2013 was a pretty decent year for gaming. It wasn't a total banger, but many great games and plenty of infamous ones were released. Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released this year as well, fully ushering in the eighth generation of console gaming.
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Considering the shooter genre is one of the most popular, dozens of FPS games and third-person shooters are released yearly, and 2013 was no exception. While years like 2011 had far more noteworthy games, this year still had plenty. However, there are also some shooters you probably forgot about that were actually released in 2013.
10 Call Of Duty: Ghosts
One of the most infamous games in the Call of Duty series has to be Ghosts. The title was already thoroughly mocked before release for its focus on hyper-realistic dog models and mentioning that fish swim out of the way when you get near them. Super Mario 64 did that back in 1996. Unfortunately, the reception didn't get better when the game came out.
The campaign's story is not the quality you would expect from an Academy Award-winning writer, and it drags down the missions. It's a shame because some missions are very good, like the ones in space. The multiplayer map designs just didn't work for casuals, although many pro gamers loved the competitive play. All of this, combined with the fact it was the first COD on the new generation of hardware at the time, makes it one of the most infamous games in the series. It's beginning to show its age.
9 Battlefield 4
Like most Battlefield games, Battlefield 4 had a rough launch with plenty of bugs. It was actually unplayable for a little bit. However, it managed to bounce back and still today has quite an active player base. Much more active than other shooters released the same year.
The game's campaign is nothing to write home about, but most people will likely be playing for the multiplayer. Seen today as one of the best Battlefield experiences to date, Battlefield 4 is a great starting point if you want to jump into the series.
8 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Out of the entire Far Cry series, one standout entry has to be Blood Dragon. This is a game so positively received by fans and critics that many who disliked or didn't care about Far Cry started to jump into Blood Dragon. The title had a retro 80s aesthetic, which was a bit more fresh at that time rather than now.
Blood Dragon's mocking of certain aspects of gaming was hilarious and something rare for a triple-A game. It's quite short but still left a long-lasting impression. Unfortunately, a true sequel never came, as the follow-up was a Trials spinoff. Trials is a great series, but even its fans were unfavorable to Trials of the Blood Dragon. Still, the original Blood Dragon remains one of the best Far Cry games.
7 Aliens: Colonial Marines
In terms of infamous and controversial first-person shooters, Aliens: Colonial Marines is bound to show up. The game's showing at various E3s looks nothing like the finished title, resulting in a lawsuit. The core game itself is quite poor but does have a couple of positives. Colonial Marines offer no regenerating health, and map design is less linear. These aspects were pretty fresh for the time when compared to other recent shooters.
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Besides that, everything else is not ideal. The AI simply doesn't function properly, and it was due to a one-letter spelling error in the code. The shooting doesn't feel great, with low-impacting weapons and bad accuracy. Thankfully future Alien games were much better, like Alien: Isolation and Aliens: Fireteam Elite.
6 Saints Row 4
This Saints Row game cranked up the franchise to 11. It went way over the top, with the premise being that you control the President of the United States fighting Aliens. You also controlled like a superhero, and the infamous dubstep gun was introduced in this game.
Saints Row 4 is one of those divisive titles. Many love the over-the-top nature and quality open-world design, while others wanted the more grounded take, the earlier games offered. It depends on personal preference, but it's for sure better than the 2022 Saints Row reboot and still a quality game on its own merit.
5 Gears Of War: Judgment
Gears of War: Judgment is, unfortunately, one of those forgettable Xbox titles since the 360 era. You probably assumed that this was the first entry in the series developed by the Coalition, but no. Judgment was the final Gears to be developed by Epic Games. The actual game itself is pretty good, and it's a shame it got glossed over, similar to God of War: Ascension that year.
Maybe it was due to not enough marketing or lack of player interest. The numbers don't lie, as the title sold under a million copies, which is not great numbers for an Xbox-exclusive triple-A game. Unfortunately, games like this and God of War: Ascension were simply released right before new hardware arrived, and people were more interested in what was coming for next-gen.
4 Killzone: Mercenary
An interesting note about 2013 that you may have forgotten is the existence of the PS Vita. The cult-loved handheld gaming console held back by expensive memory cards had its own Killzone game this year.
FPS games on the Vita have a bit of a rocky track record, with titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified, but Mercenary, on the other hand, delivers. The controls were leagues better than the PS Vita COD game, and it's quite a fun shooter. Out of the PS Vita catalog, Killzone: Mercenary is definitely a game worth checking out.
3 Metro: Last Light
Based on the Metro novels, Metro: Last Light is a post-apocalyptic FPS set in Moscow. Despite Metro: Last Light being the first entry most people played, it's actually a sequel to Metro 2033, originally published by THQ in 2010. Post-apocalyptic titles always have a curtain attraction regarding their world design and learning more about the area, and Last Light is no different.
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If you need to play something unique, then this game might not be for you. Its stealth and survival mechanics are common throughout many FPS and third-person games, including plenty released afterward. Still, Last Light is available on nearly every modern console and is worthwhile for lovers of the post-apocalyptic subgenre.
2 Crysis 3
The Crysis trilogy has plenty of fans, but unfortunately, it isn't as popular as other shooter series. The first title is still known in gaming pop culture for its ridiculous system requirements for the time, and the sequel was one of the better FPS games released in 2011. Crysis 3, however, didn't have a lot of buzz at release, and while the game's decent, you can see why.
This title just didn't improve that much from the previous two games to make a big impact. Crysis 2 was a decent jump from the first game, but not so much with Crysis 3. Games like Crysis 3 and COD Ghosts almost symbolize the end of the standard two-year development cycle for the PS3 era. Games designed on the new hardware were going to need more time than that, and developers followed suit.
1 BioShock: Infinite
One of the bigger Game of the Year contenders for 2013 was BioShock: Infinite, the third and, so far, the final game in the series. Taking place in the sky city of Columbia, you play as Booker DeWitt, who must rescue Elizabeth who has been imprisoned.
Infinite's story and visuals are phenomenal, although it's tough to say whether this or the original is the best in the series. BioShock 1 definitely offers more memorable quotes and is more iconic to gaming as a whole, especially with the Andrew Ryan character. Regardless of what's best, Infinite is a stellar game and a fitting end to the trilogy.
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