Summary
Third-person shootersare fast-paced and usually a lot of fun. While several AAA games such asGears of Warhave helped establish this genre as a part of mainstream gaming culture, countless otherAA titleshave also helped pave the road. AA studiosdon’t have hundreds of employees or the million-dollar budgets that developers such as Bethesda or Ubisoft do, but that’s not always a bad thing.
Thanks to their smaller size,AA studios often have more independenceand can take more creative liberties than their larger counterparts, which, more often than not, results in unique games. To give such titles the recognition they deserve, here are thebest AA third-person shooter gameson the market.
For players who aren’t familiar with theZombie Armyseries, the game is set in an alternate world in which Hitler, upon realizing the inevitability of Nazi defeat in World War 2, creates and releases a horde of zombies to gain an edge over the Allies. Players can choose from a wide variety of survivor characters and an even more extensive set of ranged and melee weapons, reminiscent ofLeft 4 Dead 2.
While not awfully limited, the zombie variety leaves a bit to be desired, especially when comparing this game to other titles of a similar genre.Zombie Army 4: Dead Warhas some room for improvement, but overall, it’s a really fun game to play alone or with friends.
Set in the 22nd Century,Outriderstells a story where humanity’s technological advancement is unmatched. Still, its survival is at risk, as Earth is no longer inhabitable due to severe and frequent earthquakes. After a long journey, humanity reaches its next potential home: Enoch, a promising planet on which to rebuild civilization. But things might not go as planned for humanity’s survivors.
With a lore-rich story, tons of weapons, special powers, andwell-designed player classes(Devastator, Pyromancer, Technomancer, and Trickster),Outridersoffers a great third-person shooter experience. On average, if players only focus on the game’s main objectives, they should get about 16 hours of entertainment out of it. However, if they choose to be completionists, they’ll be looking at about 55–60 hours.
Evil Westfollows the story of vampire hunter Jesse Rentier from the Rentier Institute. Jesse and his father have dedicated their lives to fighting vampires and any other creature of the night that endangers humankind. While adding non-contemporary elements, such as aliens or vampires, to the Wild West genre isn’t anything new,Evil Weststill manages to feel fresh and exciting.
DeveloperFlying Wild Hoghas always been known for havingintricate weapon designsthat look otherworldly and enhance the combat experience. The X-Bow, the Beam Rifle, and the Crippling Rod are great examples of the developer’s creativity and attention to detail. WhileEvil Westisn’t the longest game out there, it has a decent play time that offers up to 20 hours of fun for completionists.
Sniper Elite 4follows up on Karl Fairburne’s story as he fights for the Allied cause, one bullet at a time. In this installment of the game, Karl finds himself in the Italian Peninsula, where he joins the Italian Resistance in an effort to fend off Fascist forces and ensure Allied victory. The game improves on its predecessors in terms of stealth mechanics and X-ray kill cams.Sniper Elite 4also has some of the most beloved missions in the entire franchise, such as Giovi Fiorini Mansion.
All in all, this game is yet another success in the franchise’s long history, and will please both gamers who are already long-time fans, and newcomers who want to try out a new stealth-based sniper title.
Post-apocalyptic survival games aren’t anything new, butRemnant: From the Ashesis a great example of how AA studios can take an existing concept and make it their own to deliver something unique. This game is set on a desolate version of Earth after the invasion of an interdimensional evil force known as The Root. Players will control The Wanderer, an expert scout from a tribe of survivors seeking to find answers and find a way to end The Root’s hold on Earth.
With intimidating bosses, beautifully crafted post-apocalyptic city environments, and a large selection of weapons players can choose from,Remnant: From the Ashesdeserves high praise in the halls of AA third-person shooters.
Upon its release, one of the first thingsControlput to the test was console and PC hardware, as it had demanding reflections and powerful ray-tracing capabilities. However, there’s much more to this game than its graphics. When Jesse Faden arrives at the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC), several strange things start to happen, which eventually lead to her becoming the Bureau’s new Director. Her mission is to fight against The Hiss, a supernatural entity inhabiting The Oldest House, the FBC’s New York Headquarters.
As the story progresses, Jesse will learn new powers that allow her to defeat enemies, something she’ll have to perfect to survive and learn the truth. Remedy Entertainment is known for widely successful thrillers likeAlan Wake, and while this success has allowed them to release some AAA games over the years, with bothAlan WakeandQuantum Breakgetting some financial backing from Microsoft, it’s lucky thatControlwasn’t one of them, as the story and concept might have suffered from the creativity restraints top publishers usually impose.
All in all,Controlis a thrilling game full of supernatural entities (good and bad) that will have players engaging in action-packed firefights within the walls of a gray government office building.With a sequel in the works, it’s exciting to think about the future of this franchise and what it will deliver in terms of graphics, hardware optimization, and storytelling.
