The Best Third-Person Shooter Games

Best third-person shooter games at a glance

How these third-person shooters were selected

The ranking considers:

• Quality and clarity of shooting
• Value of the third-person camera
• Movement, cover and encounter design
• Solo and cooperative options
• Mission and campaign variety
• Tactical freedom
• Character or equipment progression
• Variety across shooter subgenres

Not every selection is a pure shooter. METAL GEAR SOLID V supports extensive stealth, The Last of Us Part I combines shooting with survival systems, and Space Marine 2 gives melee combat equal importance. Each game still uses third-person gunplay as a substantial part of its design.

1. METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN

Best third-person shooter overall

METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN places open-ended military missions inside large environments.

Players can scout compounds, mark guards and choose an entry route before committing to an objective. Weapons, gadgets, companions and vehicles support quiet infiltration or direct action.

The third-person camera provides useful awareness around cover and during transitions between crawling, aiming and sprinting. Weather and time of day can change visibility, while enemy equipment may respond to repeated tactics.

The strongest feature is recovery after a plan fails. Detection creates a new tactical problem instead of always forcing an immediate restart.

Mother Base connects field operations to recruitment and equipment development, giving successful missions value beyond one objective.

Choose it if: you want the widest range of approaches and enjoy treating every enemy base as a tactical system.

2. HELLDIVERS 2

Best co-op third-person shooter

HELLDIVERS 2 sends small squads into hostile missions across a shared galactic conflict.

Players choose weapons, armor and Stratagems before deployment. Stratagems can deliver supplies, support weapons or powerful attacks, but calling them during combat requires space and attention.

Friendly fire makes positioning important. A badly placed airstrike can be as dangerous as the enemy, so communication matters even when the squad has overwhelming equipment.

Objectives often require movement and interaction rather than simply defeating every creature. Teams need to decide when to hold ground, when to withdraw and which equipment can solve the current threat.

It supports online co-op and multiplayer rather than a conventional solo campaign.

Choose it if: you want frantic squad missions where coordination and battlefield mistakes create unpredictable outcomes.

3. Max Payne 3

Best cinematic third-person gunplay

Max Payne 3 builds a directed campaign around precise shooting, aggressive movement and bullet time.

Slowing time creates opportunities to line up shots while diving or moving between cover. The system is not only a visual effect; it changes how the player reads a crowded encounter and creates space under pressure.

Detailed animation gives movement and weapon handling unusual physical weight. Max can stumble, recover and transition between positions without making combat feel disconnected from the environment.

The campaign maintains a strong pace by moving between compact firefights, larger set pieces and quieter story scenes.

It supports the complete original game and previously released downloadable content.

Choose it if: you want a focused single-player shooter where polished mechanics matter more than an open world or long progression system.

4. Returnal

Best roguelike third-person shooter

Returnal combines fast third-person shooting with bullet-hell patterns and a repeating science-fiction journey.

Movement is central to survival. Dashing, jumping and reading projectile patterns matter as much as weapon accuracy, encouraging players to remain mobile rather than hold one piece of cover.

Each cycle rearranges environments and equipment combinations. A failed run returns Selene to the crash site, but knowledge and selected permanent upgrades make later attempts more informed.

Weapons can develop different traits, allowing the same basic category to support another combat rhythm in a future run.

Online co-op lets another player share much of the journey, although the game remains viable as a demanding solo experience.

Choose it if: you enjoy repeat runs, fast movement and learning difficult encounters through failure.

5. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands

Best tactical open-world co-op shooter

Ghost Recon Wildlands places a squad inside a large open world filled with cartel compounds, patrols and mission targets.

Drones and binoculars support reconnaissance before a firefight begins. Synchronized shots allow several threats to be removed together, while long-range weapons provide overwatch for teammates moving through a compound.

The open structure lets players choose the order of operations and approach objectives from different directions. Vehicles shorten travel and expand tactical options, but noisy arrivals can undermine a stealth plan.

AI teammates support solo play, while co-op allows human players to divide scouting, sniping and close-range responsibilities.

Choose it if: you want a military sandbox where planning and teamwork can prevent a firefight or control one when it begins.

6. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2

Best third-person shooter and melee hybrid

Space Marine 2 combines heavy firearms with close-range attacks against large enemy swarms.

Ranged weapons thin crowds and control distant threats, while melee combat becomes essential when enemies close the distance. Defensive timing and execution systems help sustain the character inside prolonged battles.

The camera emphasizes the size and physical power of the Space Marine without hiding the surrounding battlefield. That wider view is particularly useful when threats approach from several directions.

It supports a single-player campaign, online co-op, online PvP and multiplayer modes.

Choose it if: you want forceful science-fiction combat where shooting and melee are designed to flow into one another.

7. Sniper Elite 4

Best precision third-person shooter

Sniper Elite 4 builds large missions around observation, stealth and long-range shooting.

Open levels give players room to scout patrols, identify officers and choose firing positions. Ballistic considerations and sound masking reward patience rather than rapid target switching.

The third-person view helps with movement through cover, while the aiming perspective supports precise long-distance shots. Mines, traps and secondary weapons provide options when enemies approach the sniper’s position.

The campaign supports solo play and co-op, allowing one player to observe or distract while another prepares a shot.

Choose it if: you want deliberate mission planning and long-range engagements rather than constant close combat.

8. Resident Evil Requiem

Best horror third-person shooter

Resident Evil Requiem combines survival horror with shooting and exploration.

Its third-person elements provide a wider view of threatening spaces, while resource pressure prevents weapons from becoming a complete answer to every enemy. Ammunition, healing and route choice remain meaningful.

The game also supports first-person presentation, making it a perspective-flexible horror title rather than a TPS-only experience. Players can choose the viewing style that best suits exploration and combat.

The structured single-player campaign emphasizes atmosphere and survival more than multiplayer competition.

Choose it if: you want shooting inside a horror experience where escape, inventory decisions and uncertainty still matter.

9. Risk of Rain 2

Best co-op roguelike shooter

Risk of Rain 2 places players on an alien planet where enemy pressure increases as time passes.

Each survivor has a distinct set of abilities, changing movement, range and combat priorities. Items collected during a run stack into powerful combinations, sometimes transforming a cautious opening build into overwhelming late-run damage.

The timer discourages unlimited exploration. Searching for every item creates strength, but spending too long makes future enemies more dangerous.

Solo play is supported, while online co-op lets a group combine survivors and divide loot according to the emerging build.

Choose it if: you want repeated runs, escalating chaos and item combinations that can radically change a character.

10. ARC Raiders

Best third-person extraction shooter

ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure set on a future Earth threatened by hostile machines.

Players enter dangerous areas to gather resources, complete objectives and return safely. Equipment carried into an expedition creates opportunity and risk because another player or a machine encounter can interrupt the extraction plan.

The third-person camera improves awareness during traversal and helps players read threats around cover. PvE machines are not the only concern, since other Raiders can cooperate, compete or take advantage of a weakened group.

Persistent progression gives successful extraction value beyond one match, while failure makes preparation and route planning consequential.

Choose it if: you want a PvPvE shooter where deciding when to leave is as important as winning a fight.

11. The Last of Us Part I

Best story-driven survival shooter

The Last of Us Part I combines third-person shooting, stealth and scarce resources inside a directed character journey.

Ammunition and crafting materials are limited, so exploration has practical value. Players can avoid selected encounters, create distractions or use improvised tools rather than treating every area as a conventional arena.

The camera keeps Joel visible during movement and close combat, reinforcing the physical danger of narrow spaces. Shooting is deliberately less abundant than in action-focused entries such as Max Payne 3.

The single-player structure gives the relationship between Joel and Ellie room to develop between hostile encounters.

Choose it if: you want story, stealth and survival pressure to carry as much weight as gunplay.

12. Spec Ops: The Line

Best psychological military shooter

Spec Ops: The Line follows a squad entering a devastated Dubai on a reconnaissance mission that becomes increasingly destructive.

The cover-based shooting is familiar, but the campaign uses that familiarity to examine the consequences of military action and the assumptions encouraged by heroic war stories.

Squad commands allow priority targets to be identified, while sand and damaged environments influence selected encounters.

Its strongest feature is the narrative context surrounding the combat rather than a large equipment system or open mission structure.

It supports single-player and multiplayer, although the campaign is the main reason to play.

Choose it if: you want a short, directed military story designed to question the actions it asks the player to perform.

13. Days Gone

Best open-world zombie third-person shooter

Days Gone places Deacon St. John in a large post-pandemic world connected by a motorcycle.

Fuel, maintenance and distance make travel part of preparation. Camps, roads and abandoned locations create opportunities for resources, but every detour can consume supplies or attract enemies.

Large hordes change the combat scale. A plan may require traps, ammunition, terrain knowledge and an escape route rather than direct shooting alone.

The campaign is single-player and combines firearms, stealth, crafting and open-world exploration.

Choose it if: you want a long zombie adventure with motorcycle travel and large encounters that reward preparation.

14. Vanquish

Best high-speed third-person shooter

Vanquish rejects slow cover dependence in favor of boost movement, sliding and aggressive repositioning.

The powered suit allows the player to cross exposed space quickly, escape dangerous attacks and create new angles. Slow-motion systems provide brief control during otherwise rapid encounters.

Cover still has value, but staying stationary for too long wastes the game’s movement tools. The strongest play combines protection, boosting and precise attacks against mechanical enemies.

The campaign is a focused single-player experience without the long progression structures found in modern looter shooters.

Choose it if: you want a compact science-fiction shooter built around speed and mechanical execution.

15. Mafia: Definitive Edition

Best crime-story third-person shooter

Mafia: Definitive Edition follows taxi driver Tommy Angelo as an encounter with organized crime draws him into the Salieri family.

The city creates historical context for the story, but the campaign is more directed than a sandbox such as Just Cause 3 or Ghost Recon Wildlands. Missions combine driving, exploration and cover-based firefights.

Gunplay supports a crime drama in which character relationships and consequences remain central. The focus is not on endless equipment collection or repeated multiplayer matches.

It supports single-player, full controller support and Steam Family Sharing.

Choose it if: you want a cinematic period story with shooting and driving inside a structured campaign.

Which third-person shooter should you play first?

Match the game to the experience you want:

• Tactical freedom and stealth: METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN
• Mission-based squad co-op: HELLDIVERS 2
• Cinematic single-player gunplay: Max Payne 3
• A demanding roguelike: Returnal
• Open-world military co-op: Ghost Recon Wildlands
• Shooting and melee: Space Marine 2
• Long-range stealth: Sniper Elite 4
• Survival horror: Resident Evil Requiem
• Repeatable co-op runs: Risk of Rain 2
• Extraction and PvPvE: ARC Raiders
• Story and survival: The Last of Us Part I
• Psychological military narrative: Spec Ops: The Line
• Open-world zombie combat: Days Gone
• High-speed science-fiction action: Vanquish
• Crime drama: Mafia: Definitive Edition

METAL GEAR SOLID V is the broadest recommendation because players can choose stealth, gadgets, sniping or direct combat. Max Payne 3 is easier to recommend when a tightly paced campaign matters more than systemic freedom.

Best co-op third-person shooters

HELLDIVERS 2 is the strongest recommendation for short squad missions and chaotic teamwork.

Ghost Recon Wildlands offers a larger tactical world where players can scout, synchronize shots and approach objectives from several directions.

Space Marine 2 combines cooperative shooting and melee inside a more cinematic science-fiction war.

Risk of Rain 2 is better for groups that enjoy repeated roguelike runs and unpredictable item combinations.

ARC Raiders adds extraction pressure and competition from other players, making it the least predictable co-op option.

Players focused on equipment progression can continue with the best looter shooters.

Best single-player third-person shooters

Max Payne 3 provides the clearest pure-shooter campaign, with excellent bullet-time mechanics and directed encounters.

METAL GEAR SOLID V offers more freedom and a much broader mission structure, while Vanquish prioritizes speed and mechanical intensity.

The Last of Us Part I and Mafia: Definitive Edition place heavier emphasis on story. Resident Evil Requiem suits players who want horror and resource pressure.

Spec Ops: The Line remains notable for how its narrative reframes familiar military shooting, while Days Gone builds a longer open-world journey around survival and hordes.

Tactical third-person shooters

Ghost Recon Wildlands is the strongest squad-based tactical option because reconnaissance and synchronized attacks can determine whether an objective remains controlled.

Sniper Elite 4 focuses on stealth, long sightlines and deliberate shots across large missions.

METAL GEAR SOLID V provides the greatest systemic freedom, supporting distractions, companions, vehicles and many infiltration tools.

HELLDIVERS 2 is tactical in a different way. Planning equipment and support abilities matters, but missions can become chaotic quickly and friendly fire makes imperfect execution part of the challenge.

Third-person shooters versus first-person shooters

A first-person shooter places the camera inside the character’s viewpoint. This creates direct aiming and close environmental presence but limits awareness of the character’s body and nearby space.

A third-person shooter places the camera behind or around a visible character. The wider view helps with cover, movement, melee transitions and threats approaching from the sides.

The perspective also changes animation and spatial judgment. Returnal and Vanquish use the visible character to communicate fast movement, while Ghost Recon Wildlands and Sniper Elite 4 use the wider camera for tactical positioning.

Neither perspective is inherently better. Players who want a more direct aiming view can explore the best FPS games.

What makes a strong third-person shooter?

A strong TPS needs more than moving the camera behind the character.

Movement and aiming must work together. The player should understand when to use cover, when to reposition and how animation affects control.

Encounter spaces should use the wider view. Flanks, elevation, crowds and environmental hazards create reasons to monitor the whole battlefield rather than stare at one target.

Weapons also need distinct tactical roles. A shotgun, rifle, sniper weapon and explosive tool should change distance, movement or priority instead of only changing damage values.

Finally, the game should recover gracefully from mistakes. METAL GEAR SOLID V creates improvisation after detection, while HELLDIVERS 2 turns imperfect plans into chaotic team stories.

Final recommendations

METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN is the best overall third-person shooter for its open missions and tactical freedom.

Choose HELLDIVERS 2 for co-op, Max Payne 3 for a directed action campaign, Returnal for roguelike intensity or Ghost Recon Wildlands for tactical open-world teamwork.

Choose Sniper Elite 4 for precision, Resident Evil Requiem for horror, ARC Raiders for extraction or The Last of Us Part I for story and survival.

The best third-person shooters use the visible character and wider camera to improve movement, awareness and decision-making, not merely to provide a different viewpoint.