Summary
- Third-person shooters offer a unique camera perspective, diverse gameplay options, and immersive narratives.
- Vanquish, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Armored Core 6 are standout third-person shooters with distinctive gameplay features.
- The genre includes diverse titles like Spec Ops: The Line, Resident Evil 4, and Grand Theft Auto 5, offering varied experiences.
Video games are all about transporting us to wondrous realities far different from our own. They allow us to perform abilities or fight enemies we couldn’t imagine even in our wildest dreams. The beauty of games is there are countless options out there spanning many genres, always offering something for everyone. The third-person shooter is one of the more popular genres with quite a few games that can be considered all-time greats.
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PostsWhile shooting games overall tend to be very popular, there’s a major difference between first-person and third-person: the vision. First-person shooters show the camera as if you were the actual character and third-person shooters show the camera floating slightly behind the character’s shoulder. The third-person genre has been a staple in video game history but has seen vast improvements. These are the best third-person games that the genre has to offer.
Updated on March 24, 2025, by Mohamed El Ouardighi: Third-person shooters are among the most popular genres, and their widespread appeal allows them to be adapted into a variety of game types. We've updated this list with some more details and of course a couple more games.
Vanquish
Vanquish
Action Third-Person Shooter Released October 19, 2010 Developer(s) Platinum Games Publisher(s) Sega Platform(s) PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 Powered by Expand CollapseTo talk about third-person shooters and ignore Vanquish is already a severe crime, but to not acknowledge what exactly it is that makes it so good is worse still. Directed by Shinji Mikami as his only game at PlatinumGames, Vanquish is also to this day one of the most unique third-person shooters to grace the scene.
Vanquish styles itself as a cover shooter, moving from cover-to-cover to advance on your enemies. Except that's really just for scene-setting. Instead, you'll be vaulting over cover, sprinting across the battlefield, and slowing down time in one of the most frenetic, stylish shooters there is. There's nothing cooler than tossing a cigarette to distract the enemy as you rain bullets on them.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered
Action RPG Adventure 10.0/10 Released October 31, 2024 Developer(s) Guerrilla Games, Nixxes Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 5 Powered by Expand CollapseA third-person shooter can be anything it wants to be, and a post-apocalyptic open-world game filled with machines emulating organic life is just another one of them. While the sequel builds upon much of the foundations laid down by the original, Zero Dawn indirectly puts extra emphasis on its third-person shooter mechanics by merit of their comparative strength.
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PostsDrawing your bow in Zero Dawn just feels so damn satisfying. Every shot feels like it matters and has such good feedback. Combine this with your various tools and the weight and snappiness each of them exhibits and you've got some stellar gunplay.
Armored Core 6: Fires Of Rubicon
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Action Shooter Released August 25, 2023 Developer(s) From Software Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Studios Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand CollapseArmored Core 6 takes third-person shooters to a new level. It's one thing to wield a gun yourself, but harnessing the power of a firearm that only a mech of this scale can handle is a terrifying power, and opens up some intense actions that no single person could achieve.
As you dash across the desolate, industrialised landscapes of Rubicon, you'll be taking down plenty of other mechs. The way you move, the weapons you use, and the enemies you face all lend the game a tactical combat feel that can't be gotten anywhere but in Armored Core.
Remnant 2
Remnant 2
Soulslike Third-Person Shooter 4.0/5 Released July 25, 2023 Developer(s) Gunfire Games Publisher(s) Gearbox Publishing Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand CollapseRemnant 2 combines third-person shooting action with elements from the Soulslike genre. Incorporating aspects like a dodge button and rest points for respawning after death, it offers a challenge akin to Dark Souls but with guns.
One of the standout features of the game is its procedural generation. This means that the worlds you visit, the characters you encounter, and even the story and items you discover are all randomized. As a result, each playthrough offers a fresh and unpredictable experience, adding an exciting dynamic to the game. Alongside all of this, you will still enjoy the satisfying third-person shooting mechanics and engage in diverse boss fights, just with an extra challenge to it.
Resident Evil 4 Remake
Resident Evil 4
Survival Horror Released March 24, 2023 Developer(s) Capcom Platform(s) PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S Powered by Expand CollapseWho hasn't played the original Resident Evil 4 game back in the 2000s? With the announcement of the Remake back in the day, anticipation ran high, and thankfully, it didn't disappoint. Resident Evil 4 Remake maintains the familiar feel of the original, from the iconic locations to the beloved characters, while also adding some extra touches to enhance the experience.
You'll step into the shoes of the legendary Leon S. Kennedy as he embarks on his mission to rescue the president's daughter, Ashley Graham, battling through hordes of Las Plagas creatures who will stop at nothing to thwart him. However, if you're not a fan of horror, this might not be the game for you.
Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops: The Line
Third-Person Shooter 9.0/10 Released June 26, 2012 Developer(s) Yager Development Publisher(s) 2K Games Platform(s) PC, PS3, Xbox 360 Powered by Expand CollapseAt first glance, Spec Ops: The Line may appear to be just another third-person military shooter. You're part of Delta Force, sent on a recon mission to Dubai – a setting that initially seems quite generic for the genre.
However, as the story unravels, you're immersed in one of the most intriguing, thought-provoking, and clever narratives in gaming history. This aspect alone makes the game worth playing. But it doesn't stop there – the combat is solid, and the sandy landscape of Dubai provides a unique backdrop for the action.
Saints Row: The Third
Saints Row 3
Action Adventure Released November 15, 2011 Developer(s) Volition Platform(s) PS3, Xbox 360, Switch, PC, Linux Powered by Expand CollapseThe Saints Row series may have begun life as one of the best Grand Theft Auto clones, but it soon created its own identity. The third game is the perfect example of that, as it's Saints Row at its peak. It offers wacky weapons, strange characters, plenty of explosions, and a great soundtrack.
The story is a classic Saints tale, too, as it revolves around your customizable protagonist leading the Saints against all the other gangs in Steelport and trying to take the city over. This narrative is the perfect excuse for plenty of open-world hijinks and even more violence. It's outrageous fun.
Max Payne
Max Payne
Third-Person Shooter Released July 23, 2001 Developer(s) Remedy Entertainment Platform(s) PC, PS2, Xbox (Original), Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Android, iOS Powered by Expand CollapseTo what lengths would you go to solve the murder of your family? That's a question Max Payne must face, as the NYPD detective tries to find his family's killer. While investigating, Payne is caught in a larger conspiracy that includes information about a secret society and the United States military.
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PostsThe game used a feature called Bullet Time, which caused time to slow down. Max Payne seemed like an ordinary third-person shooter but the game receives tremendous praise for its gunplay and the overall story. The success of Max Payne resulted in two sequels and a film adaptation in 2008.
Army Of Two
Army of Two
FPS Released March 4, 2008 Developer(s) EA, Visceral Games Publisher(s) Electronic Arts Platform(s) PS3, Xbox 360 Powered by Expand CollapseArmy of Two launched amid the cooperative boom on consoles of the mid-2000s. You needed to have precise teamwork to have true success in the game and ultimately, Army of Two was meant to be played with another real person, though it does have a Partner Artificial Intelligence system, so you could play solo. Certain objectives in the game are virtually impossible without the assistance of a second player or AI.
The game follows two mercenaries fighting through a political conspiracy from 1993 to 2009. Besides the main story mode, Army of Two also had online multiplayer and was one of the first games of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era to have region-locked multiplayer. Ultimately, Army of Two was praised for the in-depth cooperative play but only if you played with an actual real person instead of the AI.
Crackdown
Crackdown
Action-Adventure Open-World Released February 20, 2007 Developer(s) Realtime Worlds Publisher(s) Microsoft Game Studios Platform(s) Xbox 360 Powered by Expand CollapseDuring the mid-2000s, one of the standout video game series from Xbox Game Studios was Crackdown. Set in a futuristic dystopian city, essentially a police state ruled by the Agency, this third-person shooter offers a unique premise.
As a supersoldier for the Agency, you're tasked with patrolling the city and neutralizing various threats, from terrorists to occasional monsters. Crackdown evokes a vibe reminiscent of games like Saints Row and Grand Theft Auto but with an arcade-style twist. Critics particularly lauded the game's emphasis on environmental destruction and the freedom to explore the expansive world without being tied to a linear story.
