Shooters, predominantly, were a genre that thrived on PCs in the 90s and 2000s. Eventually, the consoles started to catch up on making decent shooters that worked well with controls. By the time the HD era started, shooters became one of the dominant genres in the video game market.
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Every company wanted to try their hand at capitalizing on this trend thanks to series likeCall of DutyandHalomaking big waves. That means there were a lot of bad games that just wanted money. There also were some good but flawed ones that could just never make a breakthrough into a mainstream audience. From third-person to first-person, these recent shooters deserve more praise from thePS4,Xbox One, andSwitchgenerations.
10Alienation
Alienationis a 2016 full PS4 exclusive top-down looter shooter. It hasfull co-op supporttoo for up to four players. It looks a little likeHalobased on the weaponized suits players can customize. There are tons of levels, aliens, and weapons to make this one of the best exclusives on the system. It’s perfect for some friendly arcade action for any type of gamer be they young, or old.
9Anthem
Anthemis a 2019 multiplatform 3rd-person shooter/aerial combat game. It was a big flop out the gate which is unfortunate. It seems like people wanted to hate on it based on other decisionsEAmade in games.
It did have problems to be sure such as a lack of content and a bizarre roadmap. What’s there was still fun though simply for the aerial combat and visuals alone and wasgreat for co-op.
8Daemon X Machina
Daemon X Machinais a 2019 Switch console exclusive mech-based shooter. It was part of the Nintendo Directs for a while, finally came out, and then nothing came of it.
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It got decent reviews although nothing that screamed instant classic. For fans of mech games, they loved it. Not everyone else was sold though but it is definitely worth a second look.
7Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing In Disguise
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguiseis a 2020 full Switch exclusive 3rd-person shooter, detective game. It is a sequel a decade in the making. The original was on multiple consoles but the series then became a Switch exclusive.
The original gamewas not for everyone. It wasThe Roomequivalent to video games. It, and this sequel, are so bizarre and yet charming that they need to be played to be believed.
6Earth Defense Force 5
Earth Defense Force 5is a 2017 PS4 console exclusive third-person shooter. This entire series is a B-movie from the 1950s but as a video game. Giant bugs invade Earth. A special force is rounded up to take them down.
That is nearly every game. It’s the shooter equivalent toDynasty Warriorswhich is not a bad thing. This game, in particular, may look cheap, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun especially withfriends in co-op.
5Gato Roboto
Gato Robotois a 2019 multiplatform 2D Metroidvania shooter. It is pretty much the originalMetroidgame except instead of a lady piloting a mech suit, it’s a cat fighting against a nefarious set of aliens and other seemingly normal critters.
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It’s cute but don’t let that fool anyone. This is a hard game. The black and white visuals, gameplay loop, the feline star all make this an unforgettable experience.
4Headlander
Headlander is a 2016 multiplatform2D Metroidvania shooter. This is even more obscure than Gato Roboto in terms of Metroidvanias. It was one ofDouble Fine’ssmaller projects wherein you lose your body and become a rocket-powered head.
Don’t worry. Players can dock their heads on other bodies such as humanoid robots and even dogs. It is bizarre to be sure but also a good Metroidvania with some decent puzzles.
3Shakedown Hawaii
Shakedown Hawaiiis a 2019 multiplatform top-down shooter in the vein ofGrand Theft Auto. That’s howGrand Theft Autobegan, from the top-down so this is a nice callback to its except with better visuals and gameplay. Players are basically trying to become the king of this island through ruthless expansion. To be specific, it is like a retro version ofVice Cityin more ways than one.
2Starlink: Battle for Atlas
Starlink: Battle for Atlasis a 2018 multiplatform space shooter. It is a toys-to-life game that was perhaps a little too late to the party as the genre pretty much dried up by this time. The game on its own is a decent space shooter that looked and played well.
The reason why gamers should look into this game though is due to the fact that the Switch version featuredStar Foxcharacters and ships. It might be the best gamein the seriesin years.
1The Mummy Demastered
The Mummy Demastered is a 2017 multiplatform Metroidvania shooter. The movie, on which this game was based, did not review well. In fact, it reviewed so poorly that it destroyed the Dark Universe that they were trying to set up.
That may be one reason no one touched this game seeing as the movie was so bad. That is unfortunate because, unlike mostmovie tie-in games, this one is far better than the source material.
