Time is a cruel, inescapable mistress, and very few games manage to fully avoid her embrace. A few of the most influential FPS games of all time exist nowadays as historical artifacts rather than viable recommendations, but I’m not here to talk about foundational greats like Wolfenstein, GoldenEye 007, or Perfect Dark. No, let’s jump forward to post-Halo shooters that have aged like milk left out in the hot sun, despite coming out after the genre had codified its core mechanics.
A 2003 game doesn’t need to hold up in 2026 to be considered great, but it might be better left to our untarnished memories. While all the upcoming games deserve to carry the “classic” label in one form or another, they are here because their limitations and flaws have been accentuated by time.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying these FPS games are trash, and most of them still have a certain charm to them. I even consider a few of these to be among my favorite shooters of all time. However, enjoying them today requires a hefty dose of nostalgia.
Far Cry Is Nowadays The Worst Far Cry
Play Far Cry 2 Instead
Similar to Crytek’s subsequent game, Crysis, the original Far Cry’s main claim to fame was its graphics, which were undeniably incredible in the mid-2000s. However, also like its spiritual successor, the game’s quality dropped with each passing year as the visuals grew less groundbreaking. While Crysis can still hit the spot as a power fantasy, Far Cry is an exercise in frustration nowadays.
Simply put, Far Cry just isn’t fun, and so much of its difficulty comes courtesy of broken AI that seems to be able to read your movement across a map filled with dense foliage. Stealth mitigates this issue somewhat in the opening hours, but it becomes less viable as the campaign progresses, eventually reaching a point when it is barely usable. Combined with the limited save system, levels end up boiling down to trial and error.
On a positive note, Far Cry 2 is still the most unique entry in the franchise, and well worth a playthrough if you appreciate controversial mechanics like the use of malaria.
Warhammer 40K: Fire Warrior Is Way Worse Than I Remember
Play Boltgun Or Necromunda: Hired Gun Instead
To be frank, “way worse than I remember” might as well be the theme for this article, as I refuse to learn my lesson when it comes to replaying childhood favorites. Fire Warrior wasn’t just the first Warhammer 40K FPS game, but it was arguably the franchise’s first true AAA production.
While that fact helped paper over its shortcomings in 2003, Fire Warrior nowadays has to compete with two decades of superior sci-fi shooters and 40K games, and it isn’t up to the challenge. Firstly, the guns and gunplay are awful. Why are the guns so weak and inaccurate that the enemies barely seem to register hits? Even legendary weapons like the Imperial Boltgun feel neutered.
Secondly, the story is pretty weird and doesn’t fit the 40K universe well, and that’s coming from someone who is far from an expert on the subject. Still, even I recognize that a rookie T’au shouldn’t become this universe’s Doomguy on his first day. Also, speaking of Xbox’s mascot, Fire Warrior wants to be Halo very badly, and it doesn’t really come close.
On a positive note, Fire Warrior’s cutscenes and environments have aged fairly well, and I would even recommend watching a compilation of the former. You probably won’t be able to follow the story, but they look good.
Clive Barker’s Jericho Makes Me Sad
Play Undying Or Cultic Instead
I know what you are thinking, “Wait, wasn’t Jericho’s heavily criticized upon release?” To that, I answer, “Yes, but I wanted it to be good, so I convinced myself that it was.” After replaying Undying, which is still a blast, I went against my better judgment and booted up Jericho for a new playthrough.
Rather than a flawed but fun horror FPS hybrid with cool ideas that don’t quite pay off, Jericho is a misfire with cool ideas that make it near-unplayable and a total waste of Clive Barker’s name and genius. Due to revolving around a squad of characters, the core gimmick lets you swap between the characters, a concept that is completely undermined by braindead AI that constantly needs you to revive them.
Barker’s creature designs and story are scarier in theory than practice, as Jericho’s chaos-first combat loop constantly devolves into noise that leaves no room for anything resembling horror. The gunplay was never particularly good, but the game really doesn’t have anything that makes up for it.
On a positive note, Clive Barker’s Undying is a true gem. F.E.A.R. has also aged beautifully, if you want a horror shooter from the same era. The sequels are more of a mixed bag, though.
Black Is More Impressive In Your Mind
Play Bulletstorm Or Bright Memory: Infinite Instead
I occasionally bring up Black as a forgotten gem that deserves to be more respected, and I firmly believe that… however, you need to play the game on a PS2 to get it.
In the year of our lord 2026, how many folks have a plugged-in PS2 and a copy of a game they haven’t played yet? 99% of the time, somebody’s first exposure will be through an emulator on a mid-tier PC and a 1440p monitor, a setup that shines a spotlight on Black’s warts and wrinkles.
Without that “how is this running on a PS2?” moment, all you are left with is an ordinary stripped-down shooter that prioritizes style over substance, and “realistic” art never ages well. At 5 hours, Black is short enough to kind of justify a playthrough, but only if you haven’t played about 200 better FPS games.
On a positive note, Black still plays fine.
Killzone Starts With Killzone 2
I mean… Play Halo Instead
Sony should bring Killzone back. Sure, its attempt to kill Halo only resulted in a self-inflicted wound, but Killzone 2 and 3 are genuinely fantastic shooters. While disappointing in the grand scheme of things, Shadow Fall is a passable PS4 exclusive and nowhere near bad enough to be the death of the franchise.
I mean, if Killzone can survive Killzone, then it should be able to survive anything. Similar to Black, Killzone was a technical marvel on the PS2, showing that the hardware could pull off projects on the same visual level as Halo: Combat Evolved. Unfortunately, graphics are the only element that comes close to Halo. Frankly, “pull off” is being kind to the PS2, as the console seems to be constantly on the verge of combustion when running Killzone.
On a positive note, the rest of the Killzone series has aged better. These games just needed the PS3.
