Summary
In 2007, Valve releasedTeam Fortress 2, a new multiplayer game that proved to be a bigger hit than they could have realized. At the time, there wasn’t really anything quite like it. Little did Gabe Newell realize he was opening the floodgates to an entire genre that would change the face of multiplayer gaming. Then there was 2016’sOverwatch, a multiplayer game clearly influenced byTeam Fortress 2which built on its foundation. AfterOverwatchbecame a hit, it suddenly seemed everyone wanted in on this action. Suddenly there was alsoRainbow Six: Siege,Lawbreakers,Battleborn,Gigantic,Paladins,Valorant,Apex Legends,Boundary,Concord,andMarvel Rivals.Some big franchises, such asCall of Duty, have evenstarted experimenting with the format. The genre started to gain a reputation for an oversaturated market. What started as a creative way to bring people together turnedinto a jumbled mess of similar games struggling to stand out from the crowd.
While the more successful hero shooters (includingTeam Fortress 2, which has somehow managed to outlast all of its competition) retain a dedicated fanbase, the genre has started to become something of a tired cliche. However, there are some things that still draw players to hero shooters, and some of those can be found in other formats. It may sound strange to recommend single-player games to fans of hero shooters, but there are some that have a lot of what makes a successful hero shooter work, sometimes even more so.
Obviously, it is difficult to make a perfect 1:1 comparison between a genre intended for multiplayer and a game designed with single-player in mind. However, hero shooters have two main selling points: a diverse group of characters with unique skills, and an emphasis on teamwork. The following list is structured around shooters, or at least games with shooter mechanics, that meet at least one of these two requirements.
Part of the fun ofBorderlands, aside from its wacky encounters, cartoon violence, and epic gunplay, is the series' range of heroes. Each game begins with the playerbeing asked to select from 1-6 playable characters, each of whom has a unique “action skill” they can deploy in tough situations. These can be anything from animal companions to boomerang shields to full-on mechsuits.
While characters are tailored to different playstyles, there is also room for players to experiment withhowthey use those playstyles through simplified skill trees and trying different weapon loadouts. The teamwork aspect of the hero shooter can also be explored with optional co-op where up to four players can team up as different characters or at least unique builds of the same one.
WWII shooters have become something of a sub-genre of the shooter:Call of Duty,Battlefield,Medal of Honor,Day of Defeat,Wolfenstein,Sniper Elite. But theBrothers in Armsseries had one thing that helped it stand out from the crowd: emphasis on squad-based combat and actual tactics. Shooters likeCall of Dutymay skillfully create theappearance ofthe player working alongside a squad, but ultimately they are doing most of the work while NPCs engage in scripted encounters.
A lot of the tactical aspect is already figured out by a commanding officer, so the player just has to follow directions. What madeBrothers in Armsstand out was its decision to put the player in the role that would normally be filled by a Captain Price-type of character. This means the player can’t just charge into an enemy stronghold and attempt to take out a bunch of them at once. They’re actually expected to rely on those under their command, which can sometimes include multiple teams with different specialties. Teamwork is key to accomplishing objectives with minimal casualties.
Microsoft’s flagship series is well-known for its violence, its generally bleak atmosphere, and its scathing commentary on human nature. But a big theme of the series is also teamwork and comradery. The overarching story puts heavy emphasis on not only how war shapes its protagonists, but the bonds that form between them and how they support each other in such an unforgiving world.
Between that and being designed to allow both single-player and 2-4-player co-op (depending on exactly which game you’re playing),Gears of Wartends to follow groups of characters who work as a team. Even in single-player mode, it means having potentially life-saving backup and occasionally comes into play when the player needs to make simple tactical decisions (i.e. which path to take when approaching an objective). This format does a lot to help draw the player into the world, especially since it provides a great framework for developing characters individually.
Ubisoft’s tactical shooter series follows various members of a specialized American military unit across top-secret operations and has been known to put a lot of emphasis on teamwork. While the franchise has had its ups and downs, and experimented with more multiplayer-oriented titles likeGhost Recon OnlineandBreakpoint, the basic premise of most entries remains the same. Players take command of a small squad they have to rely on to complete missions.
The player, accompanied by three-to-four others at a time, can usually issue orders to some degree. This structure puts players in the position of needing to approach situations with a tactical mind. Instead of simply charging in guns blazing, or having an NPC commanding officer who gives them orders, the player character has to carefully evaluate every situation and make full use of the allies and resources they have. It can be a challenging format and one that is not likely to appeal to all players, but excellent for anyone interested in teamwork.
While it is more commonly remembered as an RPG,Mass Effectstill has extensive combat sections that make use of basic shooter mechanics. While the protagonist, Shepard, is customized by the player, all three games involve them forming a party made up of characters with unique skills. However, it isMass Effect 2that has the biggest and most diverse range of heroes, compared to the smaller parties of1and3. The main plot of the game involves Shepard putting together a team for an expedition into the mysterious Omega 4 relay.
While Shepard is the only playable character, they get to recruit up to twelve possible allies, each of whom has a distinct personality and skillset. Shepard has to constantly manage the team, which is difficult since they can only work with two people at a time, so a balancing of skills is needed. Another upside is that as a single-player game, it can do more with the characters' stories, something that in a hero shooter would be limited to a profile description, tie-in comic, cutscene, or occasional event. Their backstories actually play into the main narrative and Shepard’s choices can influence their ultimate fate, including whether they survive the final mission.
4Rainbow Six
A Series of Tactical Shooters About Counter-Terrorism
Right now, Ubisoft’s iconic series about counter-terrorism is stuck in a multiplayer hero-shooter phase withSiegeand the spin-offQuarantine, but this was not always the case. BeforeSiege,Rainbow Sixgames usually ran on a single-player campaign, though there were sometimes options for co-op. Some details of gameplay varied, but they ultimately came down to a basic structure. Players are cast as the commanding officer of a counter-terrorism unit, a job which by its very nature requires them to command and rely on their squad.
This was a big thing that separatedRainbow Sixfrom the likes ofCall of Duty. Players couldn’t just go in guns blazing. They actually have to evaluate the situation, determine the most effective approach, and set up the team accordingly. Another fun detail was the teams themselves were remarkably diverse for an early-2000 shooter franchise, with units often being not only mixed nationality but often mixed-race and mixed-gender (even if it took untilVegas 2to have the option for a female protagonist), which often allows them to have more personality. It is unfortunatethat Ubisoft seems reluctant to do another single-player gamesince a story-driven game aroundSiege’s characters could have a lot of potential.
Hopoo’s follow-up to their 2013 hitRisk of Rainfollows an astronaut trying to survive on an alien planet, combining roguelike mechanics and a few details long-time hero shooter players might recognize.The player is given the choice of several playable survivors, with options to unlock more by progressing in the game, and a big part of the game involves locating and holding control points within a set amount of time. This kind of sounds like a hero shooter already, doesn’t it?
Except it’s a bit more nuanced than that. Like many games on this list,Risk of Rain 2is designed to function in both single-player and co-op modes. There is an option for players to team up and work together, but picking out a hero and doing it solo is also a valid choice. Either way, the game is designed to challenge the players by pitting them against increasingly difficult enemies while requiring them to find a portal that leads to the next level. Surviving is the primary goal here, so the selected hero will need to make full use of their abilities, as well as any upgrades and special items found along the way.
Highwire’s ambitious shooter was designed to accurately reconstruct the real-life Second Battle of Fallujah during the War In Iraq, with the goal of avoiding the common pitfalls of other military shooters. Like many games on this list,Six Days in Fallujahcan be played in either single-player or co-op, but either way, teamwork is crucial. In a war where the enemy can strike from anywhere at any time (something the developers tried to represent in the game), you can’t just pick up a gun and go on a one-man-rampage like you might see with Rambo or B.J. Blazkowicz.
That’s just going to get you killedat best. At worst, it might take a bunch of your squad mates with you. To have any chance at surviving, let alone succeeding, the player has to co-ordinate with their team, and one wrong move can have dire consequences.Six Days in Fallujahwould be particularly great for fans of more intense Hero Shooters likeRainbow Six Siege,where there’s a lot more pressure to approach tactfully and intelligently.
In the harsh universe ofWarhammer 40k,a setting so bleak it somehow makesAlienlook appealing by comparison, it’s so common to see the worst brought out in everyone. One of the few remotely ethical things people can manage is loyalty to their friends and family, helping each other navigate a chaotic and frightening galaxy. This is particularly true of the Space Marines, soldiers of the Imperium of Man who regard each other as brothers-in-arms. This is naturally a big theme in Saber’s follow-up to the 2011 cult classic.
Space Marine 2follows protagonist Demetrian Titus and his space marine buddies Chairon and Gadriel as they battle a Tyranid invasion. Similar toGears of War(which was probably a big influence on its gameplay), the game can be played either in single-player or co-op with up to two other players. Either way, teamwork is a big part of the game. Titus has to rely on his allies to have his back and fight alongside him, and having that backup can be quite valuable when a carnifex or neurothrope decides to show up.
