Shooting games occupy an irreplaceable portion in the history of gaming. It all started with DOOM and eventually the way was paved for a genre of shooter games which went on to become the harbinger of multiplayer games and the competitive gaming. From Counter Strike to Call of Duty, the ever evolving genre of multiplayer shooters have always enthused players throughout the globe. Although there was a huge player base for games like Team Fortress 2 and Quake, they never made it to the high position of the competitive ladder and somewhere have always been underdogs in terms of exposure of their unique play styles.
But now it seems that gaming giants have all set their eyes on the style of games which was near about ignored for so long. As the trend of MOBA and FPS games continue to dominate the eSports industry, companies have started merging both the concept to churn out games, which are unique on their own while still holding on to roots of some old ones. Here’s a look at some of the games which are all set to change the current meta of FPS gaming.
Overwatch: Possibly the most anticipated game released this year, Blizzard’s FPS, Overwatch has already reached a player base of 10 million and counting. What seems to have worked for the game is the fact that it is the famed company’s first IP in a long time and the simplified yet brilliant modes and style of the game.
Battleborn: Developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games, Battleborn is a MOBA to its core with intensive elements of an FPS. Unique characters with interesting abilities swarm the map in an attempt to decimate minions and crushing enemy defences in order to win the game.
Paladins: Hi-Rez Studios came into the limelight with its unique take on MOBA in a third person view with Smite, the company did not stop there, it went on to create it’s very own FPS shooter with a fantasy element named Paladins. The game is still in the beta phase with no release date revealed yet. The game uses a card system to boost abilities, which can be gained by playing.
Quake Champions: Quake was initially released in 1996. Developed by id Software and published by GT Interactive, the game went on to become a multiplayer hit with exciting gameplay. Now, the developers are coming out with their upcoming edition of the game, named Quake Champions. The trailer was revealed during the E3 event this year and although not much is known about the game, it is pretty clear that it would be an FPS game with character based gameplay. More of it will be revealed at QuakeCon 2016.
Law Breakers: Law Breakers is an upcoming team-based, FPS game developed by Boss Key Productions. If you’ve loved playing Unreal Tournament, you will definitely enjoy this. It was showcased during E3 this year and even some players got to try it. The game looks pretty action packed with different characters in the play (Same as the above mentioned games).
Now, one thing that is to be noticed is that how these games shift from the traditional FPS games, it’s not just about shooting people. In these games, you can fly, blow, stab, hook and do all sorts of exciting things which makes these even more interesting. These games revolve around completing objectives more than just eliminating enemies and thus it would require a lot of co ordination between players to win matches. The spectator systems in these games are to be modified too as it would not be easy for players to keep a track of everything (which is a lot of features). Maybe they will bring about a change how FPS games are designed and played or maybe the initial hype will slow down after some time. But it is clear that these games would be accepted by casual players whole heartedly as they are more fun to play. As there would be (possibly) a lot of players indulging in these games, the matches will be faster and more exciting. To conclude, with these games on the line, the FPS genre might very well see a shift in paradigm and it would definitely be interesting to see how it all unfolds.
