- 18/05/2025
The single player FPS campaign is a fine art.
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00:00When an FPS title knocks it out of the park, it can influence the entire industry for many years
00:04afterwards. Many of the entries on this list have been imitated, but never beaten, and continue to
00:10resonate with the community to this day. I'm Jess from WhatCulture and here are the 10 best
00:15FPS campaigns of all time. 10. Titanfall 2
00:19Of the many FPS franchises that rose and fell in the 7th and 8th generations, one of the most
00:25underrated was Titanfall, which boasted two main releases to its name from 2014 to 2016.
00:31Many developers who started Respawn were former employees at Infinity Ward, so they clearly knew
00:36their way around crafting a compelling FPS experience. Their first project, 2014's Titanfall, was a
00:42moderate success. Touted as an Xbox One exclusive at first, its blend of on-foot action and stomping
00:48Titans created a unique multiplayer battleground. This did come at the expense of a campaign,
00:54however, which some found fault with at the time. After Titanfall was met with a moderately decent
00:59critical reception, Respawn Entertainment pushed ahead to craft a far superior follow-up.
01:05Regretfully, their best efforts were undone by publisher EA, as the release of Titanfall 2 was
01:10sandwiched in with DICE's Battlefield 1, which released to higher fanfare. The sequel offered a
01:16solid campaign mode that was sadly let down by weaker sales and marketing. It really stood out in an
01:22age of multiplayer shooters, though. Perhaps the biggest surprise was how it managed to create a
01:26strong bond between leading man Jack Cooper and his Titan BT-7274, resulting in a much more engaging story.
01:349. Wolfenstein The New Order
01:37Since its beginnings in 1992, the Wolfenstein franchise has been a regular fixture in the FPS scene.
01:44Its tongue-in-cheek action and steampunk tone managed to keep it relevant with 2001's return to
01:49Castle Wolfenstein, which drew in a massive following from players. The series did have
01:55some growing pains going into the seventh generation. 2009's Wolfenstein wasn't a bad game at all,
02:01but it did feel kind of generic when you compare it to its superior predecessors.
02:05Along came Machine Games, though, who sought to strike out in a different direction.
02:10In 2014, they'd completely forego a multiplayer component in favour of a dedicated campaign.
02:16This would turn out to be a great move, as Wolfenstein The New Order found high praise from
02:21fans and critics alike. The game places BJ Blazkowicz in a brutal world ruled by the Nazis.
02:28Somehow he's gotta rip apart this dictatorship at its foundations and forms a deep connection with
02:33the small band of resistance fighters. What Wolfenstein The New Order did was revive the series
02:39for a more serious campaign that felt distinctly human. Unlike previous entries, you really do care
02:45about the characters. The crunchy shooting in action was just the icing on the cake.
02:49It was easily one of 2014's most standout titles as a result.
02:538. Metro Last Light Now we're entering into post-apocalyptic territory.
02:59While many would point to the likes of Fallout for this subgenre,
03:02other more recent franchises have resonated with the masses. The Metro franchise belongs in this camp,
03:07having achieved high acclaim over the last decade.
03:10In the tunnels beneath a ruined Moscow, humanity clings to survival, splintering off into different
03:16factions in a relentlessly bleak story. This style of apocalyptic horror made it a great fit for an
03:22immersive first-person shooter. The property was handled by 4A Games, who released their first title
03:28in 2010. Metro 2033 was a worthwhile outing, but its weaknesses in stealth gameplay and overly
03:35railroaded tutorials did stick out as points of critique. Three years later, and it was time to
03:40follow it up. Luckily for fans, Metro Last Light made an even bigger impression.
03:45The 2013 title is a substantial improvement on the original, delivering a tale of close bonds,
03:51claustrophobic encounters, and the worst of humanity to boot. Every element of gameplay has seen improvement,
03:57alongside a staggering level of detail in its ruined world. It successfully put 4A Games alongside the
04:04most proficient developers in the genre. 7. Borderlands 2
04:09After washing the hands of brothers in arms, Gearbox headed deeper into the 7th generation with
04:14Borderlands. Nowadays, it feels like the only AAA franchise who's got its loot system right,
04:19where others rely on insulting monetization schemes. From the get-go, Borderlands built its name on being
04:26a looter shooter, with a bazillion guns to find in crates and other hidey holes. The original 2009 release
04:32was well received, but stopped somewhat short of critical acclaim, but its 2012 sequel quickly
04:38rectified that. Borderlands 2 took everything people loved about the first, and drastically expanded
04:44on it. More varied character skill trees, creative weapons, and wacky humor were all crammed into a
04:49massive package. In addition to being an awesome campaign for one player, it was greatly enhanced when
04:55you added three more. The enemies and level system all scaled to match your party for a massively replayable
05:01experience. In their battle against Handsome Jack, the four vault hunters of Borderlands 2 partake in
05:07a brilliant and well-written campaign. It fully embraces its silliness and cel-shaded art style to
05:13deliver the most vibrant campaign on this list. And things got even better with the countless expansions
05:18that arrived over the next year. 6. Far Cry 3
05:22As one of Ubisoft's premiere franchises, Far Cry had already maintained a steady following with the first two
05:28titles. What's interesting about this series, though, is how each new entry ventures into a new setting and
05:34tone. The first was a mixture of island combat and horror, the second was a gritty civil war in Africa,
05:40and the third heads into more psychological territory. As Jason Brody, it's up to you to rescue your friends
05:46from a life of slavery, teaming up with the Rakyat tribe to bring down the island's brutal rulers. Easily the most
05:52widely enjoyed in the Far Cry series, it lets the player loose in a tropical paradise gone wrong
05:58alongside charismatic villains. Of course, we all remember Vaas, the sadistic pirate who serves as
06:03the leading antagonist for most of the game. In addition to a deadly conflict, Far Cry 3 explores
06:08the depths Jason is willing to go. While he isn't the most engaging of characters, Brody goes on a dark
06:14descent that gives him a taste of power and status that he's never felt before. The playground offered to
06:20players in Far Cry 3 is not only filled with things to do, but also closely tied in with its story.
06:255. Doom
06:29Like Wolfenstein before it, Doom was a regular presence in the FPS landscape. It led the way for
06:35much of the genre's early development while cooking up a fair bit of controversy in the process.
06:40Across multiple sequels, the series would slip underground after 2004's Doom 3. As the genre
06:46began to change, its developer had a tricky time figuring out how to fit it into the new landscape.
06:52Heading back to the drawing board, id Software settled on a game that would return to the old
06:56school style of shooters. Doom 2016 completely rejects the stop and pop modern military style
07:02that had dominated the genre for years. There's no regenerative health or hiding behind cover here.
07:07You're blasting your way around levels, ripping and tearing through the enemies with a rocking
07:11soundtrack backing up the gameplay. It also tosses aside a complex story in favour of raw, satisfying
07:17combat. As such, it's one of the fastest and most ferocious FPS campaigns to date, putting you in the
07:23boots of an unstoppable killing machine. Every decision id Software made is fully in tune with
07:29making the player feel awesome. In addition to being one of the best campaigns in recent years,
07:34Doom 2016 is also one of the best reboots.
07:374. Bioshock Bit of cheating here as it leans towards the immersive sim genre,
07:43but Bioshock simply cannot be ignored. As the spiritual successor to System Shock,
07:48it was the Project of Irrational Games and released in 2007. It quickly became one of the most widely
07:54beloved titles of that year. Set in the 1960s, we follow Jack, a seemingly ordinary individual who
08:01stumbles across the underwater city of Rapture following a plane crash. Descending into the
08:06depths, Jack finds an idealistic metropolis turned nightmare. Crazed mutants roam the halls and
08:13lumbering behemoths harvest a drug called Atom via the use of creepy little sisters. What set the game
08:19apart from other shooters was how you could build the kind of playstyle you wanted to exploit. You could
08:24take on lightning and fire-based plasmids to become a master of the elements, or you could go for a more
08:29mind-bending approach. The further you go, the more twisted the story becomes, thus further enveloping
08:34the player. Offering an unparalleled level of atmosphere, Bioshock's underwater city is just as
08:40big a star as its varied combat. It's utterly fascinating to explore the ruined halls and unravel
08:45all of Rapture's darkest mysteries. To this day, it still remains a masterwork in art and design.
08:523. Half-Life 2 A name many gamers are familiar with,
08:57Valve Corporation has proven itself time and again as one of the best creators in the business.
09:02The release of Half-Life in 1998 put them on the map, and from there they continued to go from
09:07strength to strength. After revolutionizing the FPS genre with the original Half-Life,
09:12Valve did it again in 2004. With the sequel, the venerable developer made massive strides in facial
09:18animation, in-game physics, and seamless storytelling. From start to finish, the player is placed in control of
09:25the protagonist, with no cutscenes or scripted moments that would interrupt the campaign.
09:3020 years after the original game, Gordon Freeman is released in a grim future in which humanity
09:35is ruled over by the Combine. He once again dons the HEV suit, and with Alex Vance at his side,
09:42aims to topple the alien race from power. His mission takes him from the inner city to the coast and back
09:47again as the Lambda Resistance steps up their efforts to fight off the menace. Paced to near perfection,
09:53Half-Life 2's collection of set pieces and seamless storytelling made it a modern classic.
09:58This same excellent development prowess continued into the game's episodic expansions, which took advantage
10:04of new settings and scenarios. 2. Halo 3
10:08In 2007, video games went mainstream, and by far the most successful release of that year was Halo 3.
10:15As the most anticipated title of all time, it had some massive shoes to fill. Luckily for fans and
10:21newcomers alike, Bungie was more than able to deliver the goods. The tagline of Finish the Fight
10:28anchored the game's launch, and when players got their hands on it, Halo 3 lived up to its name.
10:33As Master Chief engages both the Covenant and the Flood in a final confrontation,
10:38the campaign doles out nine varied and highly enjoyable missions. What makes all of them so
10:43engaging is the numerous encounters driven by an excellent gameplay sandbox and some of the best
10:48enemy AI in the business. The way foes, vehicles, allies and equipment all react to each other has
10:54always been key to Halo's success, and the third entry is arguably its finest showcase. The finale of
11:01the trilogy showed Bungie at the peak of their powers, inching out the other entries thanks to a great
11:06variety of levels. Halo 1 had some repetitive levels here and there, and Halo 2 had its shorter length
11:12and disappointing ending. Halo 3, on the other hand, is a seamless balance of solid action and a
11:18conclusive story.
11:191. Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
11:23Last but not least, we come to Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward's magnum opus that remains a
11:29textbook example of how to craft an excellent campaign. And before we get into it, you better
11:34tell me if we missed your favorite down in the comments, but okay let me keep going.
11:38Moving the franchise into the present day for the first time, we follow a set of soldiers as they
11:43attempt to track down Middle Eastern dictator Al-Assad and his Russian financier Zaket. What follows
11:49is an action rollercoaster that manages to maintain the more grounded nature that the series once embraced.
11:55As opposed to an over-the-top power fantasy, Call of Duty 4 continues the mantra that no soldier fights
12:00alone. In essence, Modern Warfare's single-player mode is heavily modeled after classic thrillers.
12:06As SAS operative Soap McTavish, you're conducting precise tactical operations. Whereas with Sergeant
12:12Paul Jackson, the player is planted on more direct, large-scale military engagements. Alternating
12:18between these perspectives allows the campaign to create superb pacing.
12:23Yet the levels we all remember often come through the many set pieces. All Ghillied Up is by far the
12:28franchise's best stealth mission. In short, Call of Duty 4 has a masterful campaign, one that catapulted
12:34its franchise to superstardom and set the standard for what an FPS campaign could do. Countless FPS titles,
12:41including its own franchise, are attempting to replicate it to this day, and most of them,
12:46if not all of them, are falling short left and right.
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