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Top 10 shooters

Games that put a gun in your hand are undeniably some of the most popular, but which are the best? We list our personal top ten shooters

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3. BIOSHOCK

As the spiritual successor to the phenomenal System Shock series, Bioshock was always going to be living in Shodan’s shadow. It’s partly because of this that the end result was such an eye-opener: far more than another corridor shooter, it made you question your motives, challenged your views and slammed you with a superbly orchestrated twist towards the end of the game that instantly made you doubt every step you’d taken up to that point.

Bioshock Andrew Ryan

Rapture’s creator is a man with many secrets

None of this would have nearly as much impact without the perfect characters and setting – the underwater city of Rapture perfectly replicated the art deco styling of 1930’s America 40,000 fathoms below, while the legions of splicers – ordinary inhabitants driven insane by ADAM, rapture’s twisted natural resource – and hulking Big Daddies patrolled its hallways.

2. FAR CRY 3

Far Cry 3 was a revelation. It fused open-world gameplay with stealth mechanics and a strong RPG element, and had an involving as well as frequently harrowing storyline.

The game also has one of the most affecting introductions we’ve seen; one minute you’re partying on a tropical island with your friends, the next you’re locked in a cage, surrounded by pirates and terrified to the point of insanity.

Far Cry 3 Vaas

Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?

Once you get into the game, you discover a huge play area, reams of skills and items to unlock and multiple ways to achieve each objective – and a protagonist teetering on the edge of losing his mind and his humanity.

For a more in-depth look, read our full Far Cry 3 review

1. HALF LIFE 2 (AND EPISODES)

It may have come out in 2004, but Half-Life 2 can still hold its head high as one of the greatest shooters ever made. The game’s innovative mechanics, character-led story and beautifully-realised game world are yet to be bettered, and the production values are so high that it barely seems to have aged.

Half Life 2 Hunter

Valve kept each episode fresh with new enemies

Couple that with the extremely high-quality Episode 1 and 2 expansions, and you can see why Half-Life fans are so desperate for the next instalment in the saga.

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