the countless expansions that arrived over the next

year. Number six, Far Cry 3. As one of Ubisoft's premiere franchises, Far Cry had already maintained

a steady following with the first two titles. What's interesting about this series, though

is how each new entry ventures into a new setting and tone. The first was a mixture of island combat

and horror, the second was a gritty civil war in Africa, and the third heads into more psychological

territory. As Jason Brody, it's up to you to rescue your friends from a life of slavery

teaming up with the Rakia tribe to bring down the island's brutal rulers. Easily the most widely

enjoyed in the Far Cry series, it lets the player loose in a tropical paradise gone wrong alongside

charismatic villains. Of course, we all remember Vaas, the sadistic pirate who serves as the leading

antagonist for most of the game. In addition to a deadly conflict, Far Cry 3 explores the depths

Jason is willing to go. While he isn't the most engaging of characters, Brody goes on a dark

descent that gives him a taste of power and status that he's never felt before. The playground

The background offered to players in Far Cry 3 is not only filled with things to do but also closely tied in with its story 5 Doom 2016 Like Wolfenstein before it Doom was a regular presence in the FPS landscape It led the way

for much of the genre's early development, while cooking up a fair bit of controversy in the process

Across multiple sequels, the series would slip underground after 2004's Doom 3. As the genre

began to change, its developer had a tricky time figuring out how to fit it into the new landscape

Heading back to the drawing board, id Software settled on a game that would return to the old

school style of shooters. Doom 2016 completely rejects the stop and pop modern military style

that had dominated the genre for years. There's no regenerative health or hiding behind cover here

You're blasting your way around levels, ripping and tearing through the enemies with a rocking

soundtrack backing up the gameplay. It also tosses aside a complex story in favor of

raw, satisfying combat. As such, it's one of the fastest and most ferocious FPS campaigns to date

putting you in the boots of an unstoppable killing machine. Every decision id Software made

is fully in tune with making the player feel awesome. In addition to being one of the best

campaigns in recent years, Doom 2016 is also one of the best reboots

4. Bioshock Bit of cheating here as it leans towards the immersive sim genre, but Bioshock simply cannot

be ignored. As the spiritual successor to System Shock, it was the Project of Irrational Games

and released in 2007. It quickly became one of the most widely beloved titles of that year

Set in the 1960s, we follow Jack, a seemingly ordinary individual who stumbles across the

underwater city of Rapture following a plane crash. Descending into the depths, Jack finds

an idealistic metropolis turned nightmare. Crazed mutants roam the halls and lumbering behemoths

harvest a drug called Atom via the use of creepy little sisters. What set the game apart from other

shooters was how you could build the kind of playstyle you wanted to exploit. You could take

on lightning and fire-based plasmids to become a master of the elements, or you could go for a more

mind-bending approach. The further you go, the more twisted the story becomes, thus further

enveloping the player. Offering an unparalleled level of atmosphere, Bioshock's Underwater City

is just as big a star as its varied combat. It's utterly fascinating to explore the ruined halls

and unravel all of Rapture's darkest mysteries. To this day, it still remains a masterwork in art and design

Number three, Half-Life 2. A name many gamers are familiar with, Valve Corporation has proven itself time and again

as one of the best creators in the business. The release of Half-Life in 1998 put them on the map

and from there they continued to go from strength to strength. After revolutionizing the FPS genre with the original Half-Life, Valve did it again in 2004

With the sequel, the venerable developer made massive strides in facial animation

in-game physics, and seamless storytelling. From start to finish, the player is placed in

control of the protagonist, with no cutscenes or scripted moments that would interrupt the campaign

Twenty years after the original game Gordon Freeman is released in a grim future in which humanity is ruled over by the Combine He once again dons the HEV suit and with Alex Vance at his side aims to topple the alien race from power

His mission takes him from the inner city to the coast and back again as the Lambda Resistance steps up their efforts to fight off the menace

Paced to near perfection, Half-Life 2's collection of set pieces and seamless storytelling made it a modern classic

This same excellent development prowess continued into the game's episodic expansions, which took advantage of new settings and scenarios

2. Halo 3 In 2007, video games went mainstream, and by far the most successful release of that year was Halo 3

As the most anticipated title of all time, it had some massive shoes to fill

Luckily for fans and newcomers alike, Bungie was more than able to deliver the goods

The tagline of Finish the Fight anchored the game's launch, and when players got their hands on it, Halo 3 lived up to its name

As Master Chief engages both the Covenant and the Flood in a final confrontation

the campaign doles out nine varied and highly enjoyable missions. What makes all of them so engaging is the numerous encounters

driven by an excellent gameplay sandbox and some of the best enemy AI in the business

The way foes, vehicles, allies, and equipment all react to each other has always been key to Halo's success, and the third entry is arguably its finest showcase

The finale of the trilogy showed Bungie at the peak of their powers, inching out the other

entries thanks to a great variety of levels. Halo 1 had some repetitive levels here and there

and Halo 2 had its shorter length and disappointing ending. Halo 3, on the other hand

is a seamless balance of solid action and a conclusive story. number one call of duty 4 modern warfare last but not least we come to call of duty 4 modern

warfare infinity wards magnum opus that remains a textbook example of how to craft an excellent

campaign and before we get into it you better tell me if we missed your favorite down in the

comments but okay let me keep going moving the franchise into the present day for the first time

we follow a set of soldiers as they attempt to track down middle eastern dictator al-assad

and his Russian financier, Zakhev. What follows is an action rollercoaster that manages to maintain

the more grounded nature that the series once embraced. As opposed to an over-the-top power

fantasy, Call of Duty 4 continues the mantra that no soldier fights alone. In essence

Modern Warfare's single-player mode is heavily modeled after classic thrillers. As SAS operative

Soap McTavish, you're conducting precise tactical operations. Whereas with Sergeant Paul Jackson

the player is planted on more direct, large-scale military engagements. Alternating between these perspectives allows the campaign to create superb pacing

Yet the levels we all remember often come through the many set pieces. All Ghillied Up is by far the franchise's best stealth mission

In short, Call of Duty 4 has a masterful campaign, one that catapulted its franchise to superstardom

and set the standard for what an FPS campaign could do. Countless FPS titles, including its own franchise

are attempting to replicate it to this day, and most of them, if not all of them

are falling short left and right