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The gaming industry tends to work in trends.
Theshootergenre, however, has managed to maintain popularity for years.
Of course, it’s changed plenty of times through the decades.
But the simple act of shooting people, monsters, or zombies in a video game setting is evergreen.
We rank the best third-person shooters out there, spanning multiple console generations.
Did your favorite make the list?
Yet, not enough of them allow you to do it with a buddy by your side.
While cooperative shooters aren’t extremely rare, it seems like there should be more of them.
That being said, there are a few amazing ones out there, and these are the greatest.
Updated March 21, 2025 by Ben Jessey:There are plenty of great co-op shooters out there.
We created this list of the best ones and have now updated it to add a few more.
The place includes mountains, deserts, forests, and other terrain to traverse.
Much of the game revolves around you driving around the map, visiting different places, and completing missions.
The combat is a bit slower and more tactical than your average shooter.
After all, you aren’t just shooting people.
You’re also using melee attacks and special abilities to deal some damage.
Yet, guns are certainly a significant part of the experience.
You have a revolver, rifle, and a flamethrower to use in battle.
The foes you’re typically battling against are supernatural monsters that regular humans can’t handle.
Thankfully, you aren’t a regular human.
Contagion
Contagion is a multiplayer first-person survival horror game.
It contains multiple modes, and two of them are cooperative ones.
There are several weapons in the game to help with that, and they generally feel pleasant to shoot.
Therefore, Infinite doesn’t dramatically change things, but it arguably provides the smoothest combat in the series.
The inclusion of new weapons and a grapple hook mechanic helps keep things fresh, too.
Another thing that makes this different from other Halo games is the campaign features an open world.
The game also offers gun customization, continuous progression, and, of course, co-op play.
The developers don’t seem to put much focus on storytelling or having eye-catching visuals.
These games are all about wacky fun, which is something EDF 6 certainly provides.
The game is all about running around large areas while killing the invading monsters.
These beasts are typically gigantic, and there is usually an incredible number of them.
Thankfully, you have various high-powered weapons to bring them down.
Therefore, you both play as significant characters.
It’s a solid third-person cover shooter with deep weapon customization and nicely designed environments.
In 2023, an enhanced version came out on newer consoles.
It is more of a port than a full remaster or remake, so it isn’t visually spectacular.
That said, the core first-person gunplay is still a lot of fun.
It brings back memories of another era of games, like the original Doom and Duke Nukem.
As such, there is no deep story or a bunch of cutscenes in this game.
You just go from room to room, blasting monsters with various different weapons.
Shadow Warrior 2
Shadow Warrior 2 doesn’t take itself as seriously as many other FPS games.
It contains plenty of jokes, and not many of them are very sophisticated.
Its core combat is flashy and exciting.
Some of those beasts are really big and powerful.
Thankfully, though, you and your friends have plenty of interesting and dangerous weapons at your disposal.
It is not all guns, either, as there are plenty of blades in the title, too.
For each mission, you travel to a unique area and have objectives to complete.
These objectives can range from finding things to rescuing people.
The gunplay is smooth, and the co-op experience is delightful.
After all, this shooter mixed with a roguelite is anything but slow.
So, it’s like Doom.
However, this game doesn’t take place in hell or anything resembling hell.
In fact, you run around vibrant places filled with bright colors.
The game’s lovely art style carries over to the weaponry, which looks beautiful.
Therefore, the game looks incredible and feels even better to play.
You play as one of its residents, a.k.a a Na’vi.
The narrative is similar to the movies, but this is a primarily separate self-contained tale.
To fight back against the human forces on the planet, you must do some first-person shooting.
Your weapons include things like a bow and a shotgun.
World War Z Aftermath
World War Z Aftermath offers both third-person and first-person shooting action.
The decision of which perspective you use is up to you.
Regardless of which you go for, you get to experience some solid and smooth shooting mechanics.
And the things you’re shooting are zombies.
It’s a squad-based zombie shooter in the mold of Left 4 Dead.
However, this one is set in the World War Z universe.
Yet, it’s only loosely based on the novel and movie of the same name.
You don’t need any knowledge of them to enjoy the experience.
All you need is an appreciation of zombie killing.
Borderlands: The Handsome Collection
What is the best Borderlands game?
It’s tricky to answer that question, but The Handsome Collection includes two that would be in consideration.
Both Borderlands 2 and The Pre-Sequel are in this package, and they’re excellent first-person action RPGs.
Battles are frantic and exciting, whether you’re fighting people or the creatures of Pandora.
The narratives are solid and engaging, too, and they revolve around the always charismatic Handsome Jack.
The stories are not likely to make you cry, but you may laugh once or twice.
It’s set in a fictional version of Washington D.C. that has been ruined by a deadly virus.
We know the best rifles, shotguns, and more.
That would be the combat.
This title offers tight cover-based shooting mechanics that are a joy to behold.
Plus, there’s plenty of opportunity for teamwork.
And you may need to when taking on the harder missions.
The game doesn’t offer a traditional co-op story, but there is a dedicated co-operative mode.
Either way, these co-op matches are really fun due to the game’s satisfying shooting mechanics.
Black Ops 3, however, is one of the few entries to do so.
It’s an engaging story with some interesting missions.
The famous Zombies mode is also available to play with friends.
Whatever mode you’re experiencing, the FPS combat is slick and exciting.
During the game, you travel to different worlds that all have distinct environments and enemies.
In each one, you should probably find and kill a really powerful monster.
Along the way, you solve some puzzles and shoot many different creatures.
That last bit might be the best part, as the gunplay is very fluid and fun.
And you’re able to enjoy it with up to two friends.
Tiny Tinas Wonderlands
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is a spin-off of the Borderlands series.
Like those games, it offers online co-op.
Where it differs from the mainline series is that it’s set inside a tabletop role-playing game.
It’s wacky and funny.
Unreal Tournament 3
Unreal Tournament 3 is a fast-paced and attack-packed FPS game from the late 2000s.
The combat is similar to games like Doom in that you’re encouragedto be in perpetual motion while fighting.
The campaign can be played in local split-screen co-op.
It’s a unique experience, as the game doesn’t contain traditional missions.
Instead, you play multiplayer-like matches against AI with cutscenes in between each one.
It’s odd, but it works pretty well, and the game is very fun.
The game holds up very well from a gameplay standpoint, particularly for those who appreciate arcade titles.
It’s a simple but fun co-op game.
Zombie Army 4: Dead War
No matterhow dangerous they are, zombiesare always fun to fight.
These aren’t just any run-of-the-mill undead, though.
These are Nazi zombies that are under the rule of the undead Hilter.
Therefore, you immediately have an incentive to blow them away.
The game is a traditional first-person shooter with satisfying shooting mechanics and some unique weapons.
Rainbow Six: Vegas
Rainbow Six Vegas is a tactical FPS that boasts two co-op modes.
The narrative is a standard shooter tale as your squad attempts to bring down a terrorist.
Speaking of terrorists, the other co-op mode is called Terrorist Hunt.
This is why you must use cover and play tactically.
That new world is known as Enoch, and it comes with its own set of dangers.
You don’t have to face them alone, though.
A maximum of two friends can join you online.
They all have their own abilities that can assist you on your perilous adventure.
What are also useful are the firearms you could obtain and use in third-person cover-based gunfights.
They both contain co-op elements, but the 2009 title just edges it in enjoyability.
Unfortunately, those previously mentioned co-op elements aren’t featured in the campaign.
While playing the mode, you and a friend embark on different mission scenarios.
There is a lot of variation between them, and most are fun to play.
It features roguelike elements and several different modes, from a co-op campaign to competitive multiplayer.
This is bad because no zombie squad shooter can truly match that classic title.
Yet, Back 4 Blood is still a fun first-person shooter in its own right.
Single-player may often be the way to go for FPS games, but these call for some co-op action.
The campaign consists of several acts, each containing a bunch of chapters.
There are also sometimes other objectives you gotta accomplish, which helps vary things up.
Killing Floor 2
Survival is the only goal in this co-op shooter.
After all, there is no real story.
You’re just placed on a map, and you must survive wave after wave of infected creatures.
If you make it to the final wave, you face a powerful boss.
What is great about the co-op play is that it alters depending on how many of you there are.
This instalment finds the perfect balance between serious and silly.
Killzone 3
Killzone is one of the Playstation’s most underrated exclusive series.
There have only been four main entries in the series, but each one is at least decent.
Killzone 3 slips into ‘great’ territory, especially when playing through the campaign with a buddy.
Yet, the combat makes up for the uninspiring narrative.
Each fight is very enjoyable due to the satisfying feeling of the guns and the tight shooting mechanics.
Plus, the title is one of the best-looking PS3 games ever.
Throughout the game, you lead a resistance effort to overthrow the evil dictator.
This means going to different parts of Yara and recruiting significant figures to help with your cause.
And you’ve got the option to do it all with a friend by your side.
Regardless of the throw in of job, they typically require teamwork and possibly some accurate shooting.
In recent years, though, there have been some home releases, including the Overkill title.
The game tells a story about the mystery surrounding the start of an undead outbreak.
But storytelling isn’t really a priority for this on-rail shooter.
The game is mostly just about firing bullets into things.
It’s loud, enjoyable, and involves plenty of profanity.
And the game allows you to do that with a buddy.
The inclusion of a teammate is welcome, as the game is punishingly difficult.
While simply making it through levels can be tough, itgets even harder during the boss fights.
So, this game is perfect for those who like a challenge and old-school art styles.
Deep Rock Galactic
The term ‘shooter’ doesn’t completely define Deep Rock Galactic.
However, these caves aren’t incredibly safe.
Hordes of creatures, both big and small, regularly attack you.
This is where the shooter aspect comes in, as you must defend yourself by blasting them all away.
Thankfully, both the digging and shooting mechanics feel satisfying.
Occasionally, you may want to coordinate and take down two guys at once.
Their issues revolved around the lack of scares this supposed horror game provides.
The complaints were fair, but RE5 is an excellent co-op third-person shooter.
Naturally, the place contains a litany of infected creatures that you have to kill.
Left 4 Dead 2
Games don’t get much more hectic than Left 4 Dead 2.
The goal is to reach the saferoom in every chapter and eventually escape the area.
But you have to do so while getting attacked by countless infected monsters.
These aren’t the slow, plodding kind, either, as they’re all super fast and agile.
Among them are a few special infected that are even more dangerous.
Years after its release, Left 4 Dead 2 remains a popular multiplayer game.
The zombies from L4D2 have left an impact, and here’s a ranking of them.
Whether you’re playing alone or with a friend, it’s a very enjoyable first-person shooter.
Gears 5
Gears Of War is a long-runningseries with many great instalments.
The fifth main entry is one of the best.
It makes for a more emotional tale than newcomers to the series might expect.
The combat is also enjoyable, as the Gears series has always been the standard for third-person cover shooting.
Gears 5 provides the most polished experience in the popular series' history.
Since 2001, the series has produced a litany of brilliant co-op adventures.
Thankfully, most of the best are a part of the Master Chief Collection.
Initially, it included Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4.
ODST and Reach have been added to the package since.
They also boast some solid story-telling that revolves around Master Chief’s adventures.
A co-op FPS, Back 4 Blood was launched in 2021 and continues in the vein of Turtle Rock Studios' previous work on Left 4 Dead. It features roguelike elements and several different modes, from a co-op campaign to competitive multiplayer.
